Kyoto

Shimogamo Jinja

The Tadasu no Mori in its grounds is close to primeval forest, surviving in the middle of the city. With Kamigamo it holds the Aoi festival.

syvwlch · CC BY 2.0 ↗

Jishu Jinja

A shrine of matchmaking inside the grounds of Kiyomizudera. Its two love-divination stones are set ten metres apart.

KENPEI · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

Higashi Honganji

The Goeido is among the largest wooden buildings in the world. Ropes plaited with human hair were used to haul up its beams.

663highland · CC BY 2.5 ↗

Nishi Honganji

The karamon gate, the study halls and the Hiunkaku are National Treasures, gathering the best of Momoyama culture.

KyotoShrines & Temples, Art & Crafts · 95 entries

663highland · CC BY 2.5 ↗

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UkyoCulture & History, Hot Springs · 16 entries

UjiShrines & Temples, Culture & History · 9 entries

SakyoCulture & History, Nature & Scenery · 9 entries

MiyazuShrines & Temples, Hot Springs · 8 entries

HigashiyamaCulture & History, Nature & Scenery · 7 entries

FEATUREKyoto now (autumn)Temple gardens and surrounding hills blaze with autumn color.See the feature Saigen Jiro · CC0

Stroll Through GionWalk past traditional wooden townhouses in Kyoto's historic geisha district.

Experience a Tea CeremonyShare a bowl of matcha and learn the spirit of Japanese hospitality.

Tour Historic TemplesVisit iconic temples including Kiyomizudera and Kinkakuji.

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REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

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It is not only the big cities. The regions are full of charm, and special experiences you can only have in each place are waiting.

Mukai Sake Brewery

Kahitsukan Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art

Kameoka Sports Park Pool

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THINGS TO DO / 6

Things to do in this prefecture

Choose from what you can only do here.

01Tour Historic TemplesVisit iconic temples including Kiyomizudera and Kinkakuji.See related entries →Balon Greyjoy · CC0

02Stroll Through GionWalk past traditional wooden townhouses in Kyoto's historic geisha district.See related entries →Rainer Haeßner · CC BY-SA 3.0

03Hike Fushimi InariPass through thousands of vermilion gates on the trails of Mount Inari.See related entries →Balon Greyjoy · CC0

04Walk the Arashiyama Bamboo GroveExplore the bamboo grove, Togetsukyo Bridge and Arashiyama scenery.See related entries →Balon Greyjoy · CC0

05Experience a Tea CeremonyShare a bowl of matcha and learn the spirit of Japanese hospitality.See related entries →Indiana jo · CC BY-SA 4.0

06View AmanohashidateAdmire one of Japan's Three Scenic Views from a panoramic lookout.See related entries →KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0

NEED TO KNOW

At a glance

AirportNearest: Osaka International Airport (Osaka)
ShinkansenKyoto Station
From TokyoAbout 2 hours 10 minutes to Kyoto Station by shinkansen
Best seasonMarch–May and October–November
Local specialtiesKyoto kaiseki · Yudofu · Yatsuhashi sweets
Typical temperatureSummer: around 29°C / Winter: around 5°C

See all 332 entries in this prefecture →

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

What each season brings

Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0

Spring

MAR–MAY

Cherry blossoms brighten temples, shrines and canals across the ancient capital.

pang yu liu · CC BY-SA 2.0

Summer

JUN–AUG

The Gion Festival and riverside dining embody summer in Kyoto.

Saigen Jiro · CC0

Autumn

SEP–NOV

Temple gardens and surrounding hills blaze with autumn color.

663highland · CC BY 2.5

Winter

DEC–FEB

Snow-dusted temples and quiet gardens reveal Kyoto's serene winter beauty.

See food entries in this prefecture →

LOCAL FOOD / 18

Local food

What people have long eaten in this place. We collect the dishes themselves, not restaurants.

