Culture / Tour Spots in Kyoto Area

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Kyoto
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Category

Leisure / Hobbies

Culture / Tour

Kyoto Aquarium

4.0

541 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Shimogyou-ku Kankijichou 35-1 (in Umekoji Park)

"This inland aquarium is located in Umekoji Park, about a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station. It consists of 10 areas, including the area of giant salamanders that inhabit the Kamo River, a huge tank filled with artificial seawater that recreates the Kyoto Sea, dolphins, penguins, etc. In July 2020, ""Jellyfish Wonders"" opened, exhibiting 5,000 jellyfish of about 30 species, the largest number in western Japan."

This aquarium has less to see than the Osaka one. However, they have a dolphin show called La La Fin Circus. It was all in Japanese so it was hard for the kids to understand what they were...
Kyoto International Manga Museum

4.0

603 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Karasuma-ku Ikegami Le, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

This manga museum in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto, is Japan's largest manga museum. It first opened in 2006. Including valuable works from the Meiji period and the post-WWII period as well as popular modern titles and foreign works, they have almost 300,000 pieces in their collection. One of their showcases is a ''Manga Wall'' with 50,000 volumes of manga arrayed on bookcases that visitors can freely read. The spacious building is the former Tatsuike Elementary School and people can be found everywhere inside or outside on the lawn reading manga. This is a popular location for foreign tourists and couples.

This isnt strictly a museum but a library of manga books. There is a section of manga in English, German, Italian, Polish, Chinese etc. Each language has different books available. My son spent 3...
Kyoto Botanical Garden

4.5

385 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Sakyou-ku Shimogamohangichou

Opened in 1924, this is Japan’s oldest public botanical garden. Some 120 thousand plants grow on the garden’s spacious grounds, spanning some 12 thousand varieties. The south side of the garden features the front entrance flower beds blooming with seasonal flowers, a rose garden, and one of the largest greenhouses in Japan, were visitors can enjoy rare tropical plants such as welwitschia and baobab. The north side of the garden includes the virgin Nakaragi Forest and a garden presenting a natural plant ecology as well as cherry trees, Japanese apricot trees, and Japanese irises. The cherry tree blossoms from mid-March to late April are truly splendid and their illumination at night is a must-see. Children of junior high school age and younger as well as senior citizens 70 years of age and older may enter free. Kitayama Station is the closest station to the garden.

I have wanted to come here every time Ive visited Kyoto (7 times) but had never made it before. I was looking for somewhere less crowded and to spend some time in nature. That is exactly what I got...
Yasaka Hall Gion Corner

3.0

520 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Higashiyama-ku Gionmachiminamigawa 570-2 Inside the Yakinikan

Here you can enjoy seven of Japan's traditional arts in the space of about an hour including Kyomai traditional Kyoto dance, Kyogen comedy theater, Gagaku traditional court music, Bunraku puppet theater, koto music, tea ceremony, and ikebana flower arranging. It is located inside the Yasaka Hall in Gion, Kyoto City, nearby the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo theater. In the lobby you'll find pictures of annual festivals held in ''Kyoto Gokagai (five districts)'' (Gion Kobu, Miyagawa-cho, Ponto-cho, Kamishichiken, Gion Higashi) as well as a Maiko gallery showing the ornamental flower pins worn by the Maiko, their hairstyles, and other small items. This is a famous place for seeing the character of Japan and is popular amongst students on school trips and foreign visitors. It is a five-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan Line.

This was an enjoyable taste of seven Japanese art forms seamlessly interwoven together in under an hour that at times it seems like one event with several sub-plots. The event highlights the tea...
Kyoto City Zoo

3.5

240 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Sakyou-ku Okazakihoushoujichou In Okazaki Park

A zoo established by the city of Kyoto located in the Okazaki area of Sakyo Ward. This historic zoo was the second to be opened in the country, having begun operating in 1903. The zoo is dedicated to animal breeding and has achieved the first successful breeding in Japan of species such as lions, tigers, western lowland gorillas, and lar gibbons. The zoo houses numerous exhibits only found here, including an Asian elephant herd in the Forest of Elephants and a Gorilla House where visitors can see gorillas learning with the use of touch panels, a first in Japan. In the Otogi no Kuni (Fairy Land) exhibit Animals, used to the presence of humans such as domesticated farm animals can be viewed up close and touched, providing visitors to have fun while learning about the preciousness of life.

