The Temple at Kiyomizu

The Old Pagoda at Kiyomizu

Walking through the eastern
section of Kyoto

Bridge on the Grounds of
Nijo Castle

Todi-ji Temple in central Kyoto

The Golden Pavillion

The Ninjin Textile Center

A Yen to Travel through Kyoto
and neaby cities

Tokyo may be the center of Japanese industry, but the heart and soul of the country are found in the city of Kyoto which long served as the capital of the nation. If you only have time to visit one city in Japan, that city should be Kyoto. Kyoto is compact and it is easy to get to most of the fabulous sites in the city on foot or with affordable public transportation. As the former capital of Japan, Kyoto has an imperial palace and the beautiful Nijo Castle where ninja warriors guarded sleeping shoguns. In Kyoto, flamboyant temples are built against the scenic backdrop of its forested hills and you understand the relationship of the Japanese with nature. Short rides will take you to towns that glisten with autumn colors, come alive as cherry trees flaunt their blossoms and welcome visitors any time of year.

The nearest international airport is Kansai International (KIX) near Osaka. There are frequent trains from the airport to Kyoto. Nagoya's airport is also convenient and the bullet train will deliver you at the main station in Kyoto whether you are coming from Nagoya or Tokyo.

Getting around Kyoto

The Kyoto Station is a beautiful example of modern Japanese architecture blending steel beams and glass to create a masterpiece. A high-rise shopping center and offices rise from the tracks while additional shopping and the subway station can be found below the building. Across from the station, the Kyoto Tower rises skyward and is a visible landmark from most spots in the city.

The subway system in Kyoto is very simple (only two lines) and easy to navigate. The main north-south street in Kyoto is Karasuma Street and the north-south line of the subway runs underneath the street with stops at the Kyoto Station as well as Gojo, Shijo, Oike, Imedegawa, Kuramaguchi, Kitaoji, Kitayama, and Matsugasaki Streets before reaching its northern end at Kokusai-Kaikan Station. The east-west line runs under Oike Street, starting at Nijo Castle and heading east with stations at Horikawa, Karasuma (where you can change to the north-south line), Karawamachi, Kawabata, Higashiyama, Keage, and Misasagi Stations before ending at Yamashina Station.

If you are staying in the downtown area, the subway may be a convenient way to see in-city sights and may be a bargain if you buy an all day or multi-day pass. But for most travelers, you'll find that all day passes for the bus system are a better value because busses run down all the major streets and it is easy to transfer from one line to another with only brief delays at bus stops during regular business hours. Later in the evening, you may want to nab a taxi if it is only a short ride back to your hotel.

We stayed at hotels on both the west side of Kyoto and the east side of Kyoto and found that many things were in comfortable walking distance if you are in shape. But the city is bordered by hills and if you spend a day walking to the temples on the east side (which you should), you'll definitely appreciate a motorized ride back to your hotel. This is particularly true in the summer when humidity and heat will tire you more quickly.

Where to stay

Toyoko Inns, which we found to be clean, comfortable hotels at great prices throughout Japan, has two properties in downtown Kyoto. One near the major business intersection, within walking distance to great shopping, restaurants and the Imperial Palace is the Shijo-Karasuma Toyoko Inn. The company runs a second property closer to Kyoto Station at Gojo-Karasuma. We tried to stay at these properties on our last stay in Kyoto but both hotels were filled. We have stayed at the Travellers' Inn on the eastside of Kyoto on two different occasions and have enjoyed its friendly staff but its location is not as convenient as the Toyoko properties. We also spent three nights at the Comfort Inn property on Gojo Street near Horikawa Street. It lives up to its name but its location is a long walk from good restaurants and other sites.

If you want to have a taste of Japanese luxury, Kyoto is a good city to do it in. The Japanese ryokan is like our bed and breakfast, providing delicious meals in addition to luxurious baths. Often the sleeping facilities are traditional tatami mats. We never splurged for a ryokan, but if you are looking for one, Kyoto has many excellent places. The city also has many minshukan, small lodging establishments run in a traditional fashion. For more information, return to our page on lodging.

Sites to see

• The premier site to visit in Japan is probably the temple at Kiyomizudera.
• Nijo Castle--home of the Tokagawa Shogunate
• Imperial Palace--home of the emperors for centuries
• Kinkakuji--the Golden Pavillion, a spectacular gold leafed building on a reflecting pond
• Todi-ji--the centerpiece of this temple complex is a black pagoda
• The Ninjin Textile Center--see how silk is woven into beautiful kimonos and fabric
• Ginkakuji--a beautiful pavillion on the eastside that never received its silver finish because the builder ran out of funds
• Heian Shrine--a beautiful vermillion complex
• An evening walk along the river
• Shopping in Karawamachi

A Yen to Travel Beyond Kyoto

A very short bus or train ride from Kyoto puts you in the town of Arashiyama. This spot is popular with Kyoto's citizens who enjoy the scenic beauty of the river that flows through a narrow, tree-lined canyon. A popular way to enjoy the area is on small boats that are propelled up and down the river much like gondolas are pushed through the canals of Venice. The area is spectacular when cherry trees blossom and again when fall colors blush the leaves of the trees. But it is still fascinating even on humid summer days, especially if a rain comes in to cool the area.

Things to do in Arashiyama
• Boat up the canyon. There are both motor power tour boats and small pole powered punts that will take you up the river which is wide and lazy at the point of embarkation but soon is in the beauty of the canyon.
• Visit the Monkey Park just a short walk up the canyon after you cross the bridge. Once in the park, you start a moderate hike up the tree-lined hillsides to the top where a feeding station allows you to interact with the monkeys. There are many other monkey parks in Japan and your first trip to Japan should include a visit to at least one monkey park to see these animals that still live in relative freedom amid the sprawling human populations. Because of the feeding station, you are virtually guaranteed that you will see monkeys. In many other parks, the animals may often disappear into the forests during the hours you are visiting. Try to be in the park during a feeding session where it becomes clear from the interaction of the animals that there are definite rules of hierachy in the monkey kingdom. You'll also see many other interesting behaviors: we saw some monkeys wash their foood and one young monkey who had learned to "shuffle" a handful of relatively flat stones. The staff at the feeding station were friendly and helpful, providing us with warm towels when we arrived at the station after a sudden downpour.