"Welcome-to-KYOTO.com" is an essential travel guide with useful, practical, and reliable information right at your fingertips.
By visiting our one-stop shop, you will receive our carefully selected information with practical tips for travelers.
Our goal is to help you have a smooth transition on your grand adventure throughout your visit to Kyoto.
Let’s make sure you have the most incredible experiences during your stay, and have a fantastic adventure throughout the Kyoto area.
”Kyo-Navi” — Kyoto Tourist Information Center
“Kyo-Navi” — located inside Kyoto Station — is the place to receive the most up-to-date information about seasonal events such as the Cherry Blossom forecast or brochures for museums. Also, you can find easy-to-follow maps of Kyoto and much more for free!
Convenient Luggage Delivery Service
What do you plan on doing with your luggage if you can’t drop them off at the hotel? No one wants to carry around heavy suitcases all day. Thus, we recommend the following luggage deliver service.
Comprehensive Public Transportation Guide
Don’t want to get lost? Well, neither do we. So we created a one-stop shop to help you navigate the complex city bus and subway systems in-and-around the Kyoto area. Visit all of the quintessential Kyoto areas such as Arashiyama, Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, and Kinkakuji Temple here. Read More.
Summer Holiday and “Bon Festival”
This period is like a national holiday that occurred from long ago because of day when families gathered in their hometown for religious events that originally to worship the spirits of their ancestors. ...
“Obon” (Bon Festival) and “Gozan-no-Okuribi” (Daimonji Bon Fire)
The escorting of the spirits with fires is called “Okuribi” (Bon Fire) in Kyoto. Gozan no Okuribi (bonfire) held on the evening of August 16 is the *Kyotian way of sending off ancestors’ spirits and is one of Kyoto’s symbolic religious ceremonies in summer....
See what’s going on up there on Mt Daimonji ― Gozan-no-Okuribi.
Gozan-no-Okuribi held on 16th August, is a religious event to commemorate the souls of ancestors. The five Mountains that lit up with bonfires in darkness, is so graceful and solemn while looking up from the town. But up there on the mountains, it is like a scene of fire strife by brave men....
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Kyoto Imperial Palace was very rare place to visit for tourist site even though it was the great treasure of Japanese culture. But now it has started to open its doors to the public with no-advance applications needed.
An Essential Guide to the Kyoto Station Building
Kyoto Station is vast! When you arrive for the first time, you may be surprised by its sheer enormity. It’s not just a station; rather, it’s a mega mall with various restaurants, desert stores, and places to buy “omiyage”. Learn how to navigate Kyoto Station here.
Shinnyo-do Temple in early autumn.
Shinnyo-do Temple famous for autumn leaves is wrapped with fragrant flowers such as bush clovers and cotton roses before that.
Spider lilies and rice fields in Ohara at harvest.
This spider lily (cluster amaryllis) is called “Equinox Flower” as alias. They bloom all at once in countryside of Japan around the autumnal equinox. And this is the moment that we as a Japanese feel autumn has come.
Lotus in Tofukuji Temmple
The Sanmon gate, a National Treaure, is the oldest and most outstanding Zen main gate in Japan.
Late bloom lotus at Osawa pond of Daikakuji Temple.
The Osawa pond of Daikakuji is now a lotus paradise.
Purple chrysanthemum at “Kuta” area.
Here is the northernmost part of Kyoto city. This beautiful purple chrysanthemum, which was named “Kitayama Yuzen Kiku”, is a native species in this area and is now protected and brought up like this.
Light Festival at Shimogamo Jinja Shrine.
After the solemn “Daimonji Bon Fire”, a colorful evening event has come to Shimogamo jinja Shrine. Aug 17 – Sep 02, 2018.
Under summer sky cotton roses brilliantly bloom.
Flowers of from summer to autumn. And they are one day’s flower that bloom in the morning and shrink in the evening.
Rokusai Nenbutsu at Mibudera Temple.
Rokusai Nenbutsu is a folklore dance as playing chant music by flutes and drums, handbells.
Often it is dedicated to the Bon Festival.
The stone bridge with lotus at Otani Hombyo.
How beautiful this cobblestone is! This walk pass leads to Otani Hombyo. Moreover under this there is a pond where lotus is blooming. And you will see a wonderful eyeglasses shaped bridge is crossing over.
The summer in Japan is very very hot and noisy with cicadas.
If you have experienced a hot summer in Japan, you will remember this noisy cicada. So this sound essential in the summer of Japan. Especially this sound belongs to Black cicadas that can listen in western Japan including Kyoto.
Hokongo-in Temple with lotus.
In Kyoto city, there is a famous temple for lotus at the middle point to Arashiyama. Just get off at JR Hanazono station.
The lotus at Mimurotoji Temple.
Very very hot summer in Kyoto, but lotus has been in good condition in bloom. There look a feeling of coolness to appreciate, but to climb up to the hillside you will sweat considerably.