About Kyoto

KYOTO GUIDE by Mark Ravinet

Kyoto is ancient. It’s been around since the 8th Century and all across the city, modern development is mixed with ancient temples, shrines and traditions. As you might imagine, it is an extremely popular destination for tourists - something like 50 million visit every year! With over 2000 temples and shrines as well as several other famous sites it can be quite difficult to know where to begin.

I’m lucky to have been to Kyoto quite a few times over the years and I have enjoyed something new about it every time. Kyoto, and Japan in general, can be a little bewildering for first time visitors - particularly if the first thing you experience is the JR Kyoto Station at rush hour… I thought I’d write a little suggestion guide for conference attendees.

Orientation

Kyoto is split into several districts but the two main ones you’ll see are the Central District or Downtown which is where the conference hotel is located and Higashiyama - the eastern part of the city. Higashiyama is where a large majority of the must-see temples and shrines are - it is basically the ‘old town’ of Kyoto. Conveniently, it is also where Kyoto University Yoshida Campus is - i.e. the conference venue. These two districts are divided by the Kamo River and Kyoto has quite a straightforward grid street system, which makes it easy to orientate and navigate. You also might want to visit the north of the city - since there are some very impressive temples there too (more on that later…)

Public transport

Kyoto has several subway/railway lines and also a very easy to use bus system. You can buy a sightseeing pass or a top-up card at most stations, although you are most likely to find English speaking staff at the main station.

Seeing the sights

Hopefully you’ll have a proper Japan guidebook but these are some general recommendations for how to explore some of the most interesting sights in Kyoto. Note, this is not a definitive list - there is so much more to see but if you are pushed for time, I hope this helps!

You can see a full map of my recommendations here.

Higashiyama (East) - a simple walking tour

Take the Keihan Main Line south to Fushimi-Inari Shrine. From here you can walk around Fushimi-Inari shrine. This is easily one of the most impressive shrines in the city because it contains something like 10,000 vermillion torii gates. If you’ve had a friend go to Kyoto and take an iconic picture - chances are this is where they did it. The shrine itself is dedicated to the rice harvest and is filled with statues of foxes. There are also many sub-shrines (reportedly over 30,000), many of which are also dedicated to animals - a particular favourite is the one for frogs.

Once you’re done at Fushimi-Inari, you can walk north (about 15 mins or take a train a stop north to Tobakaido) to Tofukuji. This is a really important Buddhist temple and extremely impressive and imposing. Especially appealing is the moss garden here.

A little further north (10 mins) is Sanjuusangendo. This is another Buddhist temple but it is a little different to others you will see in Kyoto. The main building is a hall which contains 1000 statues of Kannon, a Buddhist deity. The other cool thing about this place, which for some reason they don’t publicise, is the fact that it is the site of a battle between the legendary swordsman, Musashi and a master of a famous sword school Kyoto. Musashi won and later fought off the rest of the Master’s 15 students singlehandedly.

Another 10 minutes north is Kiyomizudera. If there is only one temple to visit in Kyoto, then it is this one. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is not hard to see why. The temple compound houses an impressive pagoda and several sub-shrines. The main temple boasts views across Kyoto. There is also a waterfall with three fountains - you can drink the water for health, longevity or success in your studies, but only one. Aspiring PhD students should go for the third! 😉

If you’ve taken the train until now, this is where you should definitely walk! Leave Kiyomizudera from the Matsubara-dori exit and walk north. Soon you will reach a set of stone steps to your right - Sannen-zaka (three-year slope). Follow this road northwards and you’ll be treated to a pleasant stroll around old Kyoto. Head along this road to another set of steps, Ninen-zaka (two-year old slope). You can stroll around this old part of Kyoto for some nice shops and restaurant.

However if you want to continue, head past the Ninen-zaka westwards until you hit the main road. Once here, head north again and eventually you will come to Shijo-dori and the entrance to Maruyama park. This is worth a stroll around and also serves as a home to several different shrines. Shijo-dori on the other hand leads into Gion, which is where we are headed next.

Gion is well known as the home of the famous geisha of Kyoto and also the site of the ‘pleasure quarters’ throughout the city's history. Parts of Gion are now a network of seedy bars and clubs, but the most impressive part is Hannomikoji-dori, which is home to the wooden teahouses that the geisha famously entertained customers with music and dance. These teahouses are still in operation but getting in to them is expensive and difficult. You can tell which ones they are by the small red lanterns hanging outside them. This part of Gion is worth walking around because it is really very picturesque. You also might actually see a geisha. Dressing up as a geisha is a popular thing to do in Kyoto, so spotting a genuine one isn’t straightforward. But if you are in Hannomikoji at around 5pm, when their evenings begin, you might be able to spot one.

By this point if you’ve done the whole walking trip, you’re probably ready for your evening to begin too. Luckily the most impressive street in Kyoto is just across the Kamo River. head back to the main road (Shoji-dori) and cross the river. As soon as you cross, look to your right and you will see a small street. This is Potoncho-dori. You might see geisha here too but the main sights are the restaurants and bars that fill this area - it is very impressive at night and almost impossible to find a bad meal - just avoid the obvious tourist traps. The other advantage of ending here is that you are also close to the hotel!

North Kyoto - the two temples

North Kyoto has two major sites which you might want to see - the famous Golden and Silver Pavilions. A good way to see both is to head to the start of the Philosophers Path at Nanzen-ji (another impressive temple and Jun’s favourite) and walk north until you reach Ginkakuji - the Silver Pavilion. The path is named because it was where Kitaro liked to stroll while thinking. Maybe worthwhile for mulling over those conference thoughts. Once you’ve seen the pavilion, you can take the bus (203, 204) to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. Both are spectacular (although I prefer the silver).

However be warned that both temples are extremely popular. The Golden Pavilion in particularly is likely to be rammed full of tourists and it will be hard to get a bus away from it - you might need to walk some distance to get on one! Both temples are open from 9am to 5pm - so go as early as you can.

Eating and drinking

Kyoto is most famous for kaseki-ryori, which is a type of fine-dining. Coincidentally, it’s also what we’ll be eating for the conference dinner! If you’re a fan of tea, Kyoto is famous for matcha (a green tea variant) and sweets that you have alongside it - you can try both of these throughout the city.

However like all major Japanese cities, Kyoto offers a huge range of Japanese food. You should try yakiniku (similar to Korean BBQ), sushi, soba, udon, yakitori (chicken on sticks - good with beer), okonomoyaki (Japanese pancake style dish), tako-yaki (fried octopus balls) and of course… ramen. I am a huge ramen fan and I am always on the hunt for a ramen restaurant so if you want a recommendation for that, come and find me at the conference…

For going out and drinking - Kyoto has hundreds of bars and small drinking establishments. Pontocho-dori will have some places to go but the best area to go out is probably Kiyomachi, close to Pontocho-dori. Luckily for conference attendees, this is really close the hotel! Beware that some bars will charge you a cover fee to sit down - they usually provide a snack in return though.