Takase River Kyoto

高瀬川京都

Parallel to the tree-lined street known as Kiyamachi in downtown Kyoto is a former working canal and now lovely river.

The Takase River was dug in 1611, primarily to transport goods to and from the center of Kyoto down to Fushimi and, farther south, Osaka.

The river is only several centimeters deep. In the past its waters were plied by "Takase Bune," small boats purpose-built to carry heavy loads in such conditions.

The canal begins at Kiyamachi - Nijo Dori and follows Kiyamachi Dori to a point below Shichijo Dori. From there it veers a bit towards the Kamo River.

South of Kyoto Station, it finally ends and joins the Kamo Rive near Jujo Dori.

With the advent of trains, however, its fortunes waned. In 1920, river traffic was ended. Part of the canal was then submerged and paved over.

What remains today is an elegant canal lined by willow trees that is full of bars and restaurants. The building pictured above is the former Rissei Elementary School building. It closed in 1993, and is now an arts center.

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Shokokuji Temple Ukiyoe Exhibit

相国寺浮世絵展覧会

Just behind Kyoto's Doshisha University is Shokokuji Temple.

It was founded in 1382 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and is one of the "Kyoto Gozan": "five great Zen temples of Kyoto.

Shokokuki is also one of more than ten branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It was completely destroyed in 1394 by fire. It was rebuilt thereafter - and has been rebuilt several times since.

Within the grounds of the temple complex is also a museum. It is currently showing a fine exhibit of ukiyoe wood block prints from the MKG (Museum fur Kunst und Gewebe), in Hamburg, Germany.

It features works by Hiroshige, Hokusai, Harunobu, and Kuniyoshi.

Details

Shokokuji Jotenkaku Museum, 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30), ¥1000

May 21st – July 18th, July 23rd – September 11th
Tel: 075 231 0301

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Go'o Shrine Kyoto

自転車で護王神社へ

Go'o Shrine, which is pronounced Go-oh, is a small shrine on Karasuma Dori across the street from the Imperial Palace in north-central Kyoto.

It is believed to enshrine Lord Wake no Kiyomaro. In 769 C.E., he foiled the plot of Yuge no Dokyo, an unsavory Buddhist priest, in the latter's attempt at ascending the imperial throne. 

For his heroics, however, Lord Kiyomaro was banished to what is now Kagoshima Prefecture, in deep southern Japan. On the way there he was attacked and wounded in the leg.

According to legend, while fleeing his attackers he made his way to Oita Prefecture along with 300 wild boars, which protected him. And then, miraculously, upon arrival his injuries were healed.

Thus, Go'o Shrine is even now visited by those with foot and leg and foot trouble.

Moreover, there are many many images of boar.

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Purple Flowers Ascending a Kyoto Machiya

大徳寺の近くの町家

Outside a side entrance to Daitokuji Temple, in northern Kyoto, was this montage.

A potted purple flowered plant was climbing its way up a beam in front of a traditional home.

The dark wooden slats made for an ideal canvas.

The green leaves and, interspersed at both the bottom and top, the purple flowers were cooling on a mid-rainy season ride.

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Kuheiji Hiraishi Inventor of First Bicycle

平石久平次世界初自転車

The forebear of the modern bicycle is thought to have been invented in Germany in 1817. The Draisine was made by Baron Karl von Drais, a civil servant to the Grand Duke of Baden.

However, partisans in Japan argue that the world's first bicycle was actually the brainchild of a Japanese feudal lord. Kuheiji Hiraishi who built a "bike" in 1732, in what is now Shiga Prefecture, which is adjacent to Kyoto.

According to Kenjiro Kawakami, a professor of industrial archeology at Tokyo's Tama University of the Arts, "...a bicycle with pedals existed in Japan by the 1730s..."

A "boat-style ground vehicle" made by a farmer in Saitama Prefecture already existed in the 1730s. One of Hiraishi's retainers, who was living at the clan's residence in Edo (Tokyo), saw and told his lord about it.

Hiraishi, himself an astronomer and accomplished scientist, redesigned and built his own boat-style ground vehicle in 1732.

The moving vehicle had a boat-shaped wooden body, one front wheel and two rear wheels. The pedals were connected to a disk akin to a flywheel with an iron rod like a crankshaft.

According to Professor Kawakami, it could run at about 14 kilometers (9 miles) per hour.

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Cycling North Kyoto Daitokuji Temple

自転車で大徳寺へ

Daitokuji Temple was at first a small monastery, which was started in the early part of the 14th century by the monk Shuho Mocho.

In 1325, shortly thereafter, the monastery was converted into a facility for the imperial court.

As a result, it prospered. However, like much of the entire city of Kyoto, Daitokuji was burned in 1474 during the height of the Onin War.

Its fortunes rebounded in the sixteenth century, when Daitokuji came under the support military figures, who went on a building spree. In 1582, Oda Nobunaga, one of the contributors to the temple, was buried therein.

The temple also has enjoyed close ties to Sen no Rikyu, the tea master.

Today, the complex covers more than 50 acres and is perfect for a stroll or a slow bike ride.

If on a bike, it will be a bit bumpy. Most of the ground is covered in gravel; the path is stone, much of which can be cycled if carefully.

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Kyoto Kamo River From Sanjo Bridge

三条大橋からの鴨川堤防

Looking north from the Sanjo Ohashi Bridge, one can see the newly completed walking path and grass planting.

Located on the west bank of the river, and just below the decks now out on the backs of the restaurants at left (they are set up every summer for dining under the stars), the new path is a hard sand base.

It is an attractive tan, flanked on both sides by green green grass.

We have our fingers crossed that workmen will appear and continue on south of Sanjo, Shijo, and deeper into south Kyoto.

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