Obanzai

Everyday home cooking of Kyoto, built around seasonal vegetables and seasoned with dashi. The style is to use every part of an ingredient.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Kyoto City Tourism Association

Yudofu

Cubes of tofu warmed in an earthenware pot and eaten with a dipping sauce. A signature Kyoto dish in winter.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Kyoto City Tourism Association

Nishin soba

Soba topped with dried herring simmered sweet and salty. It is said to have started in Kyoto.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Kyoto City Tourism Association

Saba-zushi

Salted mackerel cured in vinegar, laid on a bar of sushi rice, shaped with a rolling mat and wrapped in bamboo sheath.

Area：Throughout Kyoto Prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Bara-zushi

Sushi rice scattered with flaked grilled mackerel and topped with dried shiitake, shredded egg, fish cake and gourd strips. Made in a shallow wooden box and cut into portions.

Area：Tango area

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Senmaizuke

Shogoin turnip sliced thin and pickled with salt, kombu and chilli. It is not lactic-fermented and is not meant to keep long.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Shibazuke

Aubergine, cucumber and myoga ginger salted together with red shiso leaves. Purple in colour and sharply sour.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Suguki

Suguki, a kind of turnip, salted and then lactic-fermented for about two weeks in a room kept near 40°C. Strongly sour.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Minazuki

Steamed uiro dough of wheat and rice flour with sugar, topped with adzuki beans and cut into triangles. Eaten on 30 June for the summer purification rite.

Area：Throughout Kyoto Prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Uji Kintoki

Finely shaved ice with Uji matcha syrup and adzuki beans. Rice-flour dumplings or bean paste are sometimes layered in.

Area：Kyoto and the Yamashiro area

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Hamo no Yakimono

Pike conger, full of fine bones, scored through the bones, skewered and grilled from the skin side while soy glaze is brushed on in layers. Eaten during the Gion Festival.

Area：Kyoto, Chutan area and Tango area

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Nishin Nasu

Dried herring rehydrated in rice-washing water and parboiled, then simmered with aubergine in a dashi of soy sauce and sugar.

Area：Throughout Kyoto Prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Takenoko no Kinome-ae

Boiled Kyoto bamboo shoots dressed in a paste of young sansho leaves, white miso, sugar and egg yolk. A spring dish.

Area：Yamashiro area and Kyoto

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Manganji Togarashi to Jako no Taitan

Manganji peppers, thick-walled and not hot, cut and fried with dried baby sardines, then simmered in dashi, soy sauce, sugar and mirin.

Area：Chutan area and Kyoto

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Shiromiso no Zoni

Round rice cakes, head taro and daikon parboiled and served in broth thickened with white miso. The New Year soup of Kyoto.

Area：Throughout Kyoto Prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Kamo Nasu no Dengaku

Round Kamo aubergine cut and cooked through slowly in oil, topped with miso worked with sake, mirin and sugar.

Area：Kyoto

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Ebiimo to Bodara no Taitan

Ebi-imo, a heritage Kyoto taro, simmered slowly together with bodara, dried cod. Served at New Year and other celebrations.

Area：Kyoto, Chutan area and Tango area

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Heshiko

Mackerel or sardine salted, then fermented in rice bran and chilli for six months to a year. Lightly grilled before eating.

Area：Tango area

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

MICHI-NO-EKI / 18

Michi-no-Eki roadside stations

RestInformationLocal links

Rest facilities registered by Japan's national government. Each has parking and toilets open 24 hours, and by definition includes a facility that sells local products. This is where the making and the food of this prefecture can actually be bought.

Funaya-no-Sato IneIne, Yosa DistrictRegistered April 1993Official site
Silk-no-Machi KayaYosano, Yosa DistrictRegistered August 1994Official site
Tenki Tenki TangoKyotangoRegistered April 1996Official site
NagomiKyotamba, Funai DistrictRegistered October 1997Official site
Galleria KameokaKameokaRegistered April 1998Official site
Tamba MarkesKyotamba, Funai DistrictRegistered April 1998Official site
Mizuho-no-Sato SarabikiKyotamba, Funai DistrictRegistered April 1998Official site
Kyoto Shin-Koetsu MuraNantanRegistered August 2002Official site
Maizuru-ko Toretore CenterMaizuruRegistered August 2002Official site
Nosho-no-Sato YakunoFukuchiyamaRegistered August 2002Official site
Tango Okoku "Shoku-no-Miyako"KyotangoRegistered August 2003Official site
Miyama Fureai HirobaNantanRegistered August 2005Official site

There are 18 stations in this prefecture in all (national registry).

