Kyoto - Bike Tour

It's a great day for a bike ride!

After being on our feet all day yesterday, Saturday morning we're looking forward to our Backstreet Bike tour.  Unlike other bike tours we've been on, this one's private.  Our guide speaks English well and is able to answer lots of questions and is very informative.

I also learn you're supposed to use arm signals when riding the bike.  I have yet to see a single rider do that in Tokyo, but I notice other bikers in Kyoto signaling, too. 

I would get lost in this intersection!

Shibuya's not the only place with a crazy 5- or 6-way crossings at a single intersection.  Kyoto has them too.  And we're supposed to walk our bikes, not ride them, because it's so busy.  Hmmm, I wonder if you're supposed to do that in Tokyo, too.....

Another temple?  Really?

We take a quick look at Higashi Honganji Temple.  It's the largest wooden structure in Kyoto and one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.  Traditional Japanese beliefs say that evil spirits come from the northeast, so lots of temples have that corner "cut off."  I guess it makes it easier to protect against the spirits.

missing northeast corner

We cross the Kamo River several times.  It's before the rainy season, so the water level is low.  Lines are draped above the river to prevent birds from diving in to eat all the fish.  The yuka, or outdoor decks, are built by restaurants for the summertime.  Eating outdoors by the river helps to make the humidity not seem as bad.  Maybe that's the case in the evening, but now it's sunny, in the 80s, and there's no shade.  I would find it very uncomfortable.

The geiko names are "behind" the lantern.

We visit Gion, the most famous geisha district.  In Kyoto, they prefer to be called geiko (it translates as "arts child" versus geisha, which means "arts person").  There are five different geiko groups, and maybe 100 geikos total in Kyoto.  They live in houses together, and the house mother determines how many geiko live in each house, so you may have one roommate or six!  The houses are all similar in design, but you can tell which group the geiko belong to by the symbol on the lantern.  You can also tell who lives in each house by the name plates in the upper right hand corner of the door.  Our guide also points out the pile of salt sitting outside the entrance.  It represents purity.  Afterwards as I look around Kyoto and Tokyo I start to notice salt beside doors of houses and businesses.

The salt captures the "bad stuff" so you're pure when you enter the residence.

As we're talking with our guide, she nods down the street and indicates that a geiko is walking our way.  I ask if it's okay to take a picture, and she says yes, from a distance.  So I'm able to show proof of a real geisha!  You actually see quite a few teenage girls/women walking around Kyoto in full makeup and kimono, but they're tourists who pay to have a "geisha" experience.  They are often asked to have their picture taken, which adds to their fun.  I'm not interested in doing it, though.

A real geisha (geiko!)

The reed "wall" on the upper balcony provides additional privacy.

We then stop by a bridge that was in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, but I don't remember the scene.  It's supposed to be popular for wedding photos, but apparently it's an inauspicious day for marriages, because no couples are there (our guide said normally there's 5-6).  It gives us a chance to get some photos, though!  Steve's never seen the movie, and it's been years since I read the book/saw the movie, so we may have to watch it.

The cars help put the size in perspective!

We stop by Heian Jingu Shrine, which has a giant torii gate entrance.  It was built to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto.  It's going to be a long time before anything in the US celebrates its 1100th anniversary!  The shrine was built in 1895, so it's one of the "youngest" religious structures we've seen.  It's dedicated to the first and last emperors who ruled from Kyoto, so you see the imperial chrysanthemum symbol on different items.

16 petals = imperial seal.  No one else can use that symbol!

We finish the tour with a visit to the Imperial Palace garden, which is mostly a big park (lots of flat, clear land).  There is one Japanese garden section, with one bonus item - turtles!  We haven't seen them in any of the other gardens.  

Bonus points if you find the turtle!

Once again, we've seen all this before lunch.  Luckily we already have plans for the afternoon...