City Cycling Scenes: The Nagoya Death Star

It seems the Japanese have taken the whole dolphin and blue-fin tuna issue personally and have begun construction of a Death Star to vaporize those pesky vegans. Or maybe this is the the nearly complete Nagoya City Planetarium by Shirakawa Park. Apparently, this planitarium promises to be the largest in the world. One thing for sure; you won't see any stoners tripping on the Pink Floyd Laser Show.

Nagoya's Death Star

Note the laser canons beneath

Cycling Scenes in the City: Feb 13, 2009

Cycling scenes from my hometown Nagoya, Japan

Not a "death" bike. Just a Japanese knockoff

Bike parking area by Matsuzakaya department store

Small urban bike with a hint of Penny-farthing

Buried treasures in Osu Nagoya

Namikoshi Park in Osu, Nagoya

Cycling around Nagoya City affords me the opportunity to discover nooks and crannies that I would not easily find inside an automobile. The Osu section of Nagoya, a popular shopping district comparable to Tokyo's Harajuku, never disappointments. I've been visiting Osu on an almost weekly basis since I moved to this City over 18 years ago, yet, I can always count on finding a little surprise around the corner. On top of that, Osu has been in a perpetual state of flux since about 1999. Old shops close, new ones open, nothing stays the same. So it was with no small pleasure that I discovered a tiny park located about 300 meters from the Osu Kannon shrine.

Park sign

The Namikoshi Park site is less than a 1000 square feet in area and you'll miss it if you cycle by and blink. What caught my attention was the bulbous hill in the center of the park which indicates it was once an ancient burial mound. According to a sign on premises, Namikoshi was the first public park opened in Nagoya city back in 1879. It remained the most popular park for 30 years until overshadowed by the much larger Tsurumai park about 3 kilometers away. All that remains of the park is this mound, ad old gnarly tree and a sign. Overall, I'd say it was a good find.

Old steps leading up the burial mound


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Alley Cats and After party

Saturday nights monthly NUTs alley Cat race was by far the Fun-est we've had. After the race we all met at Cafe Dufi for an after party sponsored by Circles bicycle shop. Live DJ, cold beer and good food made for a night of cycling heaven. The NUTs events are awalys a treat and the most important thing is that everyone is in it for the fun. In the end, that's what cycling is all about right?

Alleycat race this Saturday night

The monthly NUTs alleycat race will be held on April 18th. This time we'll be meeting at 8:30 PM by the water fountain entrance of Meijo Koen (Park). If you've ever attended a Walkathon event, you'll know the spot. Entry fee for the race is 300 YEN. Bring yer wheels and a set of groovy legs. Check out the calendar link to the right for more details.

Cycle route: Nagoya to Kameyama

Found a nice cycling route I might try if the weather clears up soon. Can probably do this in one day with time to spare for a dip in a hot spring bath.