A plan for Kyoto

Nestled among the mountains of the Kansai region of Western Honshu, Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the residence of the Emperor from 794 until the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo. During its millennium at the center of Japanese power, culture, tradition, and religion, it accumulated an unparalleled collection of palaces, temples and shrines, built for emperors, shoguns, and monks. Kyoto was among the few Japanese cities that escaped the allied bombings of World War II and so still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as machiya. However, the city is continuously undergoing modernization with some of the traditional Kyoto buildings being replaced by newer architecture, such as the Kyoto Station complex. Kyoto is home to Japan's second most prestigious university, Kyoto University.

Orientation

Kyoto's city planners way back in 794 decided to copy the Chinese capital Chang'an (present-day Xi'an) and adopt a grid pattern, which persists to this day in the city core. West-east streets are numbered, with Ichijō-dōri (一条通, "First Street") up north and Jūjō-dōri (十条通, "Tenth Street") down south, but there is no obvious pattern to the names of north-south streets.

Climate

Kyoto truly exhibits the four seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter, with many flowers in spring and changing leaves in the fall attracting hordes of tourists. Kyoto is particularly humid in summer, as the city is flanked by mountains. From about mid-June to the end of July is the rainy season, so most travelers avoid this time. The type of rain ranges from drizzles to off-and-on showers to downpours. There is another typhoon season in late August and September. Winters are generally cold but without snowfall. They usually don't start until the end of December and last until March when the plum blossoms begin to open, followed by cherry blossoms.

Individual listings can be found in Kyoto's district articles

Kyoto offers an incredible number of attractions for tourists, and visitors will probably need to plan an itinerary in advance in order to visit as many as possible.

Japan National Tourist Organization's self-guided "Kyoto Walks" pamphlet enables first time visitors to tour the city with ease and with minimum fuss by providing bus numbers, names of bus stops and clearly marked walking routes. There are a variety of self-guided walks in different districts to sample Kyoto's various sites. If you see the browser's dialog box popping up, just click on it till the entire PDF document opens.

World Heritage Sites

In 1994, 17 historic sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the group designation Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Fourteen of the listed sites are in Kyoto itself, two are in the neighbouring city of Uji and one is in Ōtsu.

Listed by location, the fourteen World Heritage Sites in the city of Kyoto are:

Northern Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, Ryōan-ji, Ninna-ji, Kōzan-ji, Shimogamo Shrine, Kamigamo Shrine

Central Kyoto: Nijō Castle, Nishi Hongan-ji, Tō-ji

Eastern Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkaku-ji

Western Kyoto: Tenryū-ji, Koke-dera

Southern Kyoto: Daigo-ji

Imperial Palaces and Villas

Stroll through the regal retreats of the Imperial Palace or one of the two Imperial villas with gardens and teahouses managed by the Imperial Household Agency. These are the Imperial Palace (京都御所 Kyōto-gosho) and Sentō Imperial Palace (仙洞御所 Sentō-gosho) in Central Kyoto, Katsura Imperial Villa (桂離宮 Katsura-rikyū) in Western Kyoto, and Shūgakuin Imperial Villa (修学院離宮 Shugaku-in-rikyū) in Northern Kyoto. All four of these sites are open to the public by reservation through the Imperial Household Agency. The gardens located within the precincts of each palace and villa are at their most scenic during spring cherry blossom season and autumn where a riot of colors enchant visitors. Each property is still used from time to time for official state functions or for private visits by the current royal family members.

Individual listings can be found in Kyoto's district articles

Public baths

Public baths have been a cornerstone of the society for centuries in Kyoto. The first public baths, or sentō (銭湯), were documented in the 13th century. Soon they became one of the few places in society where social status was irrelevant. Noblemen shared baths with commoners and warriors. Today over 140 bath houses remain in Kyoto. Funaoka Onsen is the oldest of these and dubbed "king of sentō", but newer bath houses and super sentō are just as much part of the Japanese bathing culture. If you have the time, make your way to one of the many public bath houses Kyoto has to offer.

1 Funaoka Onsen (船岡温泉), Kyoto, Kita Ward, Murasakino Minamifunaokacho 82-1 (take bus line 206 from Kyoto station), ☏ +81-75-441-3735. 15:00 - 01:00. Funaoka Onsen is one of the oldest public bath houses in Kyoto still in operation. Its classic building is an excellent example of bath house architecture of the beginning of the 20th century. Funaoka Onsen is popular with both locals and visitors and is a must if you have an hour to spare. ¥430.

Film industry

Kyoto is the traditional home of the Japanese film industry and while it has declined since its heyday in the 1950s, to this day, the majority of Japanese period dramas (時代劇 jidaigeki) continue to be produced in Kyoto.

