Japanese Cop

京都のお巡りさん

Being a cop is a pretty thankless, low-paid, long-hours kind of deal.

You deal with a lot of jerks, see a lot of weird and no doubt unpleasant stuff, and don't get a lot of respect.

In Kyoto, cops probably have it easier than back in Philadephia - our home town - where in large areas of the city it is not advisable to go at night.

This young guy, on the beat on the night of the Yoiyama Festival (July 16th), was polite and helpful when we asked him a question.

For the most part, Japanese police are polite and helpful.

On a boiling hot night, he eschewed polite verb forms and got straight to the point: "go down this street, turn left and head south. You're going to run into a huge crowd, but you probably already know that."

We thanked him and braced ourselves.

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Japanese Policeman's Hat

日本警察の帽子

A friend who is a retired Kyoto police officer likes to pull out his old dress uniform hat when has had a few.

At a recent party at his home near Kiyomizu Temple, we all got a chance to put on the solid hat.

The brim in particular is rock hard.

The symbol in the center is of course the chrysanthemum.

Another older gent wanted to "borrow" the hat for his inebriated ride home as a way of avoiding arrest for riding under the influence.

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Kyoto Police Motorcycle

京都警察白バイ

Not far from Takaragaike, in northern Kyoto, this police motorcycle sped by.

He "raced" by at about 10 km/hour.

The cops were keeping order during the annual Daimonji Ekiden race, a relay marathon.

The race is held in early February and is run by teams from 50 of the public schools in the city.

The course winds began near the Golden Pavilion and ended near Heian Shrine.

Each leg of the race is about 1.5 - 2 km, and to maintain safety for the participants the cops were out on motorbikes and in patrol cars.

Though not a fan of oil-powered transportation, we have to admit this bike is pretty damn cool.

Check out the Star Wars helmet the cop is wearing.

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Cycling Restrictions Downtown Kyoto

 京都河原町などの自転車規制

The cops and their minions are cracking down in a "bike safety campaign."

Lately, from evening rush hour until early in the night, cops are manning corners - especially near universities - and stopping cyclists.

The usual: light not on, riding on the wrong side of the road, and checking to see if the rider actually owns the bike.

Also, at long last, the police and "bike cops" - men and women in blue official looking uniforms - are patrolling the main streets downtown.

As a reminder, Kyoto restricts cycling in the following areas:

Shijo Karasuma - Shijo Higashi Oji (Yasaka Shrine)
Shijo Kawaramachi (Takashimaya) - Kawaramachi Oike (City Hall)

These restrictions are in effect from 8 am until 10 pm.

Note: these restrictions are for the street itself, not just sidewalks (which are of course a no go area).

In addition, some of the streets between Kawaramachi and Karasuma downtown - for example, the Sanjo Mall, Teramachi, and other nearby streets - are designated pedestrian areas. That means from 8 am until 10 pm, no cycling.

The above are areas to be avoided if for no other reason than: many cars, many people, no joy.

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Kyoto Police

京都警察のパトルール

Last night while riding from Demachiyanagi past the Imperial Palace en route to an area near Ninnaji Temple, a cop yelled at me to put my bike light on.

Actually, "politely entreated" would be a more accurate description.

The light was already on and I told the woman cop - who was probably excited at the prospect of practicing three words of English ("right on, purease") that she failed to notice - "it's already on" and pedaled on.

The cops were out in force from Kawaramachi to Senbon along Imadegawa around 7 pm, berating and stopping cyclists.

No fines though.

The campaign will last a few days, the police will pack up and go back to the koban, and the problem will be solved.

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