Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [274]
MIDRANGE
Kyoto ANA Hotel (Map; 231-1155; fax 231-5333; www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/kstna; Nijō-jō-mae, Horikawa-dōri, Nakagyō-ku; s/d/tw from ¥10,515/24,255/26,565; ; Tōzai subway line to Nijōjō-mae Station, exit 2) Directly opposite Nijō-jō on the west side of downtown, this large hotel gets plenty of foreign guests. Rooms are fairly spacious and some have good views over the castle, there are all the usual on-site facilities (pool, restaurants and bars) and rooms have LAN cable internet.
Long-Term Rentals
There is a variety of long-term rental situations in Kyoto, ranging from cramped ‘gaijin (foreigner) houses’ to proper apartments and houses. The best place to look for long-term accommodation is on the message board at the Kyoto International Community House. One good option in central Kyoto is the following.
Furnished Apartment (Map; 090-8523-2053; www.kyotojp.com/furnished-apt.html; 34 Hinoshitachō, Matsubara-sagaru, Takakura-dōri, Shimogyō-ku; apt per month from ¥78,000; Karasuma subway line to Gojō) Located in the middle of Kyoto, these apartments have everything you need for a longer stay in Kyoto, including simple kitchens, bathrooms and basic furniture. They’re within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of downtown.
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EATING
Kyoto is a great place to make a full exploration of Japanese cuisine and you’ll find good restaurants in every budget bracket. If you tire of Japanese food, there are plenty of excellent international restaurants to choose from. You’ll find the thickest concentration of eateries in downtown Kyoto, but also plenty of choice in southern Higashiyama/Gion and in and around Kyoto Station.
Because Kyoto gets a lot of foreign travellers, you’ll find a surprising number of English menus, and most places are quite comfortable with foreign guests – it’s rare to see waiters running for the exits at the first sign of a foreign face.
Kyoto Station Area
The new Kyoto Station building is chock-a-block with restaurants, and if you find yourself anywhere near the station around mealtime, this is probably your best bet in terms of variety and price. For a quick cuppa while waiting for a train try Café du Monde (Map) on the 2nd floor overlooking the central atrium.
For more substantial meals there are several food courts scattered about. The best of these can be found on the 11th floor on the west side of the building: the Cube food court and Isetan department store’s Eat Paradise food court. In Eat Paradise, we like Tonkatsu Wako for tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork cutlet), Tenichi for sublime tempura, and Wakuden for approachable kaiseki fare. To get to these food courts, take the west escalators from the main concourse all the way up to the 11th floor and look for the Cube on your left and Eat Paradise straight in front of you.
Other options in the station include Kyoto Rāmen Koji, a collection of seven rāmen (egg noodle) restaurants on the 10th floor (underneath the Cube). Buy tickets for rāmen from the machines, which don’t have English but have pictures on the buttons. In addition to rāmen, you can get green-tea ice cream and other Japanese desserts at Chasen, and tako-yaki (battered octopus pieces) at Miyako.
If you’re departing by train or bus from Kyoto Station and want to pick up some nibblies for the ride, head downstairs to the B1 floor Porta underground shopping arcade. Here, you can purchase excellent sushi bentō (boxed meals) at Kyōtaru and good bread and pastries at Shinshindō. Both are near the kita (north) entrance/exit of the Karasuma subway line.
Outside the station building, there are also lots of good places to eat.
Iimura (Map; 351-8023; 216 Maoya-chō, Shimogyō-ku (Shichijō-dōri-Higashinotōin); set lunch ¥650; 11.30am-until they run out of food) About 10 minutes’ walk north of the station, this is a classic little restaurant that’s popular with locals who come for its ever-changing set Japanese lunch. Just say ‘kyō no ranchi’ (today’s lunch) and you should be fine. It