We went to the gorilla enclosure and to our HORROR we saw a badly wounded pigeon being chased by a young gorilla. The Kyoto Zoo staff had to see those poor pigeons trapped in that enclosure at the...
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

4.0

156 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Sakyou-ku Okazakienshoujichou

This art museum inside Okazaki Park in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City first opened its doors in 1963. The museum’s annex, a modern building of glass and gray walls, was completed in 1986. The museum collects and preserves modern art from both within Japan and around the world and boasts a collection of over 12,000 pieces. The museum places particular emphasis on art from Western Japan and the Kansai region with a focus on Kyoto and has a collection of many works from the Kyoto and Kansai art worlds. The museum also displays industrial art pieces. In addition to a permanent exhibit whose contents are changed periodically, the museum also holds special exhibitions. The adjoining authentic Italian café is also popular.

The museum is not a large building. I recall seeing 3 levels of exhibitions permanent and also special exhibition. The permanent exhibition was nice although there was no description in other...
Byodoin Museum Hoshokan

4.5

232 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Uji-shi Uji Renge 116 (Byodoin Keidai)

This museum was opened in 2001 to preserve the collection from the former treasure house, which had deteriorated. The garden is designated as a famous historic landmark, and the building exterior is designed to blend perfectly with it, with special features like using natural lighting in the interior. In addition to being a registered National and Uji City Important Cultural Asset, it also displays a collection of Heian period onigawara gargoyle roof tiles excavated from archaeological sites.

A visit to the museum comes with the entrance price when visiting Byodoin Temple. I found the museum to be a great addition! The museum was pretty large with a lot of great artifacts and information...
Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art

4.0

151 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Prefecture Otsumi-gun Oyamazaki Town 5-3

Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art is located in the town of Oyamazaki, Otokuni County, Kyoto Prefecture. Industrialist Shotaro Kaga designed and built the original building, Oyamazaki Villa, which was later remodeled and converted to a museum. It holds exhibits and displays collections of artists associated with the folk art movement. Located on the slopes of Mount Tennozan, it offers a beautiful panoramic view of the confluence of three rivers: the Kizu River, the Uji River, and the Katsura River.

This relatively small villa museum offers a look at a Western-style residence in Japan along with much decorative art and a few Monet paintings. We made a day trip here from Kyoto with a friend, and...
Fukuchiyama Castle

4.0

148 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Fukuchiyamashi Naiki 5

This castle of the old Fukuchiyama feudal domain in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture is a fortress which belonged to a powerful clan was once known as Yokoyama Castle. It was reconstructed by Akechi Mitsuhide in 1579, who renamed it to Fukuchiyama Castle. Once completed there was a castle tower and various other buildings, but after the castle abandonment orders of the Meiji period many were demolished. Just the stone wall, copper gatehouse and the Toyoiwa-no-i Well remain their original Edo period appearance. The current castle tower was rebuilt in 1986, and the inside was opened as a museum.

言わずと知れた福知山市のシンボルです。城の縄張りは明智光秀によって定められましたが、城郭は江戸時代に入ってからのものです。廃藩置県による廃城で縄張りも縮小され、昭和後期に発掘調査・天守の復元・福知山城公園としての整備が行われました。名古屋城や大阪城、熊本城のように、威風堂々とした雰囲気はありませんが、市民を静かに穏やかに見守るような、そんな佇まいを感じます。現在、天守は郷土資料館となっています...
Nishijin Textile Center

3.5

173 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto prefecture Kyoto city Kamigyo-ku Horikawa dori Imadegawa south entrance west side

This meeting hall in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture introduces the charm of Japanese clothing, especially Nishijin silk fabrics, and displays related items. The third floor has a show stage on which they hold the extravagant Kimono Show each hour. With the workshops allowing one to watch artisans up close and the reservation handmaking experience activities, there are facilities for one to watch, sow and experience while learning and having fun. There are also Japanese trinkets on sale including clothing sundries and mufflers made of pure Japan-produced silk.

