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Kyoto

Quiche Ya

As the name implies, Quicha-ya is a haven for quiche connoisseurs. You can taste the gamut of quiche concoctions, including a recipe made with Kobe beef. A perfect takeaway option for sunny days. ![Q

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Wakkoqu

Whilst there's no shortage of places in town to try Kobe's famous Wagyu beef, Wakkoqu in the Kitano-cho district is one of the best. It's expensive but a great introduction to this excellent cuisine.

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Gosho Imperial Palace Playground

If you need some fresh air and the kids need a good play in the great outdoors, you cannot beat this playground at the north end of the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (Gosho). It's our go-to spot when we'

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Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa Arashiyama

Located in a suburb about 4.5km west of Kyoto Station, Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa is regarded as the pinnacle of Japanese architecture and garden design. ![Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa - Arashiyama

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Kyoto Gosho Kyoto Imperial Palace Central Kyoto

Kyoto's Imperial Palace (known as Gosho in Japanese) is the Emperor's official residence in Kyoto. The structures, though modern reconstructions, are lovely. ![Kyoto Imperial Palace. Editorial credit

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Kyoto Gyoen Kyoto Imperial Palace Park Central Kyoto

A green sanctuary in the middle of the drab plain of Kyoto, the Kyoto Gyoen (Kyoto Imperial Palace Park) is Kyoto's Central Park. ![Kyoto Imperial Palace Park. Editorial credit: DutchMen / Shuttersto

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Nijo Jo Castle

Nijo-jo Castle is one of Kyoto's most popular and impressive sights. It shows the power that the Shoguns wielded over the emperors throughout the Edo Period ![Nijo castle](https://photos.smugmug.com/

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Shugakuin Rikyu

Shugakuin Rikyu Imperial Villa is the most spacious and, in some ways, the most pleasing of Kyoto's four imperial properties. ![Shugakuin Imperial Villa Garden](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Nv

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Arashiyama

Arashiyama is the second-most important sightseeing district in Kyoto, a historic district and mountain in western Kyoto, Japan, famous for its scenic beauty and attractions. Learn about its bamboo g

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Central Kyoto

Central Kyoto contains two of the most important tourist sites in the city: the Kyoto Gosho (Imperial Palace) and Nijo Castle, as well as a few smaller sights and attractions. ![Front gate of Ninomar

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Downtown Kyoto

Downtown Kyoto is loaded with hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and clubs. It's not a main sightseeing destination, but there are some good sights scattered about. ![Section of baskets of dry leaves a

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Gion

Kyoto's traditional entertainment district, where geisha, gangsters and gawkers prowl, is one of the most interesting places for an after-dinner stroll. ![Geishas in Gion district. Editorial credit:

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Kyoto Districts

Kyoto has hundreds of fascinating sights to explore, scattered over several distinct districts, each with their own atmosphere and ambience. Here's our overview of Kyoto Districts to help you plan you

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Kyoto Station Area

Kyoto's main entry point, the Kyoto Station Area is a major transport hub and shopping/dining district. It's also packed with good hotels in all price ranges and it's a convenient place to stay. ![Il

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Ninen Zaka And Sannen Zaka Preserved Districts

Two of Kyoto's most attractive streets are Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, a pair of gently sloping lanes that lead down from Kiyomizu-dera Temple toward Nene-no-Michi L

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Nishijin

Nishijin, Kyoto's famed weaving district, in the northwest part of central Kyoto, is one of the most traditional areas -- it's a great place to see machiya (old Kyoto townhouses). ![The exterior of t

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Northern Higashiyama

The Northern Higashiyama Area is one of Kyoto's most important sightseeing districts. It's less crowded than Southern Higashiyama but it contains at least as many first-rate sights, including fantasti

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Northwest Kyoto

Northwest Kyoto is one of the city’s most serene and culturally rich regions, known for its temples, mountains, and tranquil natural beauty. It offers a more peaceful alternative to the busy city cent

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Ohara

Ohara is a tranquil rural village in the mountains north of Kyoto, about an hour (20 kilometers) from Kyoto Station by bus. In addition to several fine temples, the village is perfect for leisurely st

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Southeast Kyoto

Southeast Kyoto, at the far southern end of the Higashiyama Mountains, is home to two of Kyoto's greatest sights: the Shinto wonderland of Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and the Zen world of Tofuku-ji Te

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Southern Higashiyama

Southern Higashiyama is the most important sightseeing district in Kyoto. It contains everything from dazzling temples, to preserved lanes, to the city's main geisha district. If you have only one day

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Takao

Takao is a lovely village in the Kitayama Mountains about 15 kilometers northwest of Kyoto. It rivals Kurama and Kibune as the single best daytrip out of Kyoto for nature lovers. ![Two men walk along

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Aoi Matsuri

The Kyoto year is packed with interesting festivals and events. Here is a summary of Kyoto's biggest and most interesting annual festivals and events. ![Gion-matsuri (Gion festival) 祇園祭 京都](https://p

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Kyoto Events April

April is the most popular month to visit Kyoto, thanks to the blooming of the world famous cherry blossoms. There's a whole raft of events to celebrate their arrival, plus special openings of both the

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Kyoto Events August

August is when you can witness the spectacular Daimonji Fire Festival, where massive Chinese characters set up on the hills around the town are set ablaze. The lantern floating ceremony and the otherw

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Kyoto Events December

Here's a rundown of special Kyoto events that happen during December. This is a good month to visit the city -- you might catch the tail end of the fall foliage season and, if you're lucky, you might

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Kyoto Events February

It may still be chilly, but the first warmth of spring comes to Kyoto in February, and with it, the first plum blossoms too. There's also the fascinating Setsubun festival, which is celebrated at shri

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Kyoto Events January

January sees several fascinating events happening in Kyoto. From celebrations of the New Year to the wonderful Toka Ebisu festival to raucous shrine prayers to get rich, there's plenty of quintessenti

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Kyoto Events July

July sees the most important festival in Kyoto's yearly calendar take place: the Gion Matsuri. There are preceding events leading up to the big day, showing off the spectacular yamaboko (parade floats

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Kyoto Events June

June is a wonderful time to visit Kyoto. The springtime crowds have departed, the heat of summer has yet to set in, and the green of the trees is still fresh and beautiful. Best of all, there are plen

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Kyoto Events March

Kyoto in March is spectacular -- there's the blooming of the plum blossoms and, later, the cherry blossoms, both celebrated with "hanami", karaoke and sake-soaked flower-viewing parties. There's also

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Kyoto Events May

May is one of the best -- if not the best -- times to visit Kyoto. It's less crowded than April (when everyone comes to see the cherry blossoms), the weather is usually warm (but not hot) and lots of

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