Field Notes from Kyoto
Where to stay, eat, and wander in the City of Ten Thousand Shrines
We were a little shell shocked by our first temple experience in the City of 10,000 Shrines — Kiyomizu-dera, located in the Gion District of Kyoto, was absolutely swarmed with tourists at 2:30pm when we tried to visit. We had just disembarked the high-speed Shinkansen train from Tokyo, dropped our bags at our traditional ryokan, and made our way up to the historic temple.
The walk through the narrow, shop-lined streets was shoulder to shoulder with other tourists. By the time we made it to the temple, I was so overstimulated by all the jostling that we bailed on a thorough tour and took the long way back to the ryokan, through winding streets and back alleyways.
And that’s where the magic of Kyoto found us.
It was a quiet back street, deserted except for one black car waiting outside of a traditional wooden building. Slowly, the shoji door opened and a beautiful geisha exited, crossing the street and greeting her driver before gracefully sliding into the back seat. We were about twenty yards away and did not interact with her at all, but it felt like Kyoto winked at us. We were in awe.
Stay
Spending the evening at Shiraume Ryokan, a 300-year old ochaya-turned-traditional inn situated along the Shirakawa Stream in the Gion District, was the highlight of our trip. One night here was the perfect way to unwind after several days in Tokyo. The innkeeper, Tomoko, was such an amazing storyteller. I covered our stay in greater detail here.
For the rest of our time in Kyoto, we posted up at the hip Ace Hotel Kyoto. The rooms were cozy and quiet, the lobby had a steady buzz, and Stumptown Coffee was a lifesaver when jet lag hit each afternoon. The central location made it an easy home base for exploring.
Dine
If you only take one recommendation from this post, please let it be this: make a dinner reservation at Badu. Tucked just off the Philosopher’s Path in a quiet, residential neighborhood, this three-table restaurant focuses on seasonal, local ingredients prepared with incredible care. We managed to snag a 4pm seating, opted for the omakase (about $60 per person), and shared a bottle of wine recommended by the sommelier. Every course was thoughtful, balanced, and memorable.
The team at Badu suggested we check out Howene, a local wine bar, for a night cap after dinner. The space is elegantly designed, the wine was delicious, and the glassware was gorgeously thin. We chatted with the owner as he rotated records and refilled glasses. Really lovely way to end the evening!
I will join the chorus of people singing the praises of Hikiniku to Come. There are several locations across Tokyo and Kyoto and a reservation is essential. We snagged the only reservation available… it was at 8am! But honestly the beef + egg combo was a hearty way to fuel for the day, and it really does melt in your mouth.
Our innkeeper, Tomoko, mentioned that Kyoto is well-known for silky, smooth tofu. A small irori (sunken hearth) izakaya called Sumizumido served traditional yudofu (soft tofu simmered in broth) as part of a lovely lunch spread. Don’t miss the house-made ginger soda.
See
Our days fell into a familiar rhythm: wake up around 5:30am, enjoy a 7-11 breakfast & coffee at the hotel, and dart out the door by 6:15am to sightsee before the main attractions became swamped with other tourists. The afternoons were generally more leisurely — we walked for hours discovering the incredible craftsmanship & history that is so abundant in Kyoto. Here are a few places that are a must:
Covered this in an Instagram post, but Saiho-ji Moss Temple was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. The sunlight filtering through the trees and dancing across verdant moss was spiritual in the best way. Make sure to make a reservation in advance!
Another experience that far exceed my expectations was Fushimi Inari Shrine & its vermillion red torii gates. Arrive early (we got there around 6:45am) and make sure to go all the way up the mountain. It’s a bit strenuous, but climbing through thousands of torii gates felt like a moving meditation.
We had perfect weather for our jaunt around Fushimi Inari Shrine. Leave time to say hello to the shrine cats on the way down the mountain. We felt like the only tourists at Shimogamo Shrine on a Saturday afternoon, which was especially poignant because we were able to witness a traditional shinto wedding. Be sure to bring some yen to purchase a fortune. Dip the paper into the river to reveal your fate.
On the way back from Shimogamo Shrine, we enjoyed a snack along the Kamo River. The people watching was entertaining but observing the black kites, known as “river pirates”, trying to sneak bites of food from fellow picnickers really took the cake.
The bamboo forest in Arashiyama was overhyped in my book, but the walking paths through the small towns in the area were extremely beautiful. I wish we were able to see the thousands of stone statues at Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, but the temple did not open until 9am and we had arrived at the bamboo forest at 6:40am. Oops!
We do have a few things bookmarked for our next trip that we were not able to fit into the schedule this time:
I would have loved to take the Sagano Romantic Train up to Arashiyama and then return to Kyoto via the Hozugawa River Cruise. The train features open air carriages & passes through beautiful gorges on the way up, and the river cruise just looks like a fun adventure.
We did not realize that in order to attend a tea ceremony, we needed to make a reservation in advance. Learned our lesson for next time!
Demachi Futaba is a 200-year old sweet shop with lines were wrapped around the block, but it came highly recommended by one of our taxi drivers. Bookmarked for next trip.
Shop
My shopping list was mostly focused on vintage ceramics & textiles, so I had several antique shops saved in my Google Maps ahead of my trip:
Pro Antiques was located very close to our hotel and was beautifully merchandised. I was excited to explore the attic of the shop because I read that the items there were slightly damaged and priced accordingly, but upon arrival everything was a bit pricier than expected.
Antique Belle was a small, nicely curated shop — I especially admired their etched antique glassware as well as their selection of vintage herbariums.
Utsuwa Marukaku Kyoto is located on a very cute shopping street, just south of the Gyoen National Garden. Their offering is a mix of new and vintage/antique pieces. I found a lovely kintsugi piece here for my cousin.
Granpie Kyoto is a must-visit - more details here!
I’d be remiss not to mention the flea markets in Kyoto because that is where I had the most luck on my quest for beautiful ceramics & textiles:
The Kitano Tenmangu Shrine flea market is held on the 25th of each month and features antiques, vintage items, and local food. More info here.
NeoMarche puts on markets each month that feature local artisans + food — timing & location varies, follow them on Instagram for more updates.
Finally, the largest flea market in Kyoto occurs on the 21st of each month at the Toji Temple. We were not in town for this market but I have heard good things!
We visited two incredible shops that offered products that were the epitome of Japanese craftsmanship:
Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu was founded in the Meiji period and specializes in handcrafted canvas goods. Their motto is “staying behind the times,” a nod to the fact that their process has remained unchanged since 1905. I picked up a moss green canvas tote and haven’t stopped using it since.
As discussed in my series, Shops to Savor, Kyukyodo was our favorite stop for traditional Japanese paper goods and incense. We picked up several gifts here for friends and we were mesmerized by the intricate gift wrapping completed by the sales associates.
Bonus round: skip the Nishiki Market and visit this market district frequented by locals, instead. I found some beautiful shibori samples mounted on paper at a tiny antique bookshop for $5 each page.
We came to Kyoto chasing its most famous sights, but the moments that stayed with us were the ones we found when we stepped away from them. Curious if you had a similar experience while visiting Kyoto? Let me know below.
Great Recs, as always! Thank you