[How to enjoy] Pedal Kyoto Ep.3: KINKAKU or GINKAKU. Are you Team Kinkaku or Team Ginkaku?

[How to enjoy] Pedal Kyoto Ep.3: KINKAKU or GINKAKU. Are you Team Kinkaku or Team Ginkaku?

Hello, this is T. Let’s explore Kyoto by bike. Get ready for a fun ride full of uh great views and useful tips. Continuing from the previous video, here’s the next part of our Kyoto bicycle tour. The light purple line shows the entire tour route which circles the Kyoto area uh passing through Sanjjo Alashyama Kityama and Higashyama. Look at this purple line. This is uh today’s food cycling route. In this episode, we are riding from the brilliant King Kakuji to the elegant Gin Kakuji. We’ve arrived at the gate of King Kakuji Temple which is also end of Kinukenomi road. We park our bikes right here in front of the entrance. This is the gate to King Kakuji. King Kakuji, also known as Lokoni Temple, a shining symbol of Kitama culture from Japan’s Muromachi period. Since we are asked not to post photos or videos of places like Gin Kakuji and Ginkakuji, I won’t be showing any interior shots out of respect. Instead, I will show you an old uh illustration drawn by Takhara Shunosai, a well-known Ukio artist and Ukio by Hiroshi. For more photos of King Kakuji, check out the official website. The link is in the description below. This golden pavilion is a stunning blend of Alexatic, samurai, and Buddhist influences. The current King Kaguji was recovered in gold leaf in 1987. Can you believe it took about 200,000 gold seat? It still grows today. The roof was also repaired in 2003. Each floor reflects a different culture from noble to samurai to Zen. And yes, it’s been over 630 years, fires and restorations later, it still does. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu the third shogun in the Muramachi Shogunate was a political powerhouse. He united the two rival imperial court in 1392 then took over a villa in Kitayama to build this golden structure in 1397. A symbol of beauty and authority. It said he governed from here. Heading west now. But guess what? We took the wrong turn again. Just like in episode two. I meant to go right for lunch, but turned left instead. Cotto’s roads are mostly easy to follow until you entire tiny alleys and lose your sense of direction. Eventually, a long uphill is started. My legs are cramping up. I walk the bike from here. Uh, I had to push the bike by a convenience store. Exhausting, but kind of funny in hindsight. We realized my mistake at the top of the hill and decides to head to Kamogawa River. We arrived at the Kamogawa River. Here’s the Kitama Ohashi Bridge and just across it, you will spot the Kyoto Botanical Garden. It’s a really peaceful place, great for a quiet walk. We’re now cycling along the Kamo River without crossing over, just cruising slowly and enjoying the peaceful scenery. Riding along Kamogawa River is refreshing. A scenic loot reaired thanks to a wrong turn. But word of advice bring a mask or glasses to river small bank love faces in this season. The first bridge we spot is Kiti Bridge. If you head west from here, you will reach King Kakuri Temple. Yep. The same one from earlier. Next up is Isizu Moji Bridge which crossing uh Kurama Guuchi Dori Street. Funny things if you follow this road west it also end up at King Kakuji. This is actually where we got lost earlier. This one is Aoi Bridge. A head west and you will hit Kawamachi Dori, one of Kyoto’s main road. Coming ahead is Deatyanagibbashi Bridge and just across it is Deatanagi station on the Khan lineash. And here it is Kamoash bridge. Right in front of it, you will find the deachi step being stones. By just passing a couple walking across the stones, such a beautiful moment. If you cross Kamohash Bridge and head west, you will be on uh I de Gawa. Go east from here and it’s a straight shot to Gakuji Temple. Because of delays of episode one and today’s tour, we missed the Koto style restaurant opening hours. So, Indian Nepali’s curry it was and honestly it hit the spot after all the cycling and sightseeing. Feeling recharged, we passed Hakuman Benong in Temple on the left and Kyoto University on the right. Kyoto is truly a student city over 150,000 students and 40 universities. Fun fact, I once studied genetic engineering here when I was a graduate student. [Music] [Music] up there. You see that mountain? That mountain behi every August a huge bonfire in the shape of the Kanji Dai is lit there. It’s part of Kyoto’s uh Gano Okuribbe festival when spirits of ancestors are sent off with