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1 <!doctype html> 2 <html lang="en"> 3 <head> 4 <meta charset="utf-8"> 5 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> 6 <title>Kyoto・京都 - Chris Bracken</title> 7 <link href="/css/site.css" rel="stylesheet"> 8 <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/favicon/apple-touch-icon.png"> 9 <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon/favicon-32x32.png"> 10 <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/favicon/favicon-16x16.png"> 11 <link rel="manifest" href="/favicon/site.webmanifest"> 12 <link rel="mask-icon" href="/favicon/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#140f42"> 13 <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon/favicon.ico"> 14 <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#603cba"> 15 <meta name="msapplication-config" content="/favicon/browserconfig.xml"> 16 <meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff"> 17 </head> 18 <body> 19 <header id="header"> 20 <div class="site-title"> 21 <h1><a href="/">Chris Bracken</a></h1> 22 </div> 23 24 <nav class="site-navbar"> 25 <ul id="menu" class="menu"> 26 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" href="/">Home</a></li> 27 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" href="/about/">About</a></li> 28 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" href="/code/">Code</a></li> 29 <li class="menu-item"><a class="menu-item-a" rel="me"href="https://bsd.network/@cbracken">Fediverse</a></li> 30 </ul> 31 </nav> 32 </header> 33 <main id="main"> 34 <article> 35 <h2 class="post-title"><a href="https://chris.bracken.jp/japan/kyoto/">Kyoto・京都</a></h2> 36 <h2 id="general-wandering-around-town">General wandering around town</h2> 37 <h3 id="nishiki-market錦市場">Nishiki market・錦市場</h3> 38 <p>Kawaramachi Station (Karasuma subway line)・河原町駅（地下鉄烏丸線）</p> 39 <p>You should totally do this. It’s an awesome walk through a working market 40 selling everything from miso to spices to bowls and teacups to fish. There are a 41 bunch of restaurants around here too. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishiki_Market">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 42 <h3 id="pontocho先斗町">Pontocho・先斗町</h3> 43 <p>Pontocho is a narrow street that runs north-south on the west side of the Kamo 44 river. Lined with restaurants and typical Kyoto style <a href="https://www.japan-architecture.org/inuyarai/">inuyarai</a>. Definitely 45 worth a visit at night. In the summer, many of the restaurants along the river 46 attach large decks for outdoor dining in the evening. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponto-ch%C5%8D">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 47 <h3 id="ne-ne-no-michiねねの道">Ne-ne no michi・ねねの道</h3> 48 <p>Kawaramachi station (Tozai subway line)・河原町駅（地下鉄東西線）<br> 49 Gion-shijo station (Keihan line)・祇園四条駅（京阪線）</p> 50 <p>If you do the walk through Yasaka shrine to Kiyomizu temple, wander through here 51 on the way. It’s a touristy but fun old-school area of Kyoto. You’ll probably 52 see a bunch of fake maiko (geisha apprentices) wandering around, but sometimes 53 real ones too. (<a href="https://www.japan-experience.com/all-about-japan/kyoto/attractions-excursions/nene-no-michi">More info</a>)</p> 54 <h2 id="shrines-and-temples">Shrines and temples</h2> 55 <p>Wikipedia has a good overview of the best-known <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Monuments_of_Ancient_Kyoto_(Kyoto,_Uji_and_Otsu_Cities)">Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto</a>.</p> 56 <h3 id="fushimi-inari-shrine伏見稲荷大社">Fushimi-Inari shrine・伏見稲荷大社</h3> 57 <p>Fushimi Inari Station (Keihan line)・伏見稲荷駅（京阪線）</p> 58 <p>This is the well-known shrine with the thousands of red ’torii’ gates. 59 Definitely worth a visit. It gets crowded during the day but if you go early in 60 the morning (6:30 or even 7am), you’ll practically have the place to yourself. 61 After the first set of gates you end up at a sort of second area with a couple 62 little shops etc, but keep following the narrow steps up and there’s some nice 63 hiking up higher (and it’s less crowded). (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushimi_Inari-taisha">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 64 <h3 id="shimogamo-shrine下鴨神社">Shimogamo shrine・下鴨神社</h3> 65 <p>Demachiyanagi Station (Karasuma subway line)・出町柳駅（地下鉄烏丸線）</p> 66 <p>Built in the 5th century, but there’s been stuff there since the 8th century BC. 67 One of 17 Unesco world heritage sites in Japan. There are sometimes festivals, 68 events, marriages, here. Fall colours should be nice too in the short walk 69 through the forest to get there. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimogamo_Shrine">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 70 <h3 id="kiyomizu-temple清水寺">Kiyomizu temple・清水寺</h3> 71 <p>Gojo Station (Karasuma subway line)・五条駅（地下鉄烏丸線）<br> 72 Kiyomizu-gojo Station (Keihan line)・清水五条駅（京阪線）</p> 73 <p>Worth a visit even though it’ll be busy with tourists. The area around is fun 74 too. Another Unesco world heritage site, autumn leaves are great and there’s a 75 good view of Kyoto. Built ~1400 years ago. A couple options to get there:</p> 76 <ol> 77 <li>Start at Yasaka shrine (Tozai subway line: Sanjo station or Higashiyama 78 station, or Keihan line: Sanjo station) wander through it, till you end up in 79 Maruyama park. There’ll be some small ponds and a cafe or two, turn right 80 (south) and find Ne-ne-no-michi (a kind of narrow street) and wander through 81 the winding streets from there, and up the hill. Before you head up though 82 consider turning north and making a quick visit to Chion-in (see below) since 83 it’s about a 2 min walk from there.