Innovative, alternative and downright unique – here’s our bite-sized guide to off-the-beaten track Kyoto. The frontrunner of new eastern cool, Kyoto’s our new hotspot for quirky style and edgy hangouts – that is amongst its maze of temples, museums and fascinating history. This may be one place where you have to dig a little deeper to discover its true gems, but once you do there’s a whole world to explore out there.
kyoto
explore the markets
On the 21st of each month, the usually tranquil grounds of Toji Temple erupt into the great and spectacularly colourful Toji Market. A distinctively unique shopping experience in Japan, the goods at Toji range from expensive antiques, dubious ‘cure-alls’ to row upon row of authentic Japanese artefacts. But don’t miss Tedukuri-ichi flea market too. An open-air craft market, two locals triggered the explosion of this market back in 1986 after setting up a small stall selling handmade goods and crafts. Today it’s home to over 1,000 stalls selling everything from spices, pottery, coffee, and bread. Arrive with a suitcase and you’ll return with a supermarket.
stroll the streets
To spot a geisha, the Gion district is the place to be. Here you’ll find busy, ramshackle streets aligned with small, wooden houses in the beautiful machiya style. It was in the late 1500′s that geishas made these narrow laneways their home, amongst the ancient ochaya (teahouses), but today you’ll stumble across the maze of cool bars and riverside restaurants too. If you’re lucky enough to be in Kyoto in July, don’t miss the annual Gion festival. Over 1100 years old, you’ll find the locals in traditional dress parading the streets with lanterns in honour of the great Yasaka shrine.
hit the shops
For shops, more shops, and – you guessed it – even more shops, Teramachi-dori is every shopper’s dream. A pedestrianised, one kilometre long, lane; it has everything you could possibly need, plus a whole lot more. A historic street due to the creation of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s many temples here, when it come to clothes shops, souvenir stores, antiquarian bookshops, instrument outlets, and traditional teahouses, Teramachi-dori is unrivalled.
Looking for a kimono? Try Erizen, Kyoto’s leading kimono store stocked to the brim with a rainbow of kyo-yuzens (Kyoto-style dyed fabrics). And we just can’t resist Benri-do too. This converted machiya (traditional Japanese house) is fantastic for out of the ordinary postcards to send home.
Rurikou
traditional eats and watering holes
For the best of exotic dining in Kyoto, the Pontochó district is the best place to be. The restaurants here are the crème de la crème of Japanese cuisine; from super exclusive geisha houses to common yakitori bars. For lunch, it has to be Efish. A small cafe tucked away down one ramshackle hidden street, Efish is a hotspot with the locals (always a good sign) with a trendy ambience and river views. Order the okra curry, it’s not to missed.
Yearning for sukiyaki? (that’s the Japanese speciality, a hot pot meal of slowly cooked beef.) Then Mishima-tei is your best bet. Go for dinner and a fine dining experience awaits you. Be bowed in, slippered, and escorted to your private tatami room by your own kimono-clad waiter. No doubt about it, Mishima-tei serves up some of the best food in town.
Kyoto is also home to numerous vibrant bars and watering holes, all with large varieties of great local tipples. The Marble Room is where you’ll spot the cool cats. Bright and airy, be seated in white retro buckets on the balcony and taste the best coffee, cocktails and cakes in town. Or, discover Ace Cafe, the frontrunner of retro 50s cool. Popular at sunset, its boasts spectacular views of the city with three floor- to-ceiling glass walls. This place is relaxed, friendly, and effortlessly chic. But whatever you do, don’t pour yourself a drink – it’s extremely rude according to Japanese etiquette.
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