flames. [Music] As the road narrows, we enter Ginkoi almost there. [Music] Unlike Flashy King Kakuji, Ginkakuji has a quiet charm. We parked our bikes and hiked up. Just like Ginkakuji, we are asked not to post any photos and videos of Gin Kakuji. So, in this video, I’ll show you a traditional Ukiok print, illustration, and a map that can be viewed from the public road. Temple and shrines in Japan are not just beautiful. They are places of quiet reflection and spiritual meaning. When we take a moment to respect that by following simple customs, we’re not only being polite, we are giving ourselves the chance to feel something deeper. That one of the real joy of traveling in Japan. realize I left my guin cho. Yes, I had to go back another energy drop. But that’s part of the journey, right? Ginkagi symbolizes Higashyama culture, a blend of samurai and Buddhist aesthetics. Yoshimasa Ashikaga Shogun and its builder hoped to rival his grandfather’s golden temple King Kaku with silver leaf. But due to the owning war and the famines, it remained unad. That’s unfinished look. Uh it’s inspired Japan’s iconic wabishabi aesthetic. For Kitayamato Higashyama culture, Japan shifted from cotry to samurai power. The showing zukuri architecture style here becomes the blueprint for modern Japanese homes including my own house. No theater was protected by Yoshimitsu while this ceremony and iikana flourished under Yoshimasa. Even Bong Odori dance had loot in Muramachi’s folk art many of which still live on in Japan today. This image shows the oning war which broke out in 1467, the first year of the oning era. It turned Kyoto into a battlefield for over a decade, leaving much of the city in ruins and flames. Interestingly, while Yoshimasa ignored politics, his wife Hintoiko handled things, earning a controversial place in history. Some say she causes the owning war. Others say she tried to hold things together. Since we can’t show the inside of Ginki temple, let me guide you using a map that visible from the public road. Right after entering, there’s a place to deposit your gosho or red sealed book. If you hand it in here first, you will be able to receive your stamp after touring the temple. A small but thoughtful gesture, especially helpful for travelers short on time. Just beyond the entrance, you will find the temple framed by a beautiful uh calles dry landscape garden and a raised platform called Ketuai said to be designed for moon viewing. The Shoji Temple, another name for Gin Kakuji, is filled with hidden future meant to enhance the moonlit scenery. Be sure to look around and discover them. For there you climb the hillside path that begin near King Koi Pond. The slope is fairly steep, so it might be tough for those with knee and back issues, but the view at the top is worth it. Uh from the observatory you can take in the entire layout of Gaguji and its surroundings. The path then went down through a beautiful maintained garden that stretches across the hillside. I have a small garden at home but it usually full of weeds. Keeping a garden like this truly takes devotion and care. After soaking in the peaceful elegance of Wabishabi, I picked up my red seal. Again, I really appreciated the temple’s consideration for visitors. I hope you will get a chance to experience to quiet beauty of Gin Kakuji for yourself. In this episode, we visited both the Golden Pavilion representing Kitayama culture, a brand of aristocratic samurai and Buddhist traditions, and the Su Favilium where the cy aesthetic fade given way to a simpler, more humble expression. The contrast between these two reflects a large shift in Japanese history from noble refinement to a samurai driven simplicity. A story told not uh just in buildings but in the spirit they carry. Next time we will take you on the cycling route to Kiua temple passing through the philosophers path Gong and Yasaka shrine. Along the way, we will also stop by as the iconic fivetory pagoda glowing beautifully in the setting sun. Our return loot wings back from Kiomis dera through Sanenzaka an Nomici and Gong once again before grinding along the Kamo Gawa River all the way to Adachiagi station. And yes, by the end you will see just how exhausted we were after a full day of cycling through Kyoto. For food, we will finally introduce Cotto’s famous yaki tofu or grilled tofu. A simple dish packed with flavors and tradition. Don’t miss it. Thank you so much for watching today. If you enjoy the video, please don’t forget to like and subscribe. See you next time. [Music] [Music]

