Kyoto









I’ve celebrated Christmas 2016 in Kyoto staying in the lovely Yoshimizu Inn (right up the hills of Maruyama Park). All the photos above were taken during this visit using the Fujifilm GF670 loaded with Kodak Portra 160 or 400 ISO film. Since then I’ve visited Kyoto again – once some weeks later staying at Guesthouse Waraku-an and once in October 2019 staying at Utsuwa Designed Hostel.
Some of my favorite places: For coffee there’s Clamp Coffee Sarasa, Coffee Yamakawa, Kaikado Cafe, Smart Coffee (great breakfast), Vermillion and Dongree (my favorite). Throughout the city there are three branches of %Arabica: %Arabica Kyoto Higashyama, %Arabica Kyoto Fujii Daimaru and %Arabica Kyoto Arashiyama – all of them are nice (and very crowded). There is also Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya (with tatami seating) and Blue Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe (this one is a bit outside, but a great place to visit). Although I am a coffee person I’ve enjoyed tea at Ippodo a lot.
For ramen I can recommend Ippudo Nishikikouji, Ginjo Ramen Kubota (loved the tsukemen) and Honke Daiichi Asahi. But the one place I’ve revisited every time was Yamamoto Menzou, if you have time make sure to visit this restaurant and enjoy the udon.
A bit in the north there’s Keibun-sha Ichijoji, a great book store. The whole area is super nice to walk around. For drinks there’s Bar Rocking Chair. At the recommendation of a hotel owner in Fukuoka (who gave us a history lesson in Japanese music one night) I’ve visited Jet Set Kyoto Store to buy some records. The donuts at Koe Donuts Kyoto were really good. Kyoto Yaoichi Honkan might just be one of the nicest supermarket I’ve ever been to. And visiting the bath house Sagano Onsen Tenzan-no-yu was a great experience after walking around a long day.
From here walk 13 mins (1.0 km) southwest to Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya, 13 mins (1.1 km) southwest to Starbucks Kyoto Higashyama or 24 mins (1.9 km) northeast to %Arabica Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe. Blue
From here walk 10 mins (0.8 km) southeast to Menzou, 20 mins (1.5 km) southeast to Yamamoto Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe or 42 mins (3.2 km) north to Blue Ichijoji. Keibun-sha
From here walk 11 mins (0.8 km) west to Daiichi Asahi, 11 mins (0.8 km) northwest to Honke Cafe or 30 mins (2.3 km) south to Kaikado. Vermillion
From here walk 23 mins (1.8 km) east to Yaoichi Honkan, 27 mins (2.1 km) east to Kyoto Nishikikouji or 1 hour 5 mins (5.1 km) west to Ippudo Onsen Tenzan-no-yu. Sagano
From here walk 3 mins (0.3 km) east to , 10 mins (0.8 km) south to Ippodo Coffee or 11 mins (0.9 km) southeast to Smart Set Kyoto Store. Jet
From here walk 7 mins (0.5 km) southwest to Daiichi Asahi, 11 mins (0.8 km) southeast to Honke Designed Hostel, 16 mins (1.2 km) west to Utsuwa Ramen Kubota or 19 mins (1.4 km) northeast to Ginjo. Dongree
From here walk 2 mins (0.2 km) east to Set Kyoto Store, 7 mins (0.5 km) north to Jet or 9 mins (0.7 km) west to Ippodo Yaoichi Honkan. Kyoto
From here walk 28 mins (2.3 km) north to Designed Hostel, 37 mins (3.0 km) northwest to Utsuwa Daiichi Asahi or 38 mins (3.1 km) northwest to Honke Cafe. Kaikado
From here walk 10 mins (0.7 km) east to Kyoto Higashyama, 13 mins (1.0 km) northwest to %Arabica Rocking Chair or 18 mins (1.4 km) southwest to Bar Cafe. Kaikado
From here walk 4 mins (0.3 km) east to Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya, 9 mins (0.7 km) west to Starbucks or 15 mins (1.1 km) northeast to Dongree Inn. Yoshimizu
From here walk 2 mins (0.2 km) northeast to Donuts Kyoto, 4 mins (0.3 km) south to Koe Rocking Chair or 9 mins (0.7 km) west to Bar Nishikikouji. Ippudo
From here walk 20 mins (1.6 km) east to Onsen Tenzan-no-yu, 1 hour 25 mins (6.7 km) east to Sagano Coffee Sarasa or 1 hour 51 mins (8.8 km) east to Clamp Ramen Kubota. Ginjo
From here walk 3 mins (0.3 km) west to Kyoto Higashyama, 12 mins (1.0 km) west to %Arabica or 14 mins (1.0 km) northeast to Dongree Inn. Yoshimizu
From here walk 9 mins (0.7 km) northwest to Menzou, 19 mins (1.5 km) northwest to Yamamoto Waraku-an or 26 mins (1.9 km) southwest to Guesthouse Inn. Yoshimizu
From here walk 3 mins (0.3 km) west to Yamakawa, 7 mins (0.5 km) south to Coffee Coffee or 8 mins (0.7 km) south to Smart Set Kyoto Store. Jet
From here walk 4 mins (0.3 km) north to Yaoichi Honkan, 8 mins (0.6 km) east to Kyoto Donuts Kyoto or 9 mins (0.7 km) east to Koe Kyoto Fujii Daimaru. %Arabica
From here walk 16 mins (1.2 km) east to Cafe, 18 mins (1.4 km) southeast to Kaikado Daiichi Asahi or 24 mins (1.8 km) northeast to Honke Rocking Chair. Bar
From here walk 7 mins (0.5 km) northeast to Cafe, 11 mins (0.8 km) east to Kaikado Designed Hostel or 17 mins (1.4 km) northwest to Utsuwa Ramen Kubota. Ginjo
From here walk 9 mins (0.7 km) southeast to Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe, 10 mins (0.8 km) northwest to Blue Waraku-an or 25 mins (1.9 km) south to Guesthouse Inn. Yoshimizu
From here walk 40 mins (3.2 km) south to Waraku-an, 50 mins (4.0 km) south to Guesthouse Menzou or 53 mins (4.2 km) south to Yamamoto Bottle Coffee Kyoto Cafe. Blue
From here walk 4 mins (0.3 km) north to Kyoto Fujii Daimaru, 6 mins (0.4 km) north to %Arabica Donuts Kyoto or 13 mins (1.0 km) southeast to Koe. Dongree
From here walk 2 mins (0.2 km) west to Coffee, 9 mins (0.7 km) north to Smart or 9 mins (0.8 km) south to Ippodo Donuts Kyoto. Koe
From here walk 2 mins (0.2 km) southwest to Kyoto Fujii Daimaru, 5 mins (0.4 km) south to %Arabica Rocking Chair or 8 mins (0.6 km) west to Bar Nishikikouji. Ippudo
From here walk 4 mins (0.3 km) south to Nishikikouji, 9 mins (0.7 km) east to Ippudo Coffee or 23 mins (1.8 km) west to Smart Coffee Sarasa. Clamp
From here walk 20 mins (1.6 km) west to Kyoto Arashiyama, 1 hour 5 mins (5.1 km) east to %Arabica Coffee Sarasa or 1 hour 33 mins (7.3 km) east to Clamp Ramen Kubota. Ginjo