Okazaki-kōen is an expanse of parks and canals that lies between Niōmon-dōri and Heian-jingū. Two of Kyoto’s significant museums can be found here – the National Museum of Modern Art and Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art – as well as two smaller museums. If you find yourself in Kyoto on a rainy day, there's enough indoor sightseeing here to keep you occupied.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.28 MILES
The covered Nishiki Market (Nishiki-kōji Ichiba) is one of Kyoto’s real highlights, especially if you have an interest in cooking and dining. Commonly…
29.63 MILES
This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…
6.38 MILES
The thick green bamboo stalks seem to continue endlessly in every direction and there’s a strange quality to the light at this famous bamboo grove, which…
22.66 MILES
Nara's star attraction is its Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze statues in the world. It was unveiled in 752, upon the completion of the…
8.39 MILES
Located atop 848m-high Hiei-zan (the mountain that dominates the skyline in the northeast of the city), the Enryaku-ji complex is an entire world of…
27.65 MILES
Hōryū-ji was founded in 607 by Prince Shōtoku, considered by many to be the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism. It's renowned not only as one of the oldest…
1.29 MILES
A buzzing hive of activity perched on a hill overlooking the basin of Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is one of Kyoto's most popular and most enjoyable temples. It…
7.2 MILES
Located high on a thickly wooded mountain, Kurama-dera is one of the few temples in modern Japan that manages to retain an air of real spirituality. This…
Nearby attractions
1. Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
0.07 MILES
This fine museum holds several major exhibitions a year, as well as a variety of free shows. It’s always worth stopping by to see if something is on while…
0.13 MILES
One of Kyoto’s more popular sights, this shrine was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the city. The shrine buildings…
3. National Museum of Modern Art
0.14 MILES
This museum is renowned for its Japanese ceramics and paintings. There is an outstanding permanent collection, which includes many pottery pieces by Kawai…
4. Fureai-Kan Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts
0.16 MILES
Fureai-Kan has excellent exhibits of traditional Kyoto arts and crafts, including woodblock prints, lacquerware, bamboo goods and gold-leaf work, with…
0.26 MILES
Often overlooked by the hordes that descend on the Higashiyama area, this elegant villa was the home of prominent statesman Yamagata Aritomo (1838–1922)…
0.38 MILES
Okazaki-jinja is a quaint local shrine located at the far eastern end of Marutamachi-dōri. The rabbit is the spirit animal here and people come to this…
0.44 MILES
This temple is hard to miss, with its giant camphor trees growing just outside the walls. Fortunately, most tourists march right on past, heading to the…
0.46 MILES
Also known as Konkai Kōmyō-ji, this temple in the Northern Higashiyama district is a favourite of locals for morning and evening strolls. It's got some…