[Ep104] Pedal Kyoto Episode 3: From Gold to Silver – Kinkakuji to Ginkakuji via the Kamo River 🚲✨ World famous UNESCO Zen Temple.

In this episode, we set off from the stunning Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), cycle through local neighborhoods and along the scenic Kamo River, and finally arrive at the peaceful Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion).

Along the way, we’ll explore:

The glittering beauty of Kinkakuji and its Kitayama culture
How a wrong turn led us to quiet backstreets and Kamogawa cycling paths
A lunch break featuring Indian-Nepalese curry after missing Kyoto-style cuisine
Kyoto University and my short talk
The quiet charm of Ginkakuji and the essence of wabi-sabi in Higashiyama culture
A peek into Japanese history, from shoguns and temple architecture to stamp books and Zen gardens

📌 Please note: Out of respect for temple rules, we do not include interior photos or videos of Kinkakuji or Ginkakuji. Instead, I use ukiyo-e prints, illustrations and maps visible from public roads.

🎬 Coming up next: We’ll visit Kiyomizu-dera, explore Sannenzaka, and ride along the Kamo River at dusk back to Demachiyanagi.

If you enjoy this journey, please like, comment, and subscribe for more relaxing and informative cycling trips around Kyoto!

[Contents]
0:00 Start
1:15 Kinkaku-ji
3:12 Kinkakuu to Kamo river
4:50 Kamo River
7:38 Lunch
7:56 to Ginkaku
9:43 Ginkaku-ji
12:22 Onin war
13:05 Ginkaku-ji Tour
15:50 NEXT: Ep. 4
17:12 Ending

[References]
歌川広重（国立国会図書館所蔵）, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFamous_Places_of_Kyoto-Kinkakuji-by_Utagawa_Hiroshige-National_Diet_Library.jpg?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Yoshimitsu Ashikaga
Wikimedia commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AYoshimitsu_Ashikaga_Face.svg?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Ashikaga Yoshimasa
Wikimedia commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAshikaga_Yoshimasa.jpg?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Famous Places of Kyoto-Kinkakuji-by Utagawa Hiroshige-National Diet Library
Wikimedia commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Famous_Places_of_Kyoto-Kinkakuji-by_Utagawa_Hiroshige-National_Diet_Library.jpg

都名所図会　巻六　画像３７
金閣寺 Golden pavilion
by Takehara Syunchosai 竹原春朝斎
出典：国際日本文化研究センター
安永九(1780)年
https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/meisyozue/kyoto/page7/km_01_567.html

三都名所図会 京都名所金閣寺
歌川広重（国立国会図書館所蔵）,
CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
出典：国立国会図書館所蔵
1834

都名所之内　金閣寺雪景
by Sadanobu 貞信
出典：国立国会図書館
安政5年頃（1585年頃）
https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/gallery/landmarks/sights/kingakuji

The Battle of Onin during the Onin War (1467-1477) by Utagawa Yoshitora.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ōnin_War#/media/File:Onin-War-1467-1477-The-Battle-of-Onin-by-Utagawa-Yoshitora.png

ROKUONJI KINKAKU

Kinkaku-ji

JISYOUJI GINKAKU

Ginkaku-ji

GINKAKUji Precinct map: In front of Jisyo-ji temple from public road

[Map]
Google map
Google earth Pro
Google earth studio

#Kyoto #Kinkakuji #Ginkakuji #KamoRiver #KyotoCycling #JapanTravel #KyotoBikeTour