Alternative Kyoto: a free Kyoto travel guide by Instagrammer TrexJapan
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Instagrammer: @trexjapan
Uncover the hidden sights of Japan and connect with friends worldwide. After a year of authoring, may I share a piece of my favorite Kyoto with you.
Alternative Kyoto
This is an alternative travel journal of the deeper Kyoto.
Kyoto cannot be understood with a travel guide. The travel spots are so cluttered from the locals’ life and their cohabitation with history. You may be impressed with a few symbolic landmarks from the get-go, yet there is always a ‘deeper Kyoto’ every time you visited the city.
This travel guide won’t cover the conventional Kyoto, but instead, the hidden gems I hold dear.
Quick links
Left Kyoto ( Sakyō )
Kyoto University of Art and Design 京都造形芸術大学
Keibunsha Ichijoji Bookstore 恵文社一乗寺店
Kifune-Jinja Shrine貴布禰総本宮 貴船神社
Black dot & Clearwater (Karasuma & Kiyomizu Gojo)
Kofukudo (Kyoto Confectionaries Eg. Mochi)（株）幸福堂 松原本店
Otera House (Vegan Restaurant)和香
The Higher Kyoto (KamiGyo)
Rhinebeck (Pancake Shop) ラインベック
Kawai-jinja shrine 賀茂御祖神社（下鴨神社）
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Left Kyoto ( Sakyō )
The “left bank” of Kyoto is probably a recapitulation of the essence of “Left Kyoto”.
Left Kyoto ( Sakyō ) refers to the northern and eastern part of downtown Kyoto, the poetic Kyoto rich in art and literature, encompassing the most important historical treasures in the old Kurama mountain, as well as untouched Zen gardens and temples.
Here runs my favorite railway: “Eizan Electric Railway”. Gradually proceeding on the ground intersecting with neighborhoods of Kyoto, the ride allows you to live the life of a true Kyoto local.
Kyoto University of Art and Design
京都造形芸術大学
Kyoto University of Art and Design, like its name suggested, is a university training students for art, design, and multimedia works in Kyoto. With a bunch of creative students, the campus can’t be too boring.
The campus is built on the Uryuyama mountain, once stepped on the terrace, you enjoyed a panoramic view of the “Left Kyoto”.
A sense of comics often infiltrates the everyday life of Japan, and here’s no exception. The gigantic umbrella that touches the roof of the building gently slented on the pillar with a water pool, makes you feel like you have entered the magical world of “My Neighbour Totoro”.
Exhibitions curated in the campus offer some surprises at times, in particular, drawings of apes are shown with remarking resemblance to the contemporary artworks. I’m sure if “made by apes” label is taken out, art investor may value this at an absurdly good price.
After a walk, you can take a rest at the student canteen where you find decent local offerings as well as a group of students rendering their animations and sketching their characters sitting beside you. A peek at their work is often a good distraction from my gluttony.
If you have more time, walking around the campus will lead you to several small discoveries of the architecture and the scenic spots.
Just in case you get inspired to be an artist, the art utensil store on the campus will provide you with the tools you need to start your colorful art career.
Sowgen Cafe
そうげんカフェ
Sowgen cafe is a sister cafe of the antique shop under the same brand. The discretion of a tiny window glowing on a plain white wall, with an antique door not even half open to invite you in, piqued my curiosity to intrude the space.
Old wooden benches and chairs decorated with knits and antique accessories, construct the perfect secret hideout for introverts like me who tried to order some random drinks and desserts for the sake of staying a little longer in the cafe.
Randomly picked a hand-drip coffee and a roasted tea flavored Creme Brulee, I felt sorry for such disrespect for the food just a while ago. The coffee tasted fruity with a rich aftertaste while the Creme Brulee was incredibly creamy lingered with a roasted tea aroma.
Often I wondered how these cafes can be profitable with only a few customers in the know enjoying a small dish in each visit. This may be the reason they also sell antiques and handcrafts from local craftsmen in Kyoto.
