Kyoto Cinema

If you love independent movies and want to take in a flick while you’re in Kyoto, you’ll love this little arthouse cinema in downtown Kyoto.

[Kyoto Cinema: Yasu / Wikimedia Commons]

Most of the big movie theatres in Kyoto run standard Hollywood fare with a smattering of local Japanese big-budget productions. But, for serious fans of independent cinema, we strongly recommend checking out what’s showing at Kyoto Cinema. It’s located on the 3rd floor of the Cocon shopping center in the heart of downtown Kyoto.

The website (see below) is in Japanese, but you can tell what’s showing by the pictures and, usually, the names of the films. They run a wide variety of independent movies from around the world. The catch is this: If the movie is not in English, it will be subtitled, but only in Japanese. Still, about half of the movies they show here are in English and you may well catch a rare gem of a film that would be hard to see anywhere else.

English name:
Kyoto Cinema

Japanese name:
京都シネマ

English address:
3F COCON Karasuma, 620 Suigin’ya-cho, Karasuma-dori-Shijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku

Japanese address:
下京区烏丸通四条下ル水銀屋町620 COCON烏丸3F

Opening hours:
10am-10pm (depends on the film)

Admission:
Adults: JP¥1,800
60 years old and over: JP¥1,200
Students: JP¥1,000
Persons with disabilities: JP¥1,000

Non-smoking area: Yes

Nearest Transport:
Directly connected to Shijo Station Exit 2, Karasuma subway line or Karasuma Station Exit 23, Hankyu line

Nearest Hotels:
Check availability and pricing for hotels near to Kyoto Cinema on Agoda.com.

Telephone: 353-4723

Website: Official Website (Japanese)

Near To Here:
Kyoto Cinema is located in Kyoto’s Downtown district. See our complete list of things to do in Downtown Kyoto, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

---