The first stop of the free trip to Kyoto is often the "Kyoto Station", which is not only an important transportation hub, but also brings together a wealth of shopping, food and other facilities, and there are many accommodation options near the station.
Kyoto Station Building's first Kyoto ramen trail "Hakata Ichikokan": A must-eat pork bone ramen!
If you're a true ramen lover, don't miss the Kyoto Ramen Koji on the 10th floor of the Kyoto Station Building, where you can find ramen shops from the south to the north of Japan, each with its own specialty! This time, we would like to recommend the Hakata Ichikosha from Fukuoka, Kyushu, which boasts of being the "ancestor of bubble tonkotsu ramen", and its biggest feature is the milky white tonkotsu soup with fine oil bubbles floating on the surface, and the restaurant uses a large number of large bones such as pork skulls and back bones and boils them for a long time over high heat until the bones are shattered, and the fresh soup base and the aged soup base are fused to form a mellow and sweet "bubble soup base".
In addition, the restaurant also uses handmade thin noodles from "Noodle House Keishi", which has a delicate texture and full of wheat aroma, which can fully absorb the rich tonkotsu soup, and the secret sauce recipe is carefully crafted to make the whole bowl of ramen taste endless. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Kyoto Ramen Koji, the store has also launched a limited-time edition of "Kyoto Special Ramen", which is very luxurious with a large amount of barbecued pork slices and spicy noodles! In addition, there are also soft-boiled egg white, green onions, barbecued pork ramen, and Hakata Mintai box, which are highly recommended.
Kyoto SPECIAL ramen
Hakata Mintai box
Hakata Ichikosha Kyoto Ramenkoji
・ Location: 901 东塩小路町, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture "Kyoto 车站大楼" 10F "Kyoto Ramenkoji"
・Operating Hours: 11:00 a.m. ~ 10:00 p.m. (L.O. 9:30 p.m.)
・Access: Directly accessible from JR Kyoto Station
Kimono rental shop "Mimosa": There are many types of clothes, and you can take a taxi to see it after renting!
One of the must-see experiences in Kyoto is to change into an elegant kimono and take a walk through the quaint old streets of the city. From Kyoto Station's Hachijo Exit, it's a one-minute walk to the kimono rental shop "Mimosa". The store is located right next to Kyoto Station, so it's easy to transfer to public transportation such as buses and subways!
"Mimosa" offers a wide variety of kimonos and yukata with many patterns, from adults to children and women, as well as belts and hair accessories, and in addition to basic daily kimonos, there are also "hakama" that is very popular with young girls, and it is a style similar to a hakama, which is very elegant with a kimono. We also offer great value plans for couples and families, and you can make reservations online or on the day in advance, and there are Chinese-speaking staff at "mimosa" to help you feel at ease! In addition, "mimosa" also has a "Kodaiji store" in the Nienzaka near Kiyomizudera Temple, so it is also recommended if you want to rent a kimono in Kiyomizudera Temple and Kodaiji Temple.
mimosa 京都车站八条口店produce by MK Taxi
・Location: 47 Kamitonoda-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto City "ibis Styles Kyoto Station" 1F
・Operating Hours: 9:00~19:00
・Access: About a 1-minute walk from Hachijo Exit at JR Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station Hachijoguchi Shopping Mall "ASTY Kyoto": Souvenir shops and delicious food
There are many shopping malls around Kyoto Station, and this time I would like to recommend the "ASTY Kyoto" located in Hachijoguchi, which is close to the Shinkansen board, which is the base camp of famous souvenir shops in Kyoto, and has a wide range of famous souvenir shops in Kyoto, such as the must-buy "Yojiya" (よーじや) oil-absorbing noodles, the century-old Japanese sweets shop "Tsuruya Yoshinobu", and the matcha shops "Gion Tsujiri" and "Fukujuen". It's a great place to shop, and if you want to buy all the well-known souvenirs at one time in Kyoto, you can't go wrong with "ASTY Kyoto".
