Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [243]
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ORIENTATION
Like Manhattan, Kyoto is laid out in a grid pattern and is extremely easy to navigate. Kyoto Station, the city’s main station, is located at the southern end of the city, and the JR and Kintetsu lines operate from here. The real centre of Kyoto is located around Shijō-dōri, about 2km north of Kyoto Station via Karasuma-dōri. The commercial and nightlife centres are between Shijō-dōri to the south and Sanjō-dōri to the north, and between Kawaramachi-dōri to the east and Karasuma-dōri to the west.
Although some of Kyoto’s major sights are in the city centre, Kyoto’s best sightseeing is on the outskirts of the city, along the base of the eastern and western mountains (known as Higashiyama and Arashiyama, respectively). Sights on the east side are best reached by bus, bicycle or the Tōzai subway line. Sights on the west side are best reached by bus or train (or by bicycle if you’re very keen). Outside the city itself, the mountain villages of Ōhara, Kurama and Takao make wonderful day trips and are easily accessible by public transport.
Maps
The Kyoto TIC Click here stocks the following maps: the Tourist Map of Kyoto, a useful map with decent insets of the main tourist districts on the reverse; the colour Welcome Inns Map of Kyoto/Nara, which is fairly detailed; the Bus Navi: Kyoto City Bus Travel map, which is the most useful guide to city buses; and a leaflet called Kyoto Walks, which has detailed walking maps for major sightseeing areas in and around Kyoto (Higashiyama, Arashiyama, northwestern Kyoto and Ōhara).
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INFORMATION
Bookshops
Junkudō (Map; 253-6460; Kyoto BAL Bldg, 2 Yamazaki-chō, Sanjō sagaru, Kawaramachi-dōri, Nakagyō-ku; 11am-8pm) In the BAL Building, this shop has a great selection of English-language books on the 5th 8th floors. This is Kyoto’s best bookshop now that the old Maruzen and Random Walk bookshops have closed (you may remember these shops if you visited in the past).
Emergency
Ambulance (119)
Fire (119)
Police (110)
Immigration Offices
Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau Kyoto Branch (Map; 752-5997; 2F Kyoto Second Local Joint Government Bldg, 34-12 Marutamachi Kawabata Higashi iru, Higashi Marutamachi, Sakyō-ku; 9am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri)
Internet Access
Kinko’s (Map; 213-6802; 651-1 Tearaimizu-chō, Takoyakushi sagaru, Karasuma-dōri, Nakagyō-ku; first 10min ¥262, then every 10min ¥210; 24hr)
Kyoto International Community House (KICH; Map; 752-3010; 2-1 Torii-chō, Awataguchi, Sakyō-ku; per 30min ¥200; 9am-9pm Tue-Sun, closed Tue when Mon is a holiday) The machines here have Japanese keyboards and allow access to only a limited number of sites.
Kyoto Prefectural International Centre (Map; 342-5000; 9F Kyoto Eki Bldg, Karasuma-dōri Shiokōji sagaru, Shimogyō-ku; per 15min ¥100; 10am-6pm, closed 2nd & 4th Tue each month) This is a good place to log on in the Kyoto Station area. Note that this will move to the Suvaco shopping area in spring 2010 (for details, Click here).
Media Café Popeye (Map; 253-5300; www.mediacafe.jp/branch/sanjokawaramachi/index.html, in Japanese; Kawaramachi-dōri Sanjō sagaru, Nakagyō-ku; per hr ¥420; 24hr) This is convenient when you’re downtown.
Tops Café (Map; 681-9270; www.topsnet.co.jp, in Japanese; Kyoto-eki, Hachijō-guchi; per 15min ¥120, plus ¥200 registration fee;24hr) This is an all-night manga/internet cafe where you can actually spend the night in the booths if you want. It’s just outside the south (Hachijō) exit of Kyoto Station.
Internet Resources
Kyoto Temple Admission Fees (www.templefees.com)
Kyoto Visitor’s Guide (www.kyotoguide.com)
Media
The free Kyoto Visitor’s Guide is the best source of information