Shopping Kyoto

     Like most ancient cities, Kyoto is built on the sides of a river. You’ll find yourself referring to destinations as ‘this side of the river’ and ‘that side of the river’. The older portions of the city are to the east of the river, whereas the train station, many hotels and the downtown shopping area are west of the river. By shopping neighborhood, here’s what you’ll find….

ARTS & CRAFTS CENTER: Sakyo-ku is the name of this district, although it is sort of out in right field to the east of the central shopping district. There’s a nice shrine and a few antiques stores around here, and the Handicraft Center is as large as a department store with classes and a rent-a-kimono-for-a-photo department. Great for gifts; we bought original woodblocks. Take the elevator to the top then walk and shop your way down.

GION/ GEISHA LAND: Taxis can drop you at Gion Corner, which is near the shopping and the area shrines; this is an address you can tell a driver in English and he will understand. This is the oldest part of Kyoto and home to wonderful shops a street of antiques dealers and many geisha homes.

KAWARAMACHI: This is my favorite shopping street in town; the destination that we all aspire to. This main drag bisects Shinjo and leads to City Hall and the Okura Hotel. Along the way, there are covered sidewalks on both sides of the street with boutiques, pachinko parlors, cafes, department stores and even a 100 Yen shop.

NISHIJIN: Slightly to the north of the main action, this district was once the textile area of town. The touted Nishijin Textile Center is a glorified TT, although the kimono fashion show was fun.  There are no tiny little ateliers making or dying fabrics. For vintage kimonos, go to the antiques district. The location is not in a strolling around part of town but you are a short walk from the Imperial Palace.

KYOTO STATION: The modern station home of the bullet train has box lunches for sale and scads of souvenir shops. Buy your green tea KitKat bars here. Station shopping is so good that you may enjoy this more than Tokyo.

NISHIKI MARKET : Central ‘downtown’ location for this marketplace  which is like an enclosed mall with a colored glass ceiling. There are raw foodstuffs and ingredients, mostly are in artistic poses…such as piles of rice that look like a magazine spread. Many stalls and cafes for eating; no yucky smells.

SHINMONZEN : Street on edge of Gion  devoted to older houses turned into art galleries and antiques shops. Very picturesque. Stores closed on Mondays.

SHINKYOGOKU: Arcade running behind Shijo’s main shopping street— something like a mall, filled with boutiques, eats, multiples, a few 100 Yen Shops and lotsa fun. Don’t miss it.

SHIJO / SHIN-OHASHI: You could call this the high street or the main shopping street, on both sides of the river. Shin-Ohashi is the bridge leading to Gion. There are stores on the eastern side (Gion side)—this is incredible shopping in terms of tiny shops with gourmet foodstuffs and boutiques of local designer fashions. Shijo dead-ends at the Yasaka Temple (a must-do) and is possibly the most important shopping thoroughfare in Kyoto.  On the western edge, you find your basic ‘downtown’ shopping with all the big department stores and banks.

MY FAVORITE STORES IN KYOTO

     I am hindered here by not being able to read some of the addresses I have on cards—this is especially true for the little bitty shops in Gion and the marvelous food stores on Shinjo Street on the way to Yasaka Temple.

LOFT, KAWARAMACHI: A department store devoted to young looks and hot merchandise, this is a good source for gifts, gadgets, unique items, designer masking tape; there’s a branch of Uniqlo in the store also. Loft has stores all over Japan; it is a division of Seibu.

TAKASHIMAYA, SHIJO-KAWARAMACHI: At the crossroads of the major shopping district, this department store has everything you need and want but isn’t so large as to make you nuts. In the ground floor accessories department you’ll find various brands you don’t know as well as small scarves and wonderful accessories. The makeup department is large and complete.

MEIDI-YA:  An international supermarket something like Whole Foods; also in Tokyo.

YODOBASHI:  Branch of the electronics department store that sells everything; also in Tokyo.

Incense Prayer Store: It has a name, but who can read it? Not me! This chic, stunning store sells only incense. What makes it so special is the small shrine built into the rear of the store. On Shinjo Street in the Gion section.

Kyoto

     As difficult as Tokyo can be to cope with, Kyoto is easy. Shopping is breezy, the city is simple to navigate and the visuals really make you feel like you are in Japan. All the big department stores and multiples have a branch here, but there are scads of little shops featuring foodstuffs, crafts, accessories and hair doo-dahs, antiques and all the other goodies you came to buy.