ASTY Kyoto also includes the Kyoto Dining Street-style food court Kyoto Koji, the conveyor belt sushi restaurant Kotobu, the Japanese restaurant Kyo Dining Hachijo, and the 80-year-old café INODA COFFEE. In front of the Shinkansen ticket gate on the second floor, there is the souvenir mall "PRECIOUS DELI &GIFT KYOTO", which opened only in March 2023, and the newly renovated meat bun shop "551 Penglai". Uji matcha store Gion Tsuji opened, a new multi-brand No. 1 store "BUBURU (ぶぶる)" that combines tea, food and souvenirs; In December 2023, we also opened "Kyo Dango Fuji Nami", which is famous for its soy sauce dumplings. There are also many souvenirs and restaurants at the Shinkansen bus stop, so you can enjoy shopping before you get on the bus!
ASTY Kyoto
・Location: 8-3 Takano-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
・Business hours: Varies by store, so please check the official website
・Access: Directly from Hachijo Exit at JR Kyoto Station
Nighttime only! 到「京都车站大阶梯」看梦幻点灯秀!
The beautiful building designed by Japan architect Hiroshi Hara features a futuristic glass façade and a terraced structure, the most eye-catching of which is the impressive 171-step staircase that extends from the fourth floor to the eleventh floor. In 2012, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Kyoto Station Building, the grand "Grand Staircase Illumination Show Plus" was held, and you can enjoy about 15,000 twinkling LED light balls illuminating the grand staircase, bringing a romantic atmosphere to Kyoto Station at night with colorful lights.
In addition, in the east plaza on the 7th floor of the Kyoto Station Building, there is "LUNA GARDEN", which is a space with the concept of a glowing botanical garden, creating a space like a dreamlike fairy tale. On the 10th floor, there is the "STAR BRIDGE" skywalkway that spans the entire station building, which is 45 meters above the ground, and offers a panoramic view of Kyoto Tower and the city at night.
LUNA GARDEN
STAR BRIDGE
"Kyoto Station" 大阶梯灯秀 Plus
・ Location: 901 Shiokoji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Maru-dori Shiokoji
・Operating Hours: 15:00~22:00
・Access: Directly accessible from JR Kyoto Station
京都车站周边住宿「HOTEL KUU KYOTO」：露天澡堂、自助早餐超满足
Opened in 2017 from a renovated Meiji-era inn, HOTEL KUU KYOTO is located directly in front of the magnificent Higashi Honganji Temple and facing the Mikagedo Gate, the world's largest wooden building. The exterior of the hotel retains a simple and elegant feeling, and the interior of the hotel is built in a simple and modern style, and there are large communal baths using natural underground water, including an open-air bath made of Mt. Fuji lava pan, and a small cypress bath in the baths, so that guests can fully enjoy the Japanese bathing culture and relax.
HOTEL KUU KYOTO's guest rooms are mainly double and twin rooms, as well as rooms with excellent windows overlooking Higashi Honganji Temple, and are equipped with comfortable Simmons mattresses, refrigerators, air purifiers, basic toiletries, and pajamas. In addition, it is highly recommended to make a reservation with breakfast, and you can enjoy a buffet-style breakfast with a wide variety of dishes, and the dishes change every month, such as handmade sourdough bread, organic pesticide-free wild vegetable salad, French toast, omelettes, Japanese tea sweets, etc., all of which are homemade and healthy.
An open-air bath made from a lava pan of Mt. Fuji
Rich buffet style breakfast
THE GREAT HOTEL KYOTO
・Location: 58 Takuyacho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
・Access: 7-minute walk from JR Kyoto Station
The eating, drinking, and playing opportunities around Kyoto Station are really powerful! As soon as you arrive in Kyoto, you can fill your stomach at the ramen trail "Hakata Ichikoto", then check in at the nearby "HOTEL KUU KYOTO" to check in and store your luggage, then rent a kimono at "mimosa", shop for souvenirs at "ASTY Kyoto", and enjoy a romantic illumination show on the grand staircase of Kyoto Station at night.
【Kyoto Free Travel Guide】Recommended 5 must-visit attractions around Kyoto Station: Shopping, food, accommodation, and fun all-round experience! | Teh-Eat! Japan