Kansai
This is a good place to sample kawadoko 'above-river' dining on platforms. A friendly crew of ladies run the show and the food is quite good; they are known for their Nagashi somen noodles in summer (11am to 4pm), which are served via flowing cold water down sliced bamboo pipes – imagine a water slide for noodles.
Look for the black-and-white sign and the lantern. Book ahead for dinner. Note: it usually doesn't accept solo diners for the kaiseki courses.
8.23 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…
9.13 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…
5.63 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…
8.97 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…
0.58 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…
10.86 MILES
With seemingly endless arcades of vermilion torii (shrine gates) spread across a thickly wooded mountain, this vast shrine complex is a world unto its own…
8.23 MILES
A collection of soaring buildings, spacious courtyards and gardens, Chion-in serves as the headquarters of the Jōdo sect, the largest school of Buddhism…
3.98 MILES
Famed for its autumn foliage, hydrangea garden and stunning Buddha statues, this temple is deservedly popular with foreign and domestic tourists alike…
0.17 MILES
This shrine, halfway up the valley-town of Kibune, is worth a quick look, particularly if you can ignore the unfortunate plastic horse statue at its…
0.23 MILES
This small hall on the trail to Kibune is a good spot to rest tired knees.
0.35 MILES
This small subtemple on the descent to Kibune enshrines a figure of Fudō, one of the myōō (Buddhist Kings of Light).
0.5 MILES
Named for the sugi (cryptomeria) trees that surround it, this fine little shrine is a nice place to gather your thoughts after climbing to the summit of…
0.58 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…
0.72 MILES
This atmospheric Shintō shrine is located along the trail up to Kurama-dera. The stairs to the main hall are flanked by two enormous cryptomeria trees.
3.21 MILES
Jakkō-in is a small temple on the opposite side of Ōhara from Sanzen-in. It’s reached by a pleasant 15-minute walk from the bus station through an ‘old…
3.95 MILES
A quiet option, this temple is just down the path west of the entry gate to Shōrin-in. The main tatami room offers a view of a bamboo garden and the…