Shisendo Temple
詩仙堂
I confess I am allergic to tourist spots while being a tourist myself. Kiyomizu temple and Kinkakuji temple (the golden temple) are on my top list of nightmares. Even if you skillfully avoid the crowd while taking the picture of the golden temple, you cannot hide the fact that you are hearing loud conversations and smelling stinky perfumes while appreciating the supposedly Zen vibe.
Absolute “Zen” experience is captured in Shisendo Temple. Built in the year 1641, it was the place of seclusion of the literature figure: Ishigawa Jyozan. The beauty of seclusion is still surprisingly untainted by the touristy Kyoto.
The entrance is so humble that you may pass without noticing it. Nothing spectacular. Just a bamboo door hiding in the bushes. Standing at the door, you will be mesmerized by the bamboo forest leading to the premise inside This is just the beginning.
Once you entered, it’s hard not to be absorbed into the empty garden. Sitting there staring into the void is the closest thing to meditation. The sense of time will be twisted when you are immersed into the waves of sand in the dry landscape, the singing of the birds and the bugs and the purified air.
There is another garden hidden behind the gardens you see, like another dimension. You need to exit the premise and enter this back garden from another entrance. Contrasting but not conflicting with the front garden, the back garden is like a maze with the vibe alternating along the way. I felt like I experienced different seasonalities in just a short walk.
P.S. Pay attention to the “zen” knocking sound and discover how the bamboo clock works in the garden.
Enkō-ji Temple
圓光寺
Enko-ji temple is just beside Shisendo temple with an interestingly different architecture and ambience. Whereas Shisendo is more subtle and poetic, Enko-ji temple is more expressive and majestic. My love is with Shisendo, but even so the date with Enko-ji has been memorable.
One reason to persuade you to visit Enko-ji is that you can walk in a bamboo forest with no tourists. It’s not that huge, but t’s not that crowdy either.
The dry landscape in Enko-ji is more expressive, appreciated more like an art piece instead of a philosophical piece. Coupled with that you will also be greeted with picturesque screens in an ornamental style.
Acoustics is one of the essentials at Enko-ji. There is a majestic bell which you can’t knock on it, and fortunately, there is a hammer ritual you can perform at the corridor to make up for it.
Keibunsha Ichijoji Bookstore
恵文社一乗寺店
Recommending a bookstore to tourists who may not read Japanese can be confusing, yet this book shop also curates a collection of stationery, photography books, illustrations, music, movies and lifestyle goods.
If you know Tsutaya bookstore, you may wonder why I am recommending Keibunsha, considering that both of them sells a full range of cultural and lifestyle goods.
The core difference is that Keibunsha is less commercial and you can feel a personal touch from the curator everywhere in the shop. The collections are not highlighted according to the publications’ marketing but instead curated by the taste of the bookstore staff.
And most importantly, the vibe of the bookstore is alluring. Even if I were illiterate, I would still linger there.
Kurama Hot Spring
くらま温泉
Hot spring (Onsen) is not the biggest attraction of Kyoto, yet there is an open bath at the Kurama mountain. Honestly, you will see quite a lot of tourists coming here and probably you can’t keep this to your own. Nonetheless, the onsen is so close to the Kifune Shrine and the Kurama Temple that it’s a waste not to enjoy the onsen after the long walk. That’s why I recommend you bring a towel or even spare socks if you visit Kurama.
Not known to anyone is that, you can actually visit the hotel beside the hot spring and try out the restaurant of the hotel. The restaurant makes really good Japanese fried rolled eggs (Tamago-yaki) as well as Kyoto local chicken pots.
Kifune-Jinja Shrine
貴布禰総本宮 貴船神社
Kifune Shrine may not be on the top of the list in the first visit to Kyoto, yet I am sure it’s on every tourist guide. This stone staircase lighted up by the arrays of stone lanterns composes one of the most iconic shots of Kyoto. What you may not know is, this is the fascade of the shrine, and there are two more shrines hiding deeper in the hill.
Shrines in Japan often divides into outer and inner premises, of which the outer shrine serves as a place for mass worship and the inner shrine serves as a sacred praying place for the priestesses, and very often where the real body of the diety is. ‘Body’ written here can be a stone, a tree, a mirror or a waterfall depending on the deities.