</li> 84 <li>Start at Gojo-Zaka and head up this narrowish path called ‘Toribeno Sando’ 85 through that goes past Toribeyamataishakutenotsumyo Temple and through the 86 big spooky graveyard. Or do both – up Matsubara-dōri and down the hill. 87 Japanese cemeteries can be pretty photogenic.</li> 88 </ol> 89 <p>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyomizu-dera">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 90 <h3 id="chion-in知恩院">Chion-in・知恩院</h3> 91 <p>Shijo Karasuma Station (Karasuma subway line)・四条烏丸駅（地下鉄烏丸線）<br> 92 Shijo Station (Keihan line)・四条駅（京阪線）<br> 93 Higashiyama Station (Tozai subway line)・東山駅（地下鉄東西線）</p> 94 <p>I’m kind of embarrassed to say that it took me 33 years of visiting and living 95 in Kyoto to actually go inside, but definitely worth a visit. Go through Yasaka 96 Shrine to the east and when you get to Maruyama park, there’ll be a couple ponds 97 and some shops. Turn north here and walk up the road a couple minutes till get 98 you to a massive gate called San-mon (三問), head up the stairs and go inside. 99 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chion-in">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 100 <h3 id="nanzenji南禅寺">Nanzenji・南禅寺</h3> 101 <p>Keage Station (Tozai subway line)・蹴上駅（地下鉄東西線）</p> 102 <p>This is one of my personal favourite temples. There are usually not too many 103 tourists, but if you want to check out a ‘real’ temple, it’s definitely worth a 104 check out on a day you feel like a quiet laid back walk. Also good for fall 105 colours, and it’s got a some neat nooks and crannies and smaller areas to 106 explore right next door. Even though they charge ~300 yen to go up to the top of 107 the big gate, the view is good and you can just sit down on the balcony up there 108 and check out the view/read a book, etc. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanzen-ji">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 109 <h3 id="daitoku-ji大徳寺">Daitoku-ji・大徳寺</h3> 110 <p>Kitaoji Station (Karasuma subway line) + 15 min walk・北大路駅（地下鉄烏丸線）</p> 111 <p>Probably the highest temple + garden density in Kyoto. 112 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daitoku-ji">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 113 <h3 id="nishi-honganji-and-higashi-honganji西本願寺と東本願寺">Nishi-Honganji and Higashi-Honganji・西本願寺と東本願寺</h3> 114 <p>Kyoto Station・京都駅</p> 115 <p>These two temples are just a few minutes walk from Kyoto station. Both are large 116 Buddhist temples ordered built by shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late 16th/eary 117 17th centuries. They’re not particularly spectacular, but they are really 118 convenient to get to if you’re downtown. If I had to pick just one to visit, I’d 119 pick Nishi-Honganji. Wikipedia entries for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishi_Hongan-ji">Nishi-Honganji</a> and 120 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higashi_Hongan-ji">Higashi-Honganji</a>.</p> 121 <h3 id="nijo-castle-tozai-subway-line-nijojo-mae-station">Nijo Castle (Tozai subway line: Nijojo-mae station).</h3> 122 <p>Technically not a shrine or a temple, and not a big huge badass castle like 123 Himeji or Matsumoto, but lots of artwork on ‘fusuma’ sliding screens and history 124 stuff if you’re into that. If you’re not, then probably underwhelming. 125 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nij%C5%8D_Castle">Wikipedia</a>)</p> 126 <h2 id="stores-and-shops">Stores and shops</h2> 127 <ul> 128 <li>Isetan department store in Kyoto station (or really any Japanese department 129 store). There’s usually a section of Japanese tableware (chopsticks, bowls, 130 teapots, etc.) in the top few floors of most Japanese department stores. 9F 131 has kimonos/yukatas. 10F has stationery and tableware. As noted on the main 132 Japan page, the top floor has restaurants and the B1 floor is absolute madness 133 filled with delicious take-out food. Other alternatives are Takashimaya or 134 Daimaru in the Shijo area.</li> 135 </ul> 136 <h2 id="anti-recommendations">Anti-recommendations</h2> 137 <ul> 138 <li>Heian Shrine. Just a big massive gate, lots of gravel, and few trees. 139 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_Shrine">Wikipedia</a>)</li> 140 <li>Kyoto tower. Built pretty much when everyone needed some crappy tower… this 141 is the Calgary Tower of Japan.</li> 142 <li>Osaka Castle. I realise it’s not Kyoto, but if you want a castle whose outside 143 fools you into thinking you’re about to check out a historic castle, but 144 that’s actually been renovated into a kind of crappy museum with an elevator 145 to the top, this is the place. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_Castle">Wikipedia</a>)</li> 146 <li>I’m not a huge fan of the Imperial Palace, not that it’s crap, it’s just big 147 and quite empty-ish. That said, I think you can get into a bunch of places now 148 that no-one ever used to be allowed in to. It’s actually quite nice on rainy 149 days, but can be scorching in the summer. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Imperial_Palace">Wikipedia</a>)</li> 150 </ul> 151 </article> 152 </main> 153 154 <footer id="footer"> 155 <div class="copyright"> 156 <span xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"> 157 The content of this site by 158 <a rel="cc:attributionURL" href="https://chris.bracken.jp/about"><span rel="cc:attributionName">Chris Bracken</span></a> 159 is 160 <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0">CC BY 4.0</a>. 161 </span> 162 </div> 163 </footer> 164 </body> 165 </html>