Kyoto & Tokyo tips

Old May 9th, 2016, 02:01 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Kyoto & Tokyo tips

Hi, I will be in Tokyo and in Kyoto this August for a few days. Which area is the best to look for a hotel in Kyoto? I would like to be in the center. It's my first time in Japan and I don't know how big Kyoto is and how you can move around. Any good tips about what to visit? I usually try to find the spots that are not so popular with tourists but with locals so any suggestions would be very useful. The same goes for Tokyo.
I've started my research but any tips I can find from locals or from other travelers are very welcomed.
Thank you.
timeryin is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 06:46 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My favourite location for Kyoto (after three trips, the most recent of which we just returned from) is close to the junction between Sanjo Dori and Kawaramachi.

It's good for both the metro and a number of bus routes, which makes it an easy ride or walk to major sights.

It's also excellent for both breakfast and dinner options, there are plenty within short walking distance, to the east of Kawaramachi, along the river, or within the square block created by Shijo, Kawaramachi, Oike and Karasuma.

Plus it's lovely for shopping too.

We've previously spent a couple of nights not far from here, in Gion, in a traditional ryokan - that was on our first trip and I highly recommend Shiraumu ryokan.

On this trip, I initially booked a hotel right by the Yasaka Shrine, thinking it would be a great location - nearly all the central bus routes pass by here, so it's very convenient transport-wise. I had tried for the same hotel we stayed at previously, or one near it, but just couldn't find any availability.

But not only was our hotel disappointing, I found the sheer level of crowds on the pavements frustrating, and the eating options in the immediate vicinity were not as good as those by the location I describe above - there are a lot of souvenir and wagashi shops here, and many of the restaurants are super touristy with menus that are all over the shop and higher prices too. We were booked for 7 nights but realised the first night or two were part of a holiday weekend, and that availability for less expensive and better located hotels was open for the last 5 nights. So we cancelled (with notice) and moved back to my preferred spot for the last 5 nights.

Our preferred hotel, btw, is the Kyoto Royal Hotel & Spa. The rooms are comfortable, and the larger sized twins/ doubles are fairly spacious by Japanese standards. (That said, we were upgraded this time to a corner suite, which was huge). The rooms are not super luxe but they are good enough for us, and what I really like is how extremely helpful the staff are. Since our last trip, the hotel seems to be more popular with large tour groups, which means the lobby can be a little overrun on occasion, but that's a minor niggle and really, I love the location and service here. This is a mid budget hotel, so it won't compare with the very price international / American chains that many often recommend, so do keep that in mind when comparing.
Kavey is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 06:48 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Meant to add, for tips on what to visit, you should spend lots of time reading www.japan-guide.com, the single best resource for travellers to Japan that I've ever come across. Most of us regular Japan posters swear by it.
Kavey is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 08:47 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My trips: Study japan-guide.com and choose the things that interest you most. We loved Arashimaya, for instance, but choose what you like. Forget the idea that you will be going to places that others don't visit.

We spent 6 nights (5 full days) in Kyoto and didn't see everything on our list, but we saw enough to be satisfied for a first trip.

How many nights on the ground in Japan do you have?
Kathie is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 09:58 AM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I just booked a hotel in Tokyo at Tokyo Central station.
When I travelled to Beijing and Shanghai I found a couple of areas that were not popular to tourists and only locals knew about them. That's why I am asking if you have any similar suggestions.
We will stay 7 nights in Tokyo and 5 in Kyoto. I am already collecting information from japan-guide which is very helpful. When I travel I always study and try to make a daily plan not to waste time when I am there. We will of course try to go to the main tourist attractions. Since my personal interest is around arts and film do you know where I can find a specialised DVD or blu ray store in Tokyo or Kyoto? I am looking for art house films mostly and posters, post-cards etc.
thank you again for your help and comments.
timeryin is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 10:50 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Wondering if Osaka might not be your port of call for the DVD/Blu-Ray materials. It is a major electronics hub.
BigRuss is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 05:41 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi, timeryin. Welcome to Fodors - goodness, I sometimes think people need a thick skin to post here! Just a few thoughts: August will be very hot and humid, particularly in Kyoto. I find it necessary to pace oneself: eg alternating outdoor visits with indoor airconditioned stops. And it is always a few degrees cooler in the Meiji Jingu forest. August is Obon - so keep an eye on local sources like Tokyo Cheapo and Timeout for listings of festivals - there should be local obon celebrations with street food/dancing in the streets. Re DVDs and bluerays - please remember to check that whatever you get in Japan will be compatible with your home country. Jimbocho (the book district) has a number of shops carrying movie posters. Nakano Broadway is a good place for anime/manga posters. Jimbocho, by the way, doesn't attract many tourists because the bookshops are Japanese-language. I don't know about Kyoto but there are many places in Tokyo that are 'off the tourist trail.' If your particular interest is art/film, you may be interested in http://www.spoon-tamago.com/ I spend half the year in Tokyo and it is hard to keep up with all the art/performance events but Spoon-Tamago has pointed me in some interesting directions. You'll have a great trip - please don't be put off asking questions here.
Boveney is offline  
Old May 9th, 2016, 08:04 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Tiemryin, I second Boveney's welcome to Fodor's. I also concur that Kyoto is miserably hot and humid in August. My healthy son got heat poisoning there in the summer, and we lost a day of travel while he rested. We did not know at the time that you need to drink tons of water, and either wear a hat, or better yet, hold an umbrella. It's not the heat, it's the humidity.

