自転車で西陣へ

Cycling Kyoto Nishijin

日本語ご希望の方。

In the western area of central Kyoto is the old "western camp," or better known today as Nishijin.

During the Onin War of the 15th century, in which most of Kyoto was destroyed by warring factions, the area now called Nishijin (literally, "west camp") was where one of those factions set up camp.

For many centuries thereafter, and up to the present, Nishijin has been synonymous with textiles and the kimono.

Nishijin today is a warren of narrow streets great for cycling, where you can in places still hear the whack-whack of looms at work.

There are many small temples, good cafes, several public baths, and a few museums.

Ride Nishijin ride.

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Gosho

自転車で京都西陣へ

自転車で京都西陣へ

日本語ご希望の方。

This Kyoto cycling route takes in Nishijin, the old weaving quarter.

The area still has many operating looms and larger weaving businesses, but it is but a shadow of its former self.

Fewer and fewer Japanese wear kimono on a daily basis; moreover, the yen is simply too high to export.

However, the area has lots of old houses and temples, and is a good and flat day out.

For more information, in Japanese (with a link to an English page), here is a page on cycling to Nishijin.

Ride Nijo, ride.


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Noodle Bar Kyoto

そば屋京都

The exterior of this noodle place is to die for.

It looks like it was once a kura, or a traditional storehouse.

It was renovated and reborn as a noodle restaurant across the street from Kita no Tenmangu Shrine.

In homage to its neighbor, which has a grove of plum trees, the owner had a plum painted onto the white wall above the entrance.

Prices are a tad bit higher than a less elegant restaurant would be, but the setting is well worth it.

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Soba Restaurant

Kyoto Machiya Nishijin

京町家西陣

Here is a quite typical Kyoto cityscape:

refurbished townhouse (machiya) with telephone wires overhead, a somewhat cheesy building exterior to the left, and small forms of personal (bicycle, scooter) transportation parked in front

It could be almost anywhere in the city, but this restaurant is in Nishijin, the city's weaving district.

The restaurant is called Vertigo, and has a fabulous interior.

The food is good, perhaps a bit expensive, but the building alone is worth the extravagance.

For those thinking of going, Vertigo is around the corner from Cafe Frosch.

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Tofu Seller Kyoto

豆腐自転車の伯父さん

It was akin to finding a spotted owl deep in a virgin forest.

We are no ornithologists, but experienced a frisson when we heard the plaintive bleat of the tofu seller coming unseen from the next block over.

We finally caught up with him as he was pedaling slowly in front of Jofukuji Temple, in the Nishijin area of Kyoto.

In the past, vendors plied the streets on big sturdy bikes selling, among other items, tofu, potatoes, fish, vegetables, laundry poles, and more. With the exception of the fall yaki-imo (roasted sweet potato) sellers, many of them are now no more.

This old boy did not seem in much of a hurry, slowly moving forward with his cart full of tofu behind him.

In his right hand is a tin horn he blows to alert the neighbors that he is close by.


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Nishijin Honryuji Temple

本流時

On a hot slow ride through Nishijin en route to Kitayama on Saturday, we rode past Honryuji Temple. It was founded in 1488, and has a distinctive onion-like dome and tiled outer wall.

Just up the street is a small preserved area with guest houses and museums. Among the latter is the Orinasukan Handmade Fabrics Museum.

It was created as a teaching center and is housed in a fabulous old building.

You can learn about dyeing, weaving culture, and industrial arts, all of which took and take place in Nishijin, the weaving center of Japan.

Along this section are normal residences. A quick peek down one found several bikes at arest.

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Jitensha Sign Nishijin Kyoto

「自転車」看板京都

A small mom-and-pop rice shop in Nishijin has a blue sign with white lettering that reads

自転車

That of course means "bicycle," but we have no idea why.

The building is old - which in the area is normal - and the sign is of a certain vintage.

However, there was not a bike or tool or pump to be found.

We didn't have time to investigate but the street, Teranouchi Dori, has much to recommend it.

Temples, small shops, old homes abound - so we will get back there and solve the mystery of the blue "jitensha" sign.

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Coasting through Nishijin Kyoto

自転車で西陣を通る

Riding through Nishijin, the weaving district of Kyoto, with camera in hand, we shot this on the go.

The street, Teranouchi Dori, is actually quite attractive, in a Kyoto messy way.

The telephone poles and wires are hideous, but the streetscape itself is terrific and full of late afternoon life.

Teranouchi has many small, interesting temples, and the Orinasukan Handmade Fabrics Museum is just up and to the right from where this photo was taken.

The young man is just finding his groove as he begins to speed up a bit on the down slope just east of Senbon Dori.

In the distance, and headed towards the camera, is a mother, mask on; behind her on a smaller bike, a young girl is keeping pace.

It is evening, around 5 pm, so we are guessing the man is a college student on the way home. The woman and her daughter are perhaps going shopping for the evening meal.

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Cycling Nishijin

自転車で西陣へ

Kyoto's Nishijin is the city's weaving area.

Located north of Imadegawa, west of Horikawa, and extending roughly to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, it is a large neighborhood.

And very good for cycling.

Aside from the large boulevards noted above, Nishijin is mainly narrow north-south, east-west streets with wooden homes and weaving companies.

The area contains a few small temples, narrow old streets, and a weaving center (to the right in the above photo).

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