Area around Kyoto Station, Kyoto sightseeing route, Japan

In the area around Kyoto Station and the scattered temples, you can experience various Buddhist cultures and enjoy with your family. There is also a park with a lawn plaza, an aquarium, and a railway museum. Kyoto Station is a terminal where city buses and railway companies gather. The hotel also has a department store and a theater, so it is a popular spot for domestic and foreign tourists and locals. The landmark Kyoto Tower stands in front of the central exit of the station. There is a large cathedral such as Higashi Honganji on Karasuma-dori, which extends straight north next to it, Nishi Honganji on Horikawa-dori on the west side, and Toji Temple, which is famous for its five-storied pagoda, on the south side of the station. You can feel Buddhist culture just by walking around the area. I can do it. Also, if you walk west for about 15 minutes, you will find the Kyoto Aquarium and the Kyoto Railway Museum in Umekoji Park, which has a lawn plaza and a riverside playground. It is an area where children and adults can play.

Shimogyo Ward is one of the 11 wards that make up Kyoto City. From Shijo Karasuma on Shijo Dori, which runs through the north side, to Shijo Kawaramachi (Kawaramachi Dori), it is one of the most popular downtown areas in Kyoto Prefecture and Kyoto City. Kyoto Station, which is located in the same ward, is a terminal around Kyoto City, and commercial facilities are concentrated around it, centering on the Kyoto Tower and Kyoto Station Building.

Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station is a station of West Japan Railway Company (JR West), Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai), Kinki Nippon Railway Company (Kintetsu), and Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau (Kyoto Municipal Subway) in Shimokyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. It is an ordinance-designated city, one of the major cities in the Kinki region, and the central station that serves as the gateway to Kyoto City, which accepts a huge number of tourists throughout the year, and serves as a base for sightseeing in Kyoto for domestic and foreign tourists. There is. In addition to all Tokaido Shinkansen trains stopping, limited express trains connecting various places such as Hokuriku, Sanin, Kansai Airport and Nanki, and Kintetsu to Nara, Kashihara Jingu and Ise-Shima depart and arrive. JR is the station with the largest number of departures and arrivals for limited express trains on conventional lines in Japan.

Not only tourists, but also many commuter students in Kyoto city or on each line, and the average number of passengers getting on and off each day is 700,000, which is one of the leading terminal stations in Japan. Selected as one of the 100 best stations in Kinki. The current station building completed in 1997 was designed by Hiroshi Hara, who is known for his works such as the Umeda Sky Building. Many commercial facilities and hotels for tourists are concentrated around the station, but it is far from Shijo Kawaramachi, which is the central downtown area of ​​Kyoto City. Therefore, a large number of fixed-route buses that mainly depart and arrive at the bus terminal in front of the station connect Shijo Kawaramachi and tourist spots scattered throughout the city.

The first station building was opened in 1877 (Meiji 10) with a two-story red brick structure. It was rebuilt in the wooden Renaissance style in the early Taisho era, but was burnt down in the Showa period and rebuilt. With the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Hachijo exit boarding area has also been opened, and there are JR lines, Kintetsu, and municipal subway stations. The new station building, which opened in 1997, was designed by architect Hiroshi Hara and is one of the largest station building facilities in Japan. A space like a polyhedron where hotels, department stores, cultural facilities, etc. are gathered together and not only is a base for transportation networks, but also where people can gather and enjoy themselves.

The Kyoto Station Building (JR West) is held in an international nomination competition system, which is unusual for a Japanese railway station building, and the new station building designers are Hiroshi Hara, Tadao Ando, ​​Yoshiro Ikehara, Noriaki Kurokawa, James Sterling, Bernard. Seven architects, Chumi and Peter Busman, have been nominated. As a result of the design examination, Hiroshi Hara’s proposal, Tadao Ando’s proposal, and Sterling’s proposal were first narrowed down, and after further discussion, Hiroshi Hara’s proposal was adopted as the final proposal.

There are special measures around Kyoto Station that allow buildings up to 120m in height to be built, but the relaxation of height restrictions spoils the scenery of the ancient city, but the size and height of the buildings give a feeling of oppression. The point of evaluation of the work was how to avoid the problem and how to harmonize with the surrounding environment. In the adopted proposal by Hiroshi Hara, consideration is given everywhere to avoid a feeling of oppression, such as limiting the maximum height to 60 m and dividing the building according to the road in the north-south direction to pass the line of sight.

Hotel Granvia Kyoto is located on the east side of the Kyoto Station Building, and JR Kyoto Isetan, a department store, is located on the west side. The central concourse in between is a spacious atrium (width 147m, depth 29m, height 50m) covered with a large roof and a front made of 4000 pieces of glass. An aerial route 45m above the ground runs through the top of the atrium.

The total floor area of ​​the Kyoto Station Building is 238,000m2, including station facilities of about 12,000m2, Hotel Granvia Kyoto of about 70,000m2, commercial facilities such as department stores of about 88,000m2, and cultural facilities such as “Museum Eki Kyoto”. It is 11,000m2, parking lot is about 37,000m2, and administrative facilities are about 38,000m2. In the case of large station buildings in other cities, a large part of the area is often allocated to rental offices for companies, whereas the Kyoto station building has almost no such part. After that, the Kyoto Station NK Building was expanded near the Sagano Line platform near Kameoka, and a new ticket gate (Nishinotoin Exit) was opened. This ticket gate is incorporated inside the BicCamera Kyoto store, a consumer electronics mass retailer that opened in the same building.

