Getting off the Shinkansen in Kyoto is a magical experience. Walking from the platform into the main hall of the station is an awe-inspiring view of lights, sounds, escalators rising into the heights of the building, and the light shining from the windows above casting interesting and unusual shadows across the floors, walls, and ceilings of this edifice to transportation. The space holds many surprises from small shops and stores to restaurants catering to every palate you can imagine.
The interior space of the train station defies description and with all great spaces in architecture, requires the visitor to walk the floors of the building to gain that sense of wonder. Maybe the hardest part of coming to Kyoto Station is finding a place to eat. The choices are many and one can find, at each level of the building, something new to savor.
My favorite floor is floor ten. The Ramen street is filled with a wide variety of eateries and places to relax, looking out over the Kyoto skyline. Service in each of these establishments is quick and the food hearty. I won’t bore you with specific details; my advice to the wander the halls to land on a place that suits your fancy.
Once outside of the Station, you’ll find you’re on the southern side of the city and most of where you want to go is north, west, and east of your location.
The city is laid out in a grid pattern, a holdover from the original layout designed Roughly following the ideas brought from China of the capital at Chang’an, Kyoto started as a small place with the emperor in the seat of authority. This grid pattern was extended over the years and you can still see the structure of the original city in the modern street and avenue pattern.
Our trip to the city will include a visit to a variety of temples and shrines, to stores and shopping malls, to museums and walks along the rivers, canals, and outdoor spaces. Kyoto is known as a walking city and we’ll find our way in this remarkable place.
First and foremost, we’ll find our houses, get settled, and then make our plans for the coming days. On the agenda, we’ll walk the Path of Philosophy and locate Ginkaku-ji. We’ll head to Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji, popular tourist locations. On the less obvious side of the city, we’ll check out a festival and flea market at Tenmagu and eventually make our way to Fushimi Inari.
Through it all, you’ll get the sense of place, the importance of this city in the history of Japan and see cultural and historical sites that will help you understand a little about Japan.
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