Kyoto
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Kyoto - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Nijo Castle
Nakagyo-kuAnother of Kyoto's World Heritage sites, this castle whose construction began in 1603 is a grandiose and unequivocal statement of power by Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun. In the early Edo period, the shogun stripped all power from Kyoto's Imperial Court by consolidating a new military and political center at his far-off fortress in Tokyo. Nijo-jo's moat and towering walls are intimidating enough, but once inside, a second moat and defensive wall assert the power of the warlord. What seems a second line of defense has less to do with defending the castle than reinforcing the structure's social statement: access to the inner sanctum depended on a visitor's status within the shogunate's hierarchy. Once inside, a guest was as much a hostage as a guest, a point surely driven home by the castle's ingenious nightingale floors, which "chirp" as people walk across them, revealing their movements. If you look under the balcony while strolling the garden, you can observe how the mechanism behind this architectural feature works. The Tokugawa shoguns were rarely in Kyoto. Ieyasu stayed in the castle three times, and the second shogun stayed twice, including the time in 1626 when Emperor Gomizuno-o was granted an audience. After that, for the next 224 years, no Tokugawa shogun visited Kyoto, and the castle fell into disrepair. Only when the Tokugawa shogunate was under pressure from a failing economy did the 14th shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi (1846–66), come to Kyoto to confer with the emperor. The 15th and last Tokugawa shogun, Yoshinobu, famously returned power to the emperor in 1867, the central event of the Meiji Restoration. Since 1939, the castle has belonged to the city of Kyoto, and considerable restoration has taken place. You can explore Nijo-jo at your own pace, and handy audio guides provide explanations of what you are seeing. Entry is through the impressive Kara-mon gate, whose sharp angles were intended to slow an attack. The path from the Kara-mon leads to the Ni-no-maru Palace, whose five buildings are divided into various smaller chambers. The costumed mannequins inside the central hall are displayed as their real-life counterparts might have reacted at the moment of the Tokugawa shogunate's demise. Following this, governmental power returned to the reigning emperor. The impressive garden was created by landscape designer Enshu Kobori shortly before Emperor Gomizuno-o's visit in 1626. Crane- and tortoise-shape islands symbolize strength and longevity.
View Tours and ActivitiesNijo-dori, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-8301, Japan075-841–0096Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥620 -
2. East Hongan-ji Temple
Shimogyo-kuThe high walls, immense wooden gates, and enormous roof of the Otani headquarters of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism are sufficiently impressive to convince some newcomers they're looking at the Imperial Palace. In the current complex, largely an 1895 reconstruction, the cavernous Hondo (Main Hall), also called the Amida-do, the second-largest wooden structure in Japan, dwarfs everything else. During the temple's construction, female devotees offered their hair, which was woven into strong, thick ropes used to set heavy timbers into place. A coiled length of one of these kezuna is within a glass case in a passageway between the Amida-do and the Daishi-do, a double-roof structure notable for its graceful curving lines.
Karasuma Shichijo-agaru, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 600-8505, Japan075-371–9181Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
3. Kyoto Aquarium
Shimogyo-kuInspired by the multitude of rivers that flow into the Kyoto basin, this landlocked city opened an aquarium to display Kyoto's native salamander, a large specimen that dwells deep in forest streams. Holding 500 tons of water, the main pool is truly one of a kind. A horseshoe-shape pool gives you the illusion that you're swimming with sea lions. The penguins and dolphin stadium are also popular.
35--1 Kankijicho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 600-8835, Japan075-354–3130Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥2,200 -
4. Kyoto Imperial Palace
Kamigyo-kuAlthough it tops many tourists' list of must-see sights, the former Imperial Palace often leaves them disappointed because visitors may not enter any of the buildings on the subdued hour-long tour. The original building burned down in 1788, as did some of its replacements. The present structure dates from 1855. The garden, however, is a revelation, the work of a century of master landscapers. Its noteworthy facets include the stone shoreline of the pond, the graceful bridges, and the magnificent trees and flower selection. To see the palace, you must receive permission from the Imperial Household Agency. You can usually arrange a same-day visit by showing your passport at the office, in the park's northwest corner, but you can also apply there earlier or make a request online. Guided tours in English begin inside the imperial park at the Seishomon entrance.
Kunaicho, Kyoto Gyoen-nai, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 602-8611, Japan075-211–1215Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
5. Kyoto International Manga Museum
Nakagyo-kuMany famous artists have signed the walls at this bilingual museum that claims to have the world's largest collection of manga materials. Most international visitors likely associate manga with Tokyo, but Kyoto is a significant hub for the stylized comic books thanks to its rich traditions and universities specializing in the visual arts. The main permanent installation answers the question "What is manga?" and temporary exhibitions probe topics such as depictions of war in the comics. The museum's approximately 300,000 artifacts include items from outside Japan and early examples of the genre. The shelves of the Wall of Manga hold 50,000 publications you can peruse on site.
Karasuma-Oike, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-0846, Japan075-254–7414Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥900, Closed Tue. and Wed. -
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6. Kyoto Railway Museum
Shimogyo-kuFor train enthusiasts, the sleek architecture reflects Japan’s Shinkansen Bullet train. Inside, 53 trains including 20 locomotives are on display. One attraction even allows the visitor to “drive” a bullet train via a stimulated video screen.
Kankiji-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 600-8835, JapanSight Details
Rate Includes: ¥1,200, Closed Wed. -
7. Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum
Netsuke are miniature carvings of wood, ivory, and stone traditionally used as toggles of tobacco cases or just as ornamentation. This museum is within an former samurai's estate. The architecture and garden alone make this a worthwhile visit, but the collection of netsuke is fascinating as well.