Source: MLIT register of Michi-no-Eki

LOCAL ACCOUNTS / 5

People posting this city's food

Japanese-language accounts that post this city's food, day after day. They are not made for overseas audiences.

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CITIES & TOWNS / 28

Find by city or town

Sorted by number of entries. Start from the name of a town.

Kyoto 95 Ukyo 16 Uji 9 Sakyo 9 Miyazu 8 Higashiyama 7 Nantan 5 Kita 5 Nakagyo 5 Oyamazaki 4 Shimogyo 4 Minami 4 Kamigyo 4 Kizugawa 3 Nishikyo 3 Fushimi 3 Kyotango 3 Yawata 2

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Fukuchiyama 2 Ayabe 1 Ine 1 Kyotanabe 1 Yosano 1 Maizuru 1 Kameoka 1 Ujitawara 1 Kyotamba 1 Joyo 1

INTERESTS / 15

Find by interest

Only the interests found in this prefecture.

Where locals eat!4 entries

HOTTasty

Fushimi Inari Taisha · Balon Greyjoy · CC0

Shrines & Temples52 entries

Fushimi Inari Taisha ／ Kiyomizudera

Arashiyama · Vitor Coelho Nisida · Public domain

Nature & Scenery8 entries

Arashiyama ／ Kameoka Sports Park Pool

Hot Springs4 entries

Arashiyama Onsen "Eki no Ashiyu" ／ Mibu Onsen Hanano-yu

Gion · Rainer Haeßner · CC BY-SA 3.0

Historic Districts4 entries

Gion ／ Nishiki Market

Nijo-jo · ほっきー · CC0

Castles & History1 entries

Nijo-jo

Ine no Funaya · Naokijp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Architecture24 entries

Ine no Funaya ／ Nijo Castle Ninomaru Palace

Kyoto National Museum · Photograph by Mike Peel · CC BY-SA 4.0

Museums10 entries

Kyoto National Museum ／ Museum of Kyoto

Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art · DannyWithLove · CC BY-SA 4.0

Art & Crafts47 entries

Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art ／ National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

Amanohashidate · At by At · CC BY-SA 3.0

Contemporary Art3 entries

Amanohashidate ／ Kyoto Art Center

Uji Tea · vera46 · CC BY 2.0

Craft Experiences45 entries

Uji Tea ／ Sagano Romantic Train

Shimyo-in Temple · Indiana jo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Culture & History56 entries

Shimyo-in Temple ／ Gion

Gion Matsuri · Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0

Festivals4 entries

Gion Matsuri ／ Aoi Matsuri

Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum · 663highland · CC BY 2.5

Food & Markets29 entries

Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum ／ Kizakura Kappa Country

Experiences3 entries

Otabe Honkan ／ Kyoto City Disaster Prevention Center

The Westin Miyako Kyoto · Gohachiyasu1214 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Stays5 entries

The Westin Miyako Kyoto ／ Kitsu Onsen

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HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of this prefecture

From entries with clearly licensed photos.

Shrines & Temples

Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Every one of the thousand torii was dedicated by a worshipper. The donor's name and the date are carved on the back of each post. That view was not designed; it is what prayers look like when they pile up. The deity began as a god of rice, and later drew the faith of merchants as a god of business.

Festivals

Kyoto

Gion Matsuri

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The townspeople have kept it going for over a thousand years.

Nature & Scenery

Kyoto

Arashiyama

The Togetsukyo bridge and the bamboo grove. A villa district of the nobility since the Heian period.

Historic Districts

Kyoto

Gion

Teahouse buildings run the length of the street. It grew up as the gate town of Yasaka Jinja.

Castles & History

Kyoto

Nijo-jo

The Ninomaru palace is a National Treasure. This is where the return of power to the emperor was declared.

Contemporary Art

Miyazu

Amanohashidate

One of the three great views of Japan: 8,000 pines on a sandbar 3.6 kilometres long.