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Sightseeing Overview
Kyoto has more than 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, in addition the imperial palace, castles, gardens, parks, museums and monuments. A thorough exploration of these cultural riches would take weeks or even months. Yet by visiting some of the most famous sites and areas, it is possible in a short time to get a good impression of what Kyoto has to offer.

Obligatory places to visit include the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, with its thousands of Torii gates up in the hillside behind it, and the Kiyomizu Temple, with its verandas seemingly hanging in the air above the steep hillside below. Ginkakuji Temple has one of the most charming gardens in Japan, and the Path of Philosophy leading from there towards the south along the Sosui Canal is one of the nicest walks Kyoto has to offer.

The Kinkakuji Temple, with its impressive gold-leaf-covered Pavilion, also has a lovely garden, as does the Heian Shrine. A different kind of garden is the main attraction at the Ryoanji Temple: a Zen garden designed to inspire contemplation and consisting entirely of raked sand, rocks and a little bit of moss.

One of Kyoto’s most impressive sights is the Imperial Palace, the residence of Japan’s imperial family until 1868. Access is only allowed in the company of a guide, and visitors must apply to get in, but the beautiful palace grounds are open to the public without any such restrictions. Not far from the palace the famous Nijo Castle, built in the early 17th century, is an imposing example of early Edo Shogunate architecture, and its wonderful interiors are well worth seeing.

Tourist Information
Kyoto City Tourist Information
2/F, JR Kyoto Station Building, Shimogyo-ku
Tel: (075) 343 6655.
Website: http://kaiwai.city.kyoto.jp/raku/modules/english/index.php

Kyoto Tourist Information (Kyoto Prefecture)
9/F, JR Kyoto Station B/D, Shimogyo-ku (in Kyoto Prefectural International Center)
Tel: (075) 344 3300.
Website: www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en

The main tourist information office for the city of Kyoto is located on the second floor of the Kyoto Station Building, while the tourist information office for the whole of Kyoto Prefecture can be found on the ninth floor of the same building. The Kyoto City Tourist Association runs a visitor information center (tel: (075) 752 0227) in front of the Heian-Jingu shrine.

Passes
There are no tourist passes giving discounted access to attractions available in Kyoto at the moment.

Key Attractions:

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
This magnificent shrine is the most important and impressive of the many tens of thousands of Inari shrines in Japan. It is devoted to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, and it is guarded by statues of foxes, thought to be Inari’s messengers. There is a 4km (2.5 miles) long path up the hill behind the shrine, and it is straddled by no fewer than 10,000 orange-painted Torii gates standing very close to each other, making the path at times feel like a corridor.

Fushimi-ku Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho
Tel: (075) 641 7331.
Website: http://inari.jp/ (Japanese only)
Free admission.

Kiyomizu Temple
One of the Japanese nation’s most beloved temples, Kiyomizu Temple is perched, seemingly precariously, on a steep hillside to the east of the city center. The temple was founded as early as 798, although most of the present buildings date from 1633. It is an impressive site that offers sweeping views of the city, but it can get a bit crowded in the summer season, so it’s a good idea to get there early.

Higashiyamaku Kiyoumizu
Tel: (075) 551 1234.
Website: www.kiyomizudera.or.jp
Admission charge.

Kyoto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle
Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) was the residence of Japan’s imperial family until 1868, when Tokyo became the imperial capital. The current palace, located in the spacious Kyoto Imperial Park, is a reconstruction dating from 1855 (because the old palace burned down). Visitors must fill in an application form (and show their passport) at the Imperial Household Agency’s office in order to join a guided tour of the palace. There are no restrictions on the use of the surrounding grounds, which are very pleasant. A short walk to the southwest takes you to Nijo Castle, which was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo Shogunate. Famous for its Momoyama architecture, ornate interiors, beautiful decorations and floors that squeak like ‘nightingales’ when walked upon (thus alerting guards against intruders), this castle is one of Kyoto’s several UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Kyoto Imperial Palace
Kyoto Gyoen-nai, Kamigyo-ku
Tel: (075) 211 1215.
Website: http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/index.html
Admission free (but only by application).

Nijo Castle
541 Nijojo-cho, Nijo-dori, Horikawa nishi-iru, Nakagyo-ku
Tel: (075) 841 0096.Website: www.city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/nijojo
Admission charge.

Ginkakuji Temple and the Path of Philosophy
Ginkakuji Temple is not among the most imposing temples in Kyoto, but it is definitely among the most charming and is widely considered a masterpiece. The temple and the lovely moss garden surrounding it combine to create an atmosphere that is both calm and gentle, offering a vision of natural harmony. The Path of Philosophy, which leads along the tree-lined Sosui Canal from Ginkakuji Temple to Eikando Temple, offers a pleasant walk in peaceful surroundings.

Ginkakuji Temple
2 Ginkakuji-cho, Sakyo-ku
Tel: (075) 771 5725 (Japanese only).
Website: www.shokoku-ji.or.jp
Admission charge.

Gion and Gion Corner
Gion is the central culture and entertainment district in Kyoto. Here the past is alive in the arts and entertainments on offer as well on street level where rickshaws and geisha can still be seen. Gion also features Gion Corner, which is a theater where tourists can experience a variety of traditional Japanese arts, such as Kyoto-style dance, tea ceremony, puppet play, Japanese harp and flower arrangement.

Gion Corner
Yasaka Hall, Shijo Sagaru, Hanamikoji, Higashiyama-ku
Tel: (075) 561 1119.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Ryoanji Temple and Kinkakuji Temple
These temples are located close to each other in an area to the north west of Kyoto city center. The Ryoanji Temple contains a very famous Zen garden designed for contemplation and consisting of raked sand interrupted by 15 rocks. The Kinkakuji Temple is also known as the Golden Pavilion, as the pavilion’s exterior is covered in a thick layer of gold leaf.

Ryoanji Temple
13 Goryonoshita-cho, Ryoan-ji, Ukyo-ku
Tel: (075) 463 2216.
Admission charge.

Kinkakuji Temple
1 Kinkaku-ji-cho, Kita-ku
Tel: (075) 461 0013 (Japanese only).
Website: www.shokoku-ji.or.jp
Admission charge.

Heian Shrine
A scaled-down replica of the first Imperial Palace in Kyoto, this shrine is still pretty imposing, if perhaps not very inspiring. It was constructed in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the city. The real attraction for the tourist is the garden to the rear of the shrine. It is beautifully laid out with a lake in the middle, a footpath with several footbridges crossing the lake, and a wide variety of plants and trees along the way.

Nishi Tennocho, Okazaki, Sakyo-ku
Tel: (075) 761 0221.
Website: www.heianjingu.or.jp
Admission charge (for access to the garden).

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