2 Toei Kyoto Studio Park (東映太秦映画村 tōei uzumasa eigamura), Kyoto, Ukyo Ward, Uzumasa Higashihachiokacho 10 (take bus line 75 from Kyoto station), ☏ +81-57-006-4349. 09:30 - 16:30. Toei Kyoto Studio Park is an active film studio which continues to be used for the filming of period dramas. Visitors may visit the outdoor sets used in many samurai movies, and if they are lucky, could potentially observe the filming of a period drama. ¥2,200.

Meditation

Well known for its abundance of historical sites, Kyoto often draws visitors eager to experience traditional Japanese culture. Buddhist meditation sessions are one of the most popular of these activities, and multiple options are available. In Northern Kyoto, Taizo-in and Shunko-in (both sub-temples of Myoshin-ji) offer authentic Zen meditation sessions, complete with explanations of the meaning and significance of such meditation. Reservations are necessary.

Individual listings can be found in Kyoto's district articles

If you've just stepped off the train and the first thing on your mind is a bite to eat, there are several restaurants on the tenth and eleventh floors of the Isetan department store attached to Kyoto station. Most of the offerings are Japanese, including a veritable Ramen village, and there are a few casual Italian cafes.

Fine dining

If you have a lot of money, Kyoto is considered by most Japanese to be the spiritual home of kaiseki (懐石 or 会席), which is a meal of many small courses and a quintessential type of Japanese fine dining; in Kyoto this will typically entail a private room with traditional Japanese architecture. Unfortunately, most kaiseki establishments do not accept reservations directly from foreigners, and many require new customers to be introduced by one of their regular diners in order to be allowed to dine there. Your hotel concierge may be able to make a reservation for you if you contact them well in advance, though only the most expensive luxury hotels have the necessary clout to do this. As with anywhere else in Japan, most fine dining establishments do not accept credit cards, and you will have to pay for your meal in cash.

Individual listings can be found in Kyoto's district articles

Kyoto's night scene is dominated by bars catering for local needs, most of which are located in Central Kyoto around Kiyamachi, between Shijo and Sanjo. This area offers a wide variety of drinking options for all types of people. You'll also have no trouble finding the host and hostess bars, courtesy of the staff pacing around out front trying to entice visitors. There are plenty of options beyond this street in other regions, but with such a large concentration of bars along in the same area, it's easy to find a place where you feel most at home to relax for the night.

If you're looking for nightclubs, Kyoto has a few options, but it is not a city known for its thriving dance clubs. Those hoping to experience that part of Japanese nightlife should consider taking a train to Osaka where many of the clubs are hip and wild enough to rival any Tokyo club. (Alternately, instead of staying in Kyoto and making trips to Osaka, it may make more sense to stay in Osaka and make day trips to Kyoto.)

The tap water here is potable and safe. You can refill your water bottle at public fountains found throughout the city.

Sake

Some of Kyoto's most famous sake comes from Gekkeikan Brewery in the Fushimi area of Southern Kyoto. A 400-year-old brewery that still produces great sake, Gekkeikan also offers tours of its facilities.

Whisky

Japan's oldest whisky distillery, Yamazaki, is just across the prefectural border in Takatsuki, Osaka. Book ahead for factory and tasting tours.

The sheer size of the city of Kyoto, and the distribution of tourist attractions around the periphery of the city, make the city's public transport system invaluable.

One of the easiest ways to plan a route is through Navitime. This website contains station-to-station route plans, which reference public and private trains and subways as well as buses throughout Japan.

If you are planning to travel beyond city limits you might consider using the tickets from Surutto Kansai. For use in west Japan, including Kyoto, there are some other useful tickets: a rechargeable smart card, ICOCA, can be used on rail, subway and bus networks in the Kansai area and also Okayama, Hiroshima, Nagoya (Kintetsu trains) and Tokyo (JR East trains). These cards are available at vending machines at these rail stations, and cost ¥2000, which includes a ¥500 deposit that will be refunded when the card is returned at JR West Station. For use in Kyoto only there are some other useful tickets:

The Kyoto Sightseeing Card can be purchased as a one-day (adults ¥900/children ¥450) or two-day pass (¥1700/¥850). It can be used for unlimited travel on the subway and city buses as well as a part of the Kyoto bus route. The two-day pass has to be used on two consecutive days.

The Traffica Kyo Card is a stored-value card in denominations of ¥1000 or ¥3000. It can be conveniently used up to face value on all subways and buses by simply sliding it through the ticket gate. They offer a 10% bonus value.

Check the Kyoto City Bus & Subway Information Guide for more information on how to use these cards.