My wife was a little disappointed. She was hoping for fabric she couldnt get at home in Australia. Nothing extraordinary.
Uji City The Tale of Genji Museum

4.0

144 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Ujishi Uji Higashiuchi 45-26

This museum located in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture collects and displays materials pertaining to the Genji Monogatari (Tale of Genji), the full-length novel by Murasaki Shikibu. Inside, it is divided into video exhibition rooms including the Heian-no-Ma which introduces the world of the Genji Monogatari and the life of Japanese nobles with models and video, and the Uji-no-Ma, which takes the theme of Uji Jujo (The 10 Quires of Uji) in the third part of the Genji Monogatari, which was set in Uji. There are also a teahouse offering Japanese sweets and a shop selling merchandise related to the Genji Monogatari.

This attractive modern museum reveals the ancient and elegant world of the Heian period of Japan through interactive displays, full screen sets and models. The focus? Just one:The Tale of Genji...
Kyoto Railway Museum

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Shimogyou-ku Kankijichou

A museum dedicated to railways located on the western side of Kyoto Station. The museum features some 31 thousand square meters of exhibition space, which was the largest in Japan when the facility first opened. The facility displays 53 trains which helped lead the modernization of Japan. The museum is full of other interesting sights and activities, as well, including a giant railroad diorama, a train which visitors can ride pulled by a real steam engine, and a train simulator which shows what it's like to drive a train. The museum also provides a variety of cultural activities such as guided tours and workshops conducted by JR West Japan employees. Walk 20 minutes west from the central entrance of JR Kyoto Station.
Hosomi Museum

4.0

82 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Sakyou-ku Okazakisaishoujichou 6-3

An art museum primarily dedicated to ancient Japanese art located in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. The museum first opened in 1998. The museum displays pieces collected by three generations of the Hosomi family, which was started by industrialist and Japanese art collector Kokoan Hosomi. The museum’s collection spans some 1,000 pieces and covers virtually every genre and period of Japanese art, including Shinto and Buddhist art, tea ceremony art, and Edo paintings. The museum holds a variety of special exhibits. It also houses a tea room and shop and is adjoined by a café, making it a popular place for art lovers.

Small but exhibitions with exquisite taste. Beautiful woodcuts and paintings in an intimate setting. Well worth your time to spend hours there without being rushed or hurried.
Kyoto National Museum

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Higashiyama-ku Chayachou 527

A museum located in the Chaya-cho neighborhood of Higashiyama Ward which first opened in 1897 as the Imperial Museum of Kyoto. The museum changed to its current name in 1952. Visitors can enjoy viewing the museum’s collection of masterpieces and historic objects, including National Treasures, such as paintings, carvings, writings, and swords. The museum also holds special exhibitions.
Ryozen Museum of History

4.0

65 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Higashiyama-ku Seikanjiryousanchou 1

The museum is located to the southeast of Kodaiji Temple, across from the Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine. The museum opened in 1970 as Japan's first museum specializing in comprehensive research on the history of the period from the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867) to the Meiji Restoration (around 1868-1889). A large number of relics and other materials belonging to historical figures active in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, both on the side of bakufu (the Shogunate) side and tobaku-ha (overthrowing-the-Shogunate group) have been collected and researched. The exhibition is held based on a theme selected from over 5,000 pieces of materials.

This isnt a good or bad review. Just a warning to English speakers. On our first attempt to visit, we hiked the long walk uphill from the bus-stop in 34° heat. The museum was closed. We later found...
Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum

4.0

41 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Higashiyama-ku Kiyomizu Buddhist temple in front of Shimokita Shimizu 3-337-1

An art museum dedicated to collecting and displaying primarily cloisonné ware, gold and silver lacquerware, metalwork, earthenware, and carvings from the late Edo, Meiji, and Taisho periods. The owner, enchanted with the artworks of the Meiji period made with such fine technique, came up with the idea of opening a museum after attempting to purchase masterpieces from the period that had ended up overseas. The contents of the museum’s standing exhibits is completely changed out once each year. The Museum also holds special exhibitions every three months.