The Married Cedars — besides Middle Shrine
相生の杉
If you walk uphill after the first shrine, you will see the middle shrine, which is renowned for fulfilling love wishes. The middle shrine owes this romantic reputation to a lady poet from AD 1000 (Heian period): Izumi Shikibu.
Devastated by a ruined relationship with her lover, she visited Kifune Shrine and chanted a poem to the diety.
物おもへば沢の蛍も我が身よりあくがれいづる魂かとぞみ
“Lost in thoughts, let my soul dispersed into fireflies clinging to the one I love.”
Then she heard a male voice from the diety responding to her poem with the below as condolence.
奥山にたぎりて落つる滝つ瀬のたまちるばかりものなおもひそ
“Your soul once dispersed would vanish like the droplets of the waterfall. Think twice.”
At this power spot for love, even the cedars are growing as a couple. You will see the married cedars welcoming you into the middle shrine.
Kifune-Jinja Shrine — Inner Shrine
貴船神社 奥宮
The inner shrine of Kifune shrine can be found if you continue walking uphill after the middle shrine. The three shrines stand out in their own ways: The outer shrine is picturesque, the middle shrine is poetic, whereas the inner shrine is the most sacredly mesmerizing.
You will see a piece of boat-shaped sacred stone covered in deep green mosses and a stage for performing the sacred ceremony. The vibe is different from the other two shrines.
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Black dot & clear water (Karasuma & Kiyomizu Gojo)
Next to the busiest area of Kyoto is the surrounding relaxing neighborhood of Kyoto. It is always a relief coming here escaping from the crowds at Kawaramachi and Nishiki market.
A stroll in this secret little neighborhood will delight you with a selection of cafes, design stores, stonebaked bakeries, confectionaries, and vegan restaurants.
Dongree (Coffee shop)
ドングリー
Dongree is hidden quite deeply in the residential district. Don’t hesitate, just go. You can enjoy the best breakfast here.
Independent coffee roasteries reside in Kyoto more than you could have imagined. Dongree selects five unique coffee beans roasted by local roasteries and offers a coffee tasting set with five cups of drip coffee which are made to bring out the originality of the coffee roasting. The barista is incredibly skillful in extracting the exact flavors as described in the coffee bean introduction.
Surprisingly, the food is awesome as well. Toasted perfectly, the panini with flowing gouda cheese and honey inside left me in awe.
As heartfully prepared as it is you’ll be expected to wait quite a while for the food and coffee to come. No worries. There is a small shopping selection of knitwears, sauces and jams made by locals to keep you entertained.
NaGaSaWa (Coffee shop)
ナガサワ
If Dongree is regarded as slick and stylish, then NaGaSaWa is more like an old family coffee shop. Not lit up sufficiently, a bit dark but soothing. the coffee shop impresses you with the classic Japanese coffee and egg sandwich.
Classic Japanese coffee is generally roasted more deeply with the flavors of tobacco and ripe fruits if made perfectly. NaGaSaWa made the perfect cup.
Forgetting all those exotic Japanese cuisines, in my mind, Kyoto is always about egg sandwiches. I could never find so many specialties of egg sandwiches elsewhere.
The NaGaSaWa version is a combination of light and fluffy bread, soft and smooth scrambled egg, crunchy lettuce, and magically a spread of mustard. I love it.
If you have one quota for breakfast only, visit Dongree first and come back to NaGaSaWa later.
Sanshiki Udon
自家製麺 うどん 讃式
I am more a fan of Soba noodles than Udon noodles, yet this Udon noodle shop is highly recommended. The Udon is al dente and silky.
I ordered a “ぶっかけうどん Bukake-Udon”, udon noodles served hot without a broth. The toppings were fried white fish, juicy and fresh, and most importantly, without bones.
The set comes with a tiny bowl of rice seasoned with mushrooms, mouth-watering as well.
I can’t reveal the price here, but it’s a good deal.
Kofukudo (Kyoto Confectionaries Eg. Mochi)
（株）幸福堂 松原本店
Since 1868 (Meiji period) Kofukudo has been making Kyoto confectionary, and up till now, they are still handmaking the confectionary.
