Biggest News Stories in Japan 2012

２０１２年の重大ニュース

In an Asahi Shinbun (newspaper) poll, respondents chose the big stories of 2012.

Local Boy Done Good - Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka - took first place.

Yamanaka of course won a Nobel Prize for his work with iPS cells. At just 50, he is the youngest of Kyoto University's many laureates.

The rest of the big stories were:

2) Opening of the Tokyo Skytree on May 22

3) Annular solar eclipse ("when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth") on May 20

4) Purchase of the Senkaku Islands on September 11

5) Anti-Japan demonstations and violence across China

Nothing, alas, about bikes or bike lanes or transportation policy.

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Kyoto News New Train Museum Umekoji Park

ＪＲ西日本　京都市の梅小路公園内に国内最大級の「鉄道博物館」を建設！

JR West recently announced that a new train museum is going to be built next to The Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum.

Both sit on the site of a a former rail yard. The new building will be built on the site of aging JR company dorms, which will be torn down.

The area, which is a kilometer northwest of Kyoto Station, has been redeveloped and is now a pleasant open park.

It is also home to the city's new aquarium.

The new train museum will take four years to build and is slated to open in 2016. When it opens, it will be the train-mad nation's largest such museum.

It will consist of three stories and a total of 18,800 square meters of displays.

The SL23 steam engine, four electric trains, six bullet trains, and four diesel engines will be on display.

In addition, there will be interactive areas where visitors can "drive" trains.


Information

Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum
Kankiji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto city 600-8835
Tel: 075 314 2996
URL: http://www.mtm.or.jp/uslm/

Admission

Adults(High School Age and Older): 400 yen
Children(4th Junior High School Age) 100 yen

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Kyoto Super Sento Tenzan no Yu

自転車で嵯峨野温泉 天山の湯

Tenzan no Yu is the second "super sento" (large public bath) we have recently visited. The first was Yamato Yu, which is in Tambaguchi.

Tenzan no Yu is located in the Saga area of western Kyoto, not far from Arashiyama.

The bath is a 10-minute ride from Arashiyama. For those taking the train, it is a short walk from Arisugawa Station (Keifuku Station) or about 10 minutes on foot from JR Uzumasa Station.

You enter the large establishment and go up to the second floor. There, you must take off your shoes and put them in a locker on the left (to release the key and lock the locker, you must push a small silver button below the key). Then, at the check in counter, you give the key to one of the workers. You pay after the bath when you come to retrieve the shoe locker key.

On this floor (2F) are various shops, a restaurant, and foot masseuse.

Inside, the procedure is the same as for any sento: you get undressed, take your towel in. First you wash yourself, and rinse all the soap from your body. Then you begin the Big Soak.

There is a "Korean" massage available inside the bath. This was a bit creepy - the men are nude, face down - while middle aged women massage the whole body.

Also, the music piped into the bathing area was annoyingly loud.

Otherwise, Tenzan  no Yu (The Hot Waters of Heavenly Mountain) is divine.

Information

Tenzan no Yu Super Sento (the bath farthest to the left)
Open daily from 10 am to 1 am
General Admission: 1000 yen, children 500 yen
Bike parking on street level underneath in the car parking lot

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Christmas Day Cycling Kyoto

メリークリスマス京都！

December 25 this year falls on a Tuesday.

In Kyoto, that means it is a normal work day. Post offices are open, salarymen pack trains, and the world goes on its normal workaday end-of-year rhythm.

Many companies are closing down for the new year's holidays, and there is a bit of a buzz in the air as all prepare to eat, drink, and do nothing for several days to welcome 2013.

To celebrate the end of the year, what else but a Mega Sale.

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Kyoto Udon Museum Opens

日本全国のうどんが京都で食べられる　「うどんミュージアム」12/22にオープン

In the Gion area of Kyoto, better known for geisha, a new museum devoted to udon opened on December 22.

The museum is devoted to the beloved noodle and features items related thereto.

In addition, there is space for 100 to eat udon from around Japan.

The menu features 45 types from all around Japan.

There are exhibits on the history of udon, how to eat it, the ingredients, and soup.

The Udon Museum is housed in a wonderful refurbished old building.

To get there, walk or ride away from the Kamo River one short block east from the Minami-za Theater, on the corner of Shijo-Kawabata. Turn left and head north on the first street. On the right side.

Information

Udon Museum

238-2, Gion Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku,
Kyoto 605-0073
Tel: 075 531 0888
Open 11 am - 10 pm

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World Cycling News 23 December 2012

今週のサイクリング２０１２年１２月２３t日

S.F. getting 'green lanes' for bikes SF Gate

Olympics funding: Britain's boxers get rise but swimming loses out BBC

Best bicycle maintenance books London Cyclist

V'Asie à vélo V'Asie à vélo

Is Boris spending as wisely on encouraging cycling in London as he could?
Guardian

Bicicletas en pantalla grande El Pais

都営バスにはねられ自転車の４０歳女性死亡　Yomiuri Shinbun

Court verdict an insult, says father of Mary Bowers seriously hurt by lorry The Times of London

Cycling to be judged by Olympics, not Armstrong: McQuaid Yahoo

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Cycling to Ninnaji Temple Kyoto

自転車で仁和寺へ

In western Kyoto, the massive gate of Ninnaji Temple stands guard over the Omuro area of the ancient capital.

The temple was founded in 886 C.E. by the Emperor Koko.

For forty years prior to that, it served as the summer residence for the Imperial Family known as Omuro Palace (Omuro Gosho).

Ninnanji has a massive entrance gate called San-mon (Mountain Gate) which has a tiled roof and two devas guarding the entrance.

The Main Hall, or Hondo, contains an golden image of Amitabha (a National Treasure).

The 33 meter, 5-story pagoda pictured above was built in 1637.

The temple compound also is home to many ancient Omuro Zakura, small late-blooming cherry trees.

In the hills just behind Ninnaji is the Hachi-ju Haka-sho (88 Temple Pilgrimage), a short hike around mini-temples mirrored on the more famous 88 Temple Pilgrimage around Shikoku. The entire walk can be done in less than an hour and affords a great view of Kyoto below.

Ryoanji Temple, Daikakuji Temple, and the Golden Pavilion are all a short ride on a bicycle.

Details

33 Ouchi Omuro
Ukyo-ku
Kyoto
075 461 1155

400 yen fee to the sub temple to the left as you enter; otherwise, it is free.


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Ninnaji Temple