Cycle Kasuga Shrine Nara

自転車で春日大社

Kasuga Grand Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Nara, the former capital that is located roughly 45 kilometers from Kyoto.

It is one of the most famous shrines in Japan.

It was established in 768 AD and has been rebuilt several times over the centuries.

It is the shrine of the legendary Fujiwara family is well known for its many bronze lanterns.

The Shrine is located in Nara Park, a short ride from the Nara Museum and the center of Nara proper.

Information

6:30 to 17:30 (7:00 to 16:30 from November through March)
500 yen to enter the inner area


© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Kasuga Shrine
Kyoto
Cycle
Nara

Kyoto Myoshinji Path

妙心寺

Myoshinji Temple is one of Kyoto's lesser known gems.

It is a city within walls, a zen temple in which it is possible to spend the night and practice zazen.

Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it is not nearly as popular as nearby Ryoanji Temple or the Golden Pavilion.

There are more than 40 sub-temples, each of which serves as a residence for the monks and their families.

You can cycle through on the uneven stone paths.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Myoshinji

Chinese Kanji Kuruma Wheel

車

This giant kanji painted onto the pavement is "kuruma" or, in combination, "sha."

The picture is taken looking from directly above. The actual kanji should look like this:

車

It means wheel.

You can often spot it as part of 自動車 （jidosha）- car - that are on signs and roads.

This character however was part of 自転車（jitensha）- bike - and was on the Kyoto (Arashiyama) to Kizu bike trail.

We rode it recently, and continued on into Nara, which is not far beyond Kizu.

In future blogs, that wonderful route will be introduced.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Kanji
Kyoto
Cycle
Japanese

Kyoto Green Tea Ippodo

一保堂京都

Ippodo is mecca for Japanese tea lovers.

Though some fans of tea grown in Shizuoka, near Mt. Fuji, will no doubt object, the center of the Japanese green tea universe is on Teramachi, south of the Imperial Palace and near City Hall.

Ippodo was founded in 1717, when Ihei Watanabe created the now legendary tea shop.

The store sells many types of tea and tea utensils.

It is also possible - and highly recommended - to sit and drink tea in the Kaboku Tea Room.

Access

From Oike Dori, walk north on Teramachi (the small street next on the west side of City Hall) for 6-7 minutes. From the southeast corner of the Imperial Palace, Teramachi Marutamachi, walk south on Teramachi. On the east side in a large traditional building with noren curtains.
075 211 3421　

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Japanese Tea

Tohoku Earthquake Radiation Levels Okinawa Tokyo Hiroshima Kyoto

大気中放射線の値沖縄東京広島京都など

According to the Ministry of Education, March 25 radiation levels in Tokyo, Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Kyoto are noted below. With the exception of Kyoto, these areas all have US military bases.

Okinawa: 0.021

Tokyo: 0.134

Hiroshima: 0.056

For those in Kyoto, the reading is 0.039.

Results for the entire country can be found here.

Note: there were no results posted for two prefectures: Fukushima and Miyagi.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Radiation Levels
Kyoto
Cycle
Okinawa

Kyoto Myoshinji Temple Drain

妙心寺の下水

While cutting through Myoshinji Temple en route to an area north of Ninnaji Temple, we saw this drain in front of a sub-temple.

Neatly framed by stone, the grated iron is held in place by gray cement.

Two early spring leaves of unknown origin lie on the upper left corner.

The stone of the path itself is large, rectangular slabs. The smaller, rounder stones at the top of the photo differentiates and denotes the entrance to the sub-temple.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Myoshinji Temple

Kyoto Station

京都駅

Kyoto's massive gateway station building looms large on the cityscape.

Hiroshi Hara's Kyoto Station building opened in 1997 to celebrate the 1,200th anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto (Heian) as the capital of Japan.

The 15-story, glass-plated gray space station has been justly criticized as being inappropriate for the fabric of the city. It looms menacingly over a once elegant city.

Kyoto Station boasts a sixty meter tall atrium and is 470 meters from east to west. The total floor space of the building is 238,000 square meters, which includes a department store, the Granvia Hotel, a theater, exhibition space, as well as many shops and restaurants.

It is possible to walk to either Higashi Honganji or Nishi Honganji from the station.


© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto Station
Cycle
Japanese