     Kyoto is a city where part of the experience of your visit is to visit the shrines. Even if your favorite shrine is the 100 Yen Shop, pull on your obi and get out your wallet… it’s time for a feast. As the capital of Japan for ten centuries, and as a city that was not heavily bombed during World War II, Kyoto is the fairyland where you step back into time.

GETTING THERE

     Thanks to the bullet train from Tokyo Station, you can be in Kyoto in two and a half hours. While technically you can do this as a day trip, don’t go that route. There’s so much to do and see and shop in Kyoto that you need to spend at least one night and preferably seven. You may just want to move here.

       The price of your train ticket from Tokyo is based on the speed of the train—the fastest of the fast trains is called the Nozomi and fare is approximately $150 per person each way. Since there are about ten trains from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station in an hour, you shouldn’t have much trouble booking one. We asked the concierge at the Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo to get our tickets, but it would have been easy to buy them at Tokyo Station.

     Enroute to Kyoto, we passed through beautiful countryside and mountains and paddies and even saw the sea once past Yokohama. We got out at Kyoto Station and immediately fell into one of the retail stores in the station -- it was so cute and so crammed with attractive merchandise that we needed and gained a quick fix.

CHECKING IN

     After a drive through beautiful downtown Kyoto , we arrived at the Okura Hotel Kyoto.  I’ve stayed at this hotel on all of my visits to Kyoto because of its perfect location—walking distance to just about everything, just down the street from the main shopping districts and right above a metro station. I’d say there is not a more perfect place.  Rooms are large and there’s free Wi-Fi. The hotel has a grand lobby and many restaurants.  If you don’t have breakfast included in your room rate, note that there is a café, The Cascade Café, in the sub-basement that makes the best croissants outside of France. Next to the Cascade there’s a mini-mart so you can get bottled water and snacks for your room.

     More hotel options:

     While several of the big name chains have hotels in town, most of the choices are perhaps names you don’t recognize. I’ve heard from others that the Regency Kyoto Hyatt is considered a glam choice, with a famous Japanese restaurant on premises.  . The Japanese upmarket hotel chain Nikko does have a hotel here; this is the Hotel Nikko Princess, right in the heart of town.  The ANA Hotel Kyoto is a large modern hotel right near the Castle—some rooms have castle views—with lovely touches that make this a good choice. There’s a free shuttle bus to and from the train station and there are several restaurants on premises. I compare this hotel to an InterConti although they are not really related. This is not a brilliant location for strolling and shopping, but is central enough for getting around easily. Note that Peninsula, Four Seasons and InterConti do not have hotels in Kyoto

    There are also assorted Japanese style inns, which many people find is part of the charm of a visit back in time. Kyoto is one giant tourist destination and hotels do sell out, especially at peak vacation times. Book as far ahead as possible.

GETTING AROUND

       You can walk to most places in Kyoto and most hotels will hand out free walking maps. Sensible shoes are to be encouraged.   Note that if you are wearing geta (Japanese platform flip-flop sandals) you will not be able to walk very far.

      Taxis are slightly less expensive than in Tokyo. Once you get to the old parts of town, there is a one-way system that may make you feel that your driver is cheating you.

    The subway system is easy to use and efficient, although it may not get you everywhere you want to go or you may have to walk a good deal to get to a station and to your destination from a station. Look for a hotel that is convenient to a subway stop, just to cover the bases. 

EATING IN KYOTO

     Like all of Japan, Kyoto is expensive. It’s also touristy.  All hotels have restaurants; there is also a large district of bars and cafes near the bridges on the western side of town. Note how popular Indian food is. 

Pizza Salvatore - We had an unexpectedly great meal at Pizza Salvatore on the day when we couldn’t stand to eat Japanese food any more. It’s right near the Kamo River, one block from the Okura Hotel. This pizza place is famous and has another branch called Kitchen Salvatore above the train station.

Teppanyaki Restaurant Tokiwa - We had one of the best meals of the trip in this steakhouse in the Okura Hotel. If you’re craving teppanyaki, look no more... We ordered a combo dinner and total tab per person (including a glass of wine) was about $100. 

Loft Noodle - The real name of this fabulous noodle cafeteria is in Japanese; I call it Loft Noodle because it is quite close to the Loft department store on the main shopping street. When you enter, you get in line—you can watch noodles being made as you move forward. Then you point to the way you want the noodles, the soup and what you want in it or on top of it—there’s veggies or tempura choices and seasonings. You carry your own tray to the rear to sit down to eat and bus your tray when you are done. Lunch per person is less than $10. This is a must do place in a great shopping shopping location right on Kawaramachi Street.   

Tomorrow: Shopping Kyoto