My favorite is always the chewy rice cake (Mochi). The red bean stuffing is a classic, yet the contemporary rework of placing fresh fruit in the rice cake is more to my liking.
The common one is strawberry, and fortunately, I was thrilled to devour the fresh mandarin rice cake: a slice of juicy sweet mandarin in the chewy rice dough. Yummy.
Panraku Bakery
汎洛
Pan in Japanese means bread. Panraku makes stonebaked bread with a huge stone oven despite the tiny space, left with not much room to showcase the freshly baked bread and to accommodate the too many customers.
To appreciate the quality of bread usually, I went for the plainer option and hence the salted roll, crispy outside and chewy inside with a rich aroma of flour. Glad that it’s not too buttery.
Even if you don’t have the appetite for the bread, the exterior deserves a few photos from you.
Otera House (Vegan Restaurant)
和香
Japan is not necessarily Vegan-friendly with the prevalence of seafood in every dish. Having said that, Kyoto is an exception. Packed with temples Kyoto has been providing culinary options for Vegan even before Vegan became a trend. The Buddhist vegan meal is so delicately prepared to be named properly as Shyojin Cuisine (精進料理).
Otera house won’t disappoint you with dull and unseasoned veggies. You won’t be treated like rabbits. The lunch set came with stewed, pan fried, deep fried and pickled dishes, in particular, the deep fried spring roll was so awfully good.
Even if it’s not the food, the interior of the restaurant made me feel at home.
Bukkōji Temple / D&Department
佛光寺
A contemporary design concept store crossing over with a historical Buddhist temple magically happened.
Bukkōji Temple, “Temple of the Buddha’s Light”, despite multiple relocations and renovations, can be dated back to its founding around the year 1200. After I entered the temple, every corner and pillar looked exactly like any other temple until I saw the signage of ‘D&Department’.
“D&Department” is an evangelist of indigenous design, so believing in it to an extent that it repurposed two halls of Bukkoji temple into a canteen and a design store.
The canteen offers traditional Kyoto cuisines while the design store curates the handcrafts from local craftsmen and the books from local authors and photographers. In particular, the ties handmade with traditional Kyoto weaving techniques left a strong impression.
Rakuen cafe
らくえん cafe
Rakuen cafe is a heartwarming little cafe with wooden touches everywhere. I just walked in randomly without a hint which lunch place is better considering there are too many lunch choices in the vicinity to the extent that it’s annoying me.
After I sat down, I saw a little “recommended” sign beside the vegetable curry set and ordered so. I am always skeptical of Japanese curry being too sweet and plain, yet this curry is made with a home blend of spices which give the curry a rich and lingering flavor.
What amazed me more is the vegetables. They are fried. Fried. Fried. I try to eat healthier but too healthy dishes sometimes turn me off. It’s a good balance to have vegetables while they are fried.
The lunch set ended with a petite scoop of creamy milk ice cream. Sweet ending.
Matsubara Bridge
松原橋
Kamo river is the signature of Kyoto. It runs along the Kyoto from north to south, along which there are several bridges connecting the two banks.
The major bridge is always crowded with tourists. Matsubara Bridge is the perfect second choice.
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Upper Kyoto (KamiGyo)
This area is like a void in the travel map, adjacent to the area where the Golden temple is. If you just walk around this area randomly, you may find nothing, and it follows that you cannot explore here aimlessly. On top of that, you have basically left the train and the metro area. Welcome to the bus challenge. Nevertheless, despite the inconvenience, there are a few hidden gems that make me visit this area again and again.
Seimei-Jinja Shrine
晴明神社
Seimei is the legendary exorcist of Japan often beautified as a handsome young man in comics, novels and drama series yet….you will see his portrait in the shrine.
Why do you need to know him? It is rumored that you are standing here unharmed by spirits and apparitions all because of this very exorcist.
In ancient times Kyoto was a haunted town, so haunted that countless evil spirits lurked in the dark and apparitions swarmed on the streets. Seimei connected five shrines and temples surrounding the ancient Kyoto so as to construct a pentagram star barrier to ward off the evils.
The five shrines are still here nowadays.
