69,378 Documents Discovered in Daigo Temple Kyoto

平安－明治 政情や災害記す6万9378通 醍醐寺文書聖教 国宝に

In Kyoto's Daigo Temple, nearly 70,000 documents dating from the Heian Period to the Meiji Era - or roughly 794 CE when Kyoto was founded until 1868 - were recently discovered.

The documents are related mainly to Buddhist teaching and natural disasters.

Daigo Temple was founded in the early part of the Heian period.

It is today known for its five-story pagoda, many cultural assets, wall paintings, and fall colors.

The pagoda was built in 951 and is the oldest building in Kyoto. It was one of very few buildings to survive the Onin War in the 15th century. This civil war essentially razed the entire city.

Daigo Temple is a bit of a ride from central Kyoto but can be done. It is up Sanjo, over the Keage hill, down to Yamashina, and then about 10 km to the right (see map below).

Information

Sanboin, Shimo Daigo and Reihokan Museum (lower grounds)
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:00 from early December through February)
Admission ends 30 minutes before closing; no closing days
Admission: 600 yen each for Sanboin, Shimo Daigo and Reihokan Museum
1000 yen combination ticket for Sanboin and Shimo Daigo
1500 yen combination ticket for Sanboin, Shimo Daigo and the Reihokan Museum

Kami Daigo (upper grounds)
Hours: Entry from 9:00 to 16:00 (until 15:00 from December through February)
Everybody must return to the base of the mountain by 17:00; no closing days
Admission: 600 yen

Cycling Kyoto City Hall to Daigo Temple


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©Image Kyoto Prefecture

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Bicycle Book Review Best Bike Paths of New England: Safe, Scenic and Traffic-Free Bicycling

自転車の書評

As we have often noted, Kyoto has few cycling lanes (there is one real lane in the city, for those counting). Cycling in and among traffic is not pleasant.

For those who prefer bike paths, and are in New England, we have a book for you.

"The Best Bike Paths of New England: Safe, Scenic and Traffic-Free Bicycling" is a bike book for beginners, those just getting used to touring - but who want to take scenic rides.

In the US, the rails-to-trails - converting unused railway lines into bike paths - is creating a serious network throughout the country.

These are free of cars, red lights, and cars.

TV personality Wendy Williams has written a guide to such paths in New England. "The Best Bike Paths of New England" organizes paths by state and is comprehensive.

It includes:

1) A map of each state showing you where the path is
2) A detailed description of the path, including mileage
3) General background, including the history of the path and any useful tourist information
4) The level of difficulty, type of scenery, and condition of pavement
5) Availability of food and bathrooms
6) Directions, including the most accessible parking area

An excellent work.

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Kyoto Higashiyama Illumination 2013

京都東山花灯路２０１３年

It is almost light-up season in Kyoto. Several times a year, in key places, the city of Kyoto sets up lighting to highlight temples, bamboo groves, streets.

It is a wonderful evening out.

And most of it is free.

From March 8 - 17, every evening from 6 - 9 pm, a large section of Higashiyama will be illuminated.

The routes will take in Nene no Michi (The Path of Nene), Maruyama Park, Kiyomizu Temple, Kodaiji Temple, and more.

If you are riding, it is best to ride to close to the route, park, stroll, then ride to another part of the illuminated area.

Kyoto Higashiyama Illumination Map



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Cycling Kyoto Sidewalks Imadegawa

京都報道を自転車で乗る今出川

Kyoto is made for cycling.

Skeptics and critics and whiners be damned, Kyoto is a very good place for both biking and cycling. In terms of scale, geography, weather (hmmm...), paved roads, cyclist-driver relations (generally non-aggressive, generally cooperative), it is a relaxed, flat city in which you can get from point A to point B in less than 30 minutes in nine rides out of ten.

Now for some criticism.

First, the city has a wonderful and growing parking infrastructure for bikes. In contrast, there are almost no bike lanes. Thus, cyclists have to choose to either ride in traffic or on sidewalks.

Cycling in traffic in much of Kyoto is safe, once you get used to the density of vehicles and people. Like all cities, it is a dance and you have to learn the rhythms and behaviors of the other participants particular to Kyoto.

For those that do not feel comfortable on the road, fear not; the cycling-on-the-sidewalk mindset is deeply entrenched in Kyoto. Cyclists are legally allowed to do so, and many do. Some even ring their bells at pedestrians, and the pedestrians automatically yield or move out of the way. Which we still find amazing in our second decade of cycling in Kyoto.

An extreme example of the culture of bikes over pedestrians is a bus stop on Imadegawa Dori. We commute on this stretch of Imadegawa - with the Imperial Palace on the south side, Doshisha University on the north - and it can be tight on the road. The sidewalk however is crowded with university and high school students, tourists and locals. Still, many cyclists opt for the sidewalk.

To alleviate one particularly narrow area (pictured above) where there is a bus stop, the city built a beautiful wooden platform over the small moat that separates the sidewalk from the wall of the Imperial Palace. This allows bus commuters to wait for the bus in a safe area as cyclists whizz by.

We were at the bus stop on Sunday and, while the platform is comfortable and bike-free, its existence seemed only to embolden cyclists to ride faster through what was once a space normally filled with people.

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Van Gogh in Paris: New Perspectives Kyoto Exhibit

ゴッホ展空白のパリーを追う

A monster exhibit is coming to the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art this April.

Fifty works by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) from the collection of the Van Gogh Museum will be on display in Okazaki from April 2.

The exhibit left Holland and opened at Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki. It then traveled to South Korea in late July of last year. Following its sojourn in Kyoto, it will move on to Sendai and Hiroshima.

The exhibition includes a number of world-famous works by Van Gogh, including: "By the Seine," "In the Café: Agostina Segatori in Le Tambourin," "Wheatfield with Partridge," "A Crab on its Back," "Café Table with Absinthe," and "Self-portrait with Grey Felt Hat."

Get ready for long lines and craning your neck to see above and around a crowd of art loving pensioners.

The exhibit runs until 19 May 2013.

The museum is in the Okazaki section of Kyoto, which is a short ride from central Kyoto.

Information

Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art
Okazaki Park, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8344
TEL: 075 771 4107

April 2 - May 19

Tickets are 1400 yen for adults, 1000 yen for high school and university students, 500 yen for junior high and elementary school students.

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World Cycling News 24 February 2013

今週のサイクリング２０１３年０２月２４日

40 Miles to Work, on a Bike New York Times

Giro d'Italia 2014 to begin with three days of Irish action BBC

A London Cyclist in Portland London Cyclist

Le vélo dans l'avenir de nos villes Le Monde

Spinning through the city, Mexican style. Maybe Manchester can copy Guardian

Pedalea otra vez, Sam　El Pais

ツール・ド・ランカウイ2013　Cycling Time

Cycling czar? I’d love that job, says Olympic hero Chris Boardman The Times of London

Irvine wins two track medals for Ireland Yahoo

Last Week's Cycling News

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自転車で岡崎美術館、平安神社と南禅寺

Cycling Kyoto Okazaki, Heian Shrine, Nanzenji Temple

日本語ご希望の方。

In Okazaki, Kyoto, are several museums, a massive torii gate, and Heian Shrine.

It is a 10-minute ride or so from downtown Kyoto.

A bit farther east are Nanzenji Temple and the Philosophers Walk.

A perfect excursion.

Ride Okazaki ride.

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