Nakagyo-ku, 46 Mibukayougosho-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, Japan075-802–7000Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥1,000 -
8. Kyoto Station
Shimogyo-kuThis massive steel-and-glass train station, hailed by some as an architectural masterpiece and derided by many Kyotoites for failing to convey their beloved city's genteel spirit, is more than just the city's central point of arrival and departure: the station, designed by Tokyoite Hiroshi Hara and completed in 1997, houses dozens of shops and restaurants and offers great views of the city from the 12th floor. If you have the time, ride the escalators from the concourse floor up to the open roof, a journey Hara says he choreographed to replicate ascending from a valley floor. Excellent ramen shops cluster on the 10th level.
View Tours and Activities137 Karasuma-dori Shiokoji-sagaru, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 600-8555, Japan -
9. Nijo Encampment
Nakagyo-kuA short walk south of Nijo-jo, this 17th-century merchant house saw later service as an inn for traveling daimyo (feudal lords). A warren of rooms, Nijo Jinya is crammed with built-in safeguards against attack, including hidden staircases, secret passageways, and hallways too narrow to allow the wielding of a sword. The house is again a family residence, so visitation is limited to one-hour tours that require reservations at least a day ahead. The tours are in Japanese, but you can arrange for an interpreter on the house's website.
137 Sanbo Omiya-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 604-8316, Japan075-841–0972Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥1,000 -
10. Nishijin-ori Textile Center
Kamigyo-kuThe sound of looms and spinning machines adds a subtle rhythm to the narrow streets of the Nishijin district, a longtime center of weaving and dyeing in northwestern Kyoto. The textile center here was established to showcase the skills of the local artisans. In hands-on lessons you can weave your own garment: for ¥2,200 you'll learn something and get a great souvenir. Reserve ahead and you can try on various different kimonos, rent one for a night on the town, or even buy one (¥10,000). On the second floor are weavers at work and items for sale, and artisans work at their crafts on the third floor. Several times a day, kimono-clad models appear in the latest seasonal designs during 15-minute shows.
Horikawai-Imadegawa-Minami-Iru, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 602-8216, Japan075-451–9231Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Raku Museum
Kamigyo-kuSerious collectors of tea-ceremony utensils are likely to have a raku bowl in their collections. The Raku Museum displays more than 1,000 bowls and containers of subtle beauty embodying the Japanese aesthetic terms of wabi and sabi, which refer to “understated elegance” and “mature beauty.” Raku refers to a low-temperature firing technique that yields a ceramic that is soft to the touch. Raku is the family name with a long history of creating pleasing tea utensils for the shogun's use.
Nakadachi-uri agaru, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 602-0923, Japan075-414–0304Sight Details
Rate Includes: Around ¥900 (fee varies, depending on exhibition) -
12. To-ji Temple
Famous for its towering pagoda, the most prominent one visible when entering the city, the temple of To-ji was established by imperial edict in AD 796 and called the East Temple. Farther west was Sai-ji, the West Temple, but receiving no special patronage it was long ago destroyed. To-ji, on the other hand, was assigned to the priest Kukai (AD 774–835), also known as Kobo Daishi, a major figure in Japanese Buddhism whose accomplishments include founding the Shingon sect in the early 9th century and establishing the 88-temple pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku. Fires and battles during the 16th century destroyed the temple buildings, but many were rebuilt, including in 1603 the Kon-do (Main Hall), which blends Chinese and Japanese elements. The one building that has managed to survive the ravages of war since it was built in 1491 is the Ko-do (Lecture Hall). Inside this hall are 15 original statues of Buddhist gods, forming a mandala, that are considered masterpieces of the Heian era (AD 750–1150). There's a daily morning service at 6 am in the Daishi-do with devotional chanting. On the 21st of each month, a market known locally as Kobo-san (after Kobo Daishi) is held. Used and old kimonos, fans, furniture, potted plants, oriental medicine, kitchen utensils, and many other items can be found at bargain prices. A little patience and a pencil and paper to write down your desired price will make the venture an enjoyable one. A smaller antiques market is held on the first Sunday of the month.
1 Kujo-cho, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 601-8473, Japan075-691–3325Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥500 main buildings, other parts free -
13. West Hongan-ji Temple
Shimogyo-kuThe interior of this enormous World Heritage site has 1,000 tatami mats in its main hall, and as the headquarters for the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism has a similar number of followers. The compound contains many fine examples of 16th-century Momoyama architecture. Among the most renowned of these is a gate on the south side. Elaborately carved in fascinating detail, it is called Higureshi-no-mon (All the Day Long Gate) because one could stand and look at its depictions of mythical and real animals, birds, and flowers for hours. Founded in 1272, the sect gained great popularity by appealing to the masses in making paradise accessible by reciting a simple incantation. As with all Jodo Shinshu temples, the main altar is the image of Amida Buddha, surrounded by vases of graceful gold-painted lotus and a canopy of hanging gold ornaments, all of which seem to glow in the darkened hall. Some of the Buddhist images belonging to this temple are now housed in the Ryukoku Museum, across the street on the east side of Horikawa. A re-creation of the murals in Chinese cave paintings have been replicated via photographs in the museum. Several buildings can be entered if permission is granted that takes from a week to a month to obtain (visit website for details). One of them, the Hiunkaku Pavilion, a graceful three-story structure built in 1587, was once the residence of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was moved here. The morning service, which takes place daily at 6 am, provides a good opportunity to observe or participate.
Gakurin-cho, Higashi-nakasuji, Rokujo-sagaru, Kyoto, Kyoto-fu, 600-8357, Japan075-371–5181Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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