Regarding the DVD/blu ray question, you should go to the Akihibara district in Tokyo, which is right off the subway. There are tons of electronic shops there, including DVD shops. I am sure you will find what you need. It is also a lively area with lots of restaurants, so you can stroll around there and people watch a bit too.

You should also look into going to Odaiba for an afternoon while in Tokyo. There is a Panasonic museum there, an elaborate Toyota showroom, and a Fujii tower, with great views. It's a nice change from visiting temples.
CaliforniaLady is offline  
Old May 10th, 2016, 10:58 PM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you for your very helpful comments and welcome! I've been to other Asian countries during August and I know what the humidity is like! I will take notes with your suggestions and if you have any more you are of course very welcomed.
timeryin is offline  
Old May 11th, 2016, 11:55 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Let us know where you book in Kyoto, hope my suggestions were of use. I'm awful with hot temperatures and humidity, they make me wilt completely, but I know many friends who aren't bothered by it at all and can happily get out and about!
Kavey is offline  
Old May 26th, 2016, 01:45 AM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
any good tips for cheap but good sushi and Japanese food? So far your suggestions are very helpful!
timeryin is offline  
Old May 26th, 2016, 05:56 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There are quite a few posts here on the board for food, so would suggest having a search on those before asking more specific questions.

It also depends on your budget. I know a lot of folks who are keen to do one, even two or three, of those super super expensive sushi restaurants in Tokyo, the ones that run several hundred dollars per person for a meal. I don't mind spending the big bucks for a high-end traditional Kaiseki meal but not for sushi, because even the less expensive sushi is way better in Japan than I can easily find in the UK. So in Tokyo, we really like a chain called Sushi Zanmai, which is low-to-medium budget and the sushi I've had there is always amazing. Really love it there, was one of our last meals in Tokyo at the end of last month.

For other types of food, there are so many options... maybe check out the kinds of foods you really want to try and ask for favourites for some of these?
Kavey is offline  
Old May 26th, 2016, 10:07 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am a fan of Tenya, a chain serving tempura tendon (tempura on top of a bowl of rice, with a signature sauce). I always get the small tendon: bowl of rice with prawn, green bean, lotus root, squid tempura on top, miso soup, unlimited tea or mugicha (cold barley drink)in summer, all the pickles you want - total cost of 450 yen. This is not gourmet fare but it is tasty and filling and definitely 'authentic Japanese.' Sit down service, you can order a beer, there are seasonal specialities (eg fiddlehead fern tempura in Spring).Lots of side orders available: soba, etc. Branches all over Tokyo including in the most expensive areas, ie Ginza, Akasaka. English menus too.
Boveney is offline  
Old May 26th, 2016, 07:19 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The cheapest sushi can be found at grocery stores. They make it fresh, and put it in plastic trays, and it's really good. Ditto for other foods they have there, such as fried fish. A tray of sushi, which is plenty for me, is about $5 to $7.
CaliforniaLady is offline  
Old Jun 11th, 2016, 02:51 AM
  #15  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Like Kavey, my preference for lodging in Kyoto is in the Kawaramachi district near Sanjo Dori. Whether that will work for you will depend on your priorities, but it is (as Kavey noted) it is very well-located for public transpiration.

Enjoy!
kja is offline  
Old Jun 11th, 2016, 01:27 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 27,607
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Interesting info on the location. My first visit to Kyoto I stayed in the Palace Side Hotel, which I felt was a bad location with few eating options in the evening and poor public transport (I was limping. so the stairs at the subway station were a problem).

This trip I have booked a hotel close to Kyoto Station, on the grounds that public transport would be good, I would arrive from the airport in the evening and don't want to have to figure how to get somewhere else, and I could always eat in the station. I can cancel the reservation, if somewhere else would really be better.
thursdaysd is offline  
Old Jun 11th, 2016, 02:24 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Kavey - booked the Kyoto Royal hotel and spa. Price was great and I figured we'd go with your recommendation! Thanks.
dgunbug is offline  
Old Jun 11th, 2016, 03:21 PM
  #18  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The things I liked about the Kawaramachi district near Sanjo Dori were that it had a lot of interesting little restaurants, was within easy walking distance of two different subway lines that I knew I would be using while in the area and within easy walking distance of Pontocho and Gion, and at least at that time, the area had a nice atmosphere about it. JMO.

I think staying near Kyoto Station makes a great deal of sense for those making a lot of day trips out of Kyoto (which I didn't do), but it's also along a subway line and so would, I think, be a good location for many purposes.
kja is offline  
Old Jun 11th, 2016, 03:59 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 780
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A good compromise is Shijo Karasuma: it's on a direct line from the station and one stop from Kawaramachi on the other line. Lots of buses along Shijo Dori and one block over from Sanjo Dori (Sanjo Dori = 3rd St, Shijo = 4th).

I've stayed at the Toyoko Inn right there. It's the same as all other Toyoko Inns. Their map says use exit 20 but it's stairs (I walk with a cane); exit 2 has an elevator and is only a few feet further but around a corner.

An exercise in persistence is to find your way from the Shinkansen tracks to the subway tracks at Kyoto Station without resorting to stairs.
someotherguy is offline  
Old Jun 11th, 2016, 11:54 PM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I hope you like it as much as we do. As I said, the rooms are comfortable and spacious (for Japan) but not luxe in terms of decor / style. But for us the space, the service from staff and above all the location, really make this hotel a winner for us.
Kavey is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -