Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [245]
Travel Agencies
IACE TRAVEL (Map; 212-8944; 4F Dai15 Hase Bldg, 688 Takanna-chō, Shijo agaru, Karasuma dōri, Nakagyō-ku; office 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat)
KNT (Map; 255-0489; 437 Ebisu-chō, Sanjo agaru, Kawaramachi dōri, Nakagyō-ku; office 10.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 6.30pm Sat, Sun & holidays)
Useful Organisations
Kyoto International Community House (KICH; Map; 752-3010; 2-1 Torii-chō, Awataguchi, Sakyō-ku; 9am-9pm, closed Mon, open Mon when Mon is a national holiday, closed Tue when preceding Mon is a national holiday) An essential stop for those planning a long-term stay in Kyoto, but it can also be quite useful for short-term visitors. Here you can rent typewriters, send and receive faxes, and use the internet. It has a library with maps, books, newspapers and magazines from around the world, and a noticeboard displaying messages regarding work, accommodation, rummage sales etc. KICH is in eastern Kyoto. Take the Tōzai line subway from central Kyoto and get off at Keage Station, from which it’s a 350m (five-minute) walk downhill.
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SIGHTS
Kyoto Station Area
Although most of Kyoto’s attractions are further north, there are a few attractions within walking distance of the station (Map). The most impressive sight in this area is the vast Higashi Hongan-ji, but don’t forget the station building itself – it’s an attraction in its own right.
KYOTO TOWER
If you want to orient yourself and get an idea of the layout of Kyoto as soon as you arrive in town, Kyoto Tower (Map; 361-3215; Shichijō sagaru, Karasuma, Shimogyō-ku; admission ¥770; 9am-9pm) is the place to do it. Located right outside the Karasuma (north) gate of the station, this retro tower looks like a rocket perched atop the Kyoto Tower Hotel. The tower provides excellent views in all directions and you can really see why Kyotoites describe their city as a bonchi (a flat tray with raised edges). There are free mounted binoculars to use, and these allow ripping views over to Kiyomizu-dera Click here and as far south as Osaka. Last entry is 8.40pm.
HIGASHI HONGAN-JI
A short walk north of Kyoto Station, this temple (Map; 371-9181; Shichijō agaru, Karasuma-dōri, Shimogyō-ku; admission free; 5.50am-5.30pm Mar-Oct, 6.20am-4.30pm Nov-Feb) is the last word in all things grand and gaudy. Considering the proximity to the station, the free admission, the awesome structures and the dazzling interiors, this temple is an obvious spot to visit if you find yourself near the station.
In 1602, when Tokugawa Ieyasu engineered the rift in the Jōdo Shin-shū school, he founded this temple as a competitor to Nishi Hongan-ji (see following). Rebuilt in 1895 after a series of fires destroyed all of the original structures, the temple is now the headquarters of the Ōtani branch of Jōdo Shin-shū.
In the corridor between the two main buildings you’ll find a curious item encased in glass: a tremendous coil of rope made from human hair. Following the destruction of the temple in the 1880s, an eager group of female temple devotees donated their locks to make the ropes that hauled the massive timbers used for reconstruction.
The enormous Goei-dō main hall is one of the world’s largest wooden structures, standing 38m high, 76m long and 58m wide. At the time of writing, this hall was being restored, but it should be open by the time this book goes to print. The adjoining Amida-dō hall will undergo restoration following completion of the Goei-dō.
NISHI HONGAN-JI
In 1591 Toyotomi Hideyoshi built this temple (Map; 371-5181; Hanaya-chō sagaru, Horikawa-dōri, Shimogyō-ku; admission free; 6am-5pm Nov-Feb, 5.30am-5.30pm Mar, Apr, Sep