Its not a very big museum, but that just adds to the whole coziness of the place. Exhibits are nicely done in a traditional way.
Shokoku-ji Temple Jotenkaku Museum

4.5

70 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto City Kamigyo-ku Imadegawa-ku Karasuma Dongyu

This art museum is on the grounds of Shokoku-ji Temple in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City. It opened in 1984 as part of the celebrations of Shokoku-ji Temple's 600-year anniversary. It collects and displays writings, paintings, and works of art from a variety of temples including Shokoku-ji Temple, Rokuon-ji Temple (the Golden Pavilion), Jisho-ji Temple (the Silver Pavilion), and other sub-temples. Here you can see five National Treasures of Japan, 145 Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and a great number of Cultural Properties of Japan. Their permanent displays include famous painted sliding doors from Rokuon-ji Temple by Ito Jakuchu, ''Budo Shokinzu'' (Grapes and Small Bird) and ''Tsukiyo Bashozu'' (Japanese banana on a moonlight night).

It is a nice and beautiful museum. The museum is spacious and the exhibition was nice and rich during the visit. It was unfortunate that we did not have enough time to stay longer to see more art...
Japan Kanji Museum and Library

4.0

47 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Higashiyama-ku Gionmachiminamigawa 551

This hands-on experiential museum is full of surprise and discovery with exhibits that, beyond just looking at kanji (Chinese characters), let you touch, learn about, and have fun with them. It's divided into a graphic exhibit and theater on the first-floor and a theme park-like exhibit area and library on the second-floor. Wherever you go it's designed to have fun while learning, and both kids and adults love it. They also hold various courses and lectures.

We could learn the history and the origin of Kanji. My 5&8 years old daughters were so excited to stamp their name and the country’s name in Kanji. The 2nd floor is lots of fun, too. There are some...
Maizuru WorldBrick Museum

3.5

49 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Maidurushi Hama 2011

The Maizuru World Brick Museum was constructed as a torpedo warehouse for the Maizuru naval base in 1903. It's said to be one of the oldest brick and steel frame buildings still standing in Japan. The museum conveys the charm of Japanese brick architecture and its history through exhibits like Bricks of the World, The Hoffman Kiln, The Story of Japanese Bricks, and Bricks and Maizuru City.

Not sure about previous reviews, as what do you expect from what is called a Brick Museum! Yes it is literally a museum of bricks - do not go there unless this is what you want! We are from...
Raku Museum

4.0

44 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto City Kamigyo-ku Osho-koji Road Ichijo Ru

Raku ware is an art and craft form which has existed from some 450 years, since the Momoyama period. This art museum, adjoining the Raku ware studio, was founded in 1978 on Aburanokouji Street Ichijo kudaru by Raku Kichizaemon, 14th head of the family. The museum’s collection of historic pieces, tea ceremony implements, and ancient documents spanning have been passed down for 450 years to serve as models for the next generation and serves as the core of the tradition that is Raku ware.

The exhibit we saw was a small collection of ancient tea bowls and some modern versions. The explanations were very brief and highly specialized. If you are not already a fan of Raku ancient bowls, I...

Leisure / Hobbies Culture / Tour

Aquarium Museum / Science Museum Zoo Art Museum Botanical Garden

Kyoto Areas

Its wooden tea houses, shuffling geisha, and spiritual sights have seen Kyoto hailed as the heart of traditional Japan, a world apart from ultramodern Tokyo. Despite being the Japanese capital for over a century, Kyoto escaped destruction during World War II, leaving behind a fascinating history which can be felt at every turn, from the fully gold-plated Kinkakuji Temple down to traditional customs such as geisha performances and tea ceremonies, which are still practiced to this day.