- Kamigamo Jinja Shrine (north)
2. Matsunoo Taisha Shrine
3. Higashiyama Jisho-ji Temple
4. Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Temple)
5. Yasaka Shrine
Seimei Shrine stands at the midpoint of this pentagram star barrier protecting Kyoto till now.
You must have come across the power of Seimei once you arrived in Kyoto. Every bus in Kyoto carries a seal from Seimei shrine with a pentagram star on it to wish for traffic safety.
Summer is probably the best time visiting Seimei shrine. The shrine will be overwhelmed by blooming balloon flower. Only in this period of time, you can buy a bell charm hand-drawn with purple balloon flowers.
Why balloon flowers? Ballon flowers bloom into a pentagram star which is also the power source of Seimei. His barrier is also called the Balloon Flower Pentagram.
Rhinebeck (Pancake Shop)
ラインベック
I always have another motive visiting Seimei shrine beside getting my evil self exorcized by Seimei. All because of this pancake.
Good pancakes won’t be insulted by overwhelming sauces and whipped cream. The texture and the aroma of the pancake itself always win my heart.
The pancake here is not airy but still fluffy with substance. The one I got last time is a limited edition of cherry pancake. Cherries made into a jam with rum were humbly and lightly spread on the pancake. Among the many pancakes I have tried, this is the best, absolutely the best.
Kawai-jinja shrine
賀茂御祖神社（下鴨神社）
This is one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto. You will be welcomed by a huge rainbow-colored three-legged bird: Yatagarasu, the sacred bird representing the diety. This bird is of utmost significance in Japanese mythology appearing not only in this shrine but a lot of other places as well, though they are usually presented in black elsewhere.
This shrine is a national treasure with many legends. You may have missed a piece of rock tied with knots. Don’t miss it. It’s the same piece of rock being sung in the national anthem of Japan. Sazare Ishi, the name of this rock, is said to grow bigger with numerous small rocks sticking together.
The shrine leads to a serene forest. Walking through the forest will lead you to the confluence point of Kamo River and Takano River.
Kawai-jinja Shrine
河合神社
Kawai-jinja shrine is popular among the ladies for only one reason: the longing for beauty. You will see ladies bringing their lipsticks, face powders, and any other funky new makeup weapons to this shrine. Applying your own cosmetics on the wooden doll face, namely the mirror charm (Enma) reflecting your own appearance, you will become more beautiful by using the very same set of cosmetics after the ritual.
Guys, even though you are not the target audience here, it’s quite fun to see how serious and passionate these ladies are applying their cosmetics on the wooden doll face.
Kawai-jinja shrine is located within the larger shrine: Kawai-jinja shrine.
Kamo-gawa River Delta (Confluence of Kamo-gawa and Takano-gawa River)
鴨川デルタ (賀茂川/高野川合流点)
Jumping stones to cross the river is one of the most playful ways to enjoy Kamo river. You can do it here, right at the confluence point with Takano river. Passing this point, Kamo river becomes too wide for you to conquer it, and instead of crossing it you can only sit by the river banks.
Chotokuji Temple
長德寺
This is the spot that I want to share the least. Hence, only those who read till the very end will discover this.
My favorite sakura spot in Kyoto. You won’t find a sakura forest, but only a lonely sakura tree blossoming and withering into a sakura carpet on the ground. A perfect crystallization of the Japanese aesthetic philosophy: Wabi-sabi (the beauty of imperfection).
Instead of those blossoming, the true beauty is in those fleeting, those aging and those withering.
Thank you for bringing my travel guide along with you.
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Coming soon…
The Sea of Kyoto (Umi no Kyoto)
Let’s visit the shores of Kyoto. You have not heard it wrong. There is a shore at the far backside of Kyoto, 2 to 3 hours drive north to downtown Kyoto. Different from the Kyoto you know, it’s more about the rough sea and the fisherman culture, as well as the onsen (hot spring) and the natural resources. If downtown Kyoto is about culture, then seaside Kyoto is about nature.
Uji, The Green Tea Capital
Written on every travel guide, Uji is about Byodoin Temple and the green tea (matcha). I am a big matcha fan. I will share with you the three matcha houses there with one off the radar which ironically offer the best matcha sweets despite the least popularity.