The entrances and exits of conventional lines are the “Karasuma Central Exit” on the north side ground, the “Underground Central Exit” on the north side underground 1st floor, the “West Exit” on the west side Hashigami station building leading to the north-south free passage, and the underground 1st floor leading to the underground free passage. There is an “underground east exit”, a “Hachijo east exit” on the southeast side, and a “Nishinotoinguchi” that is directly connected to the 2nd floor of the BicCamera JR Kyoto Station store from Platforms 30 and 31 on the Sanin Line. For transfers, the Karasuma Central Exit is the closest bus user, the Hachijo Exit Bus is the Hachijo East Exit, and the Shinkansen Hachijo Exit is the closest to the Kintetsu Line and the underground east exit to the subway. Compared to other stations on each line in Kyoto City and major stations in big cities, the Karasuma Central Exit is characterized by a wider terminal (bus / taxi stand) in front of the station.

Tourist attractions

Kyoto tower
An observatory tower 131 meters above the ground built on the roof of the building in front of JR Kyoto Station. The elegant standing of the tower is an image of a lighthouse that illuminates the city of Kyoto. The observatory is 100 meters above the ground and is a tourist attraction with a panoramic view of the cityscape of Kyoto, the surrounding shrines and temples, and the 36 peaks of Higashiyama.

Umekoji Park
Umekoji Park is a city park with an area of ​​about 13.7 hectares, which was opened in April 1995 as a space where people can relax with greenery and flowers in the center of the city, and as a place where citizens can evacuate in the event of a disaster. is. In the park, there is a spacious “lawn open space” that can be used freely at any time, a “river playground” where you can get close to the water, and a “Nanajo entrance open space” where events such as a handmade market are held on the first Saturday of every month (excluding January and May). In addition to the “Suzaku no Niwa” and the biotope “Life Forest” that were built to commemorate the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the city as paid facilities, there is also a nostalgic “Chinchin train”, and “Green” with restaurants and rental rooms. There is a “no-kan” and a parking lot (only for people with weak traffic).

Kyoto Aquarium
The first large-scale aquarium in Kyoto that opened in March 2012. The rain that hits the mountains of Tamba and the virgin forest of Ashi becomes a side water, a stream, a big river, and then flows into the sea. We are reproducing the connection from the headwaters to the sea and the ecosystem where many lives coexist. In the “Kyoto River” area, you can see the exhibition of the national special natural monument, the giant salamander, the “Kyoto Sea” large aquarium that reproduces the rich Kyoto sea where a wide variety of kimonos live, and the lawn and trees of the park. There are many fun exhibits such as the dolphin stadium. In addition to exhibitions, we also regularly hold hands-on programs such as workshops. You can learn while playing and getting to know the water and the creatures that live in it.

VIVA SQUARE KYOTO
The outdoor skating rink VIVA SQUARE KYOTO, which can be enjoyed regardless of the season, is the only outdoor skating rink in Kyoto city. It will be newly opened in “Umekoji Park, Kyoto City” right in front of you after getting off “Umekoji Kyoto Nishi” station, which is one station from Kyoto Station. We will provide the fun and excitement of a new experience through the skating rink, which is lit up and enjoys watching the night sky.

Music fountain AQUA FANTASY
A music fountain where light and music are linked is born in front of Kyoto Station, the gateway to Kyoto. Opening songs (Gion Hayashi, Gion Kouta, Sakura Sakura), Salut d’Amour, Toy Symphony, Bullfighter from “Carmen” Suite No. 1 * Kyoto City Symphony Orchestra performance song, Aine Kleine Nachtmusik, Sing Thing Thing

Kyoto City Health Promotion Center
A health promotion facility equipped with exercise facilities such as a swimming pool and training room. Sports classes: aerobics, zumba, yoga, tai chi, Shaolin style fist, ballroom dance, hula dance, healthy karaoke, underwater squirrel, swimming, etc.

Sky Hop Bus Kyoto
Driving route, Kyoto Station Karasuma Exit → Karasuma Gojo → Shijo Karasuma Nishiki Market → Nijo Castle → Nijo Station → Kitano Tenmangu Kamishichiken → Kinkakuji → Daitokuji → Kyoto Imperial Palace (in front of Doshisha University) → Heian Jingu Okazaki Park → Gion (KOTOWA Kyoto Yasaka) Front) → Gojozaka (Kiyomizu-dera / Gion) → Sanjusangendo / National Museum (Hyatt Regency Kyoto) → Kyoto Station Karasuma Exit

Famous places and historic sites

Rajomon Ruins
The main gate of Heiankyo built in 794 (Enryaku 13). Rajomon towered at the southern end of the central part of Kyoto, 4.5 km east-west and 5.3 km north-south, and faced Suzakumon at the northern end. The gate is 33 meters in front and 8 meters in depth. It has a double-roofed roof and golden shibi on both ends of the ridge. Famous for Noh, novels, and the movie “Rashomon” such as demon arm cutting. A stone monument and a piece tag on Kujo-dori, Minami-ku. Right next to the city bus Rajomon.

Genji Horikawakan Ruins
Stand in the Horikawa-dori green belt. The only archaeological site is the stone monument of “Samegai Ruins” (after Samegai). Genji set up the Rojo Horikawakan in this area, and many dramas were performed based here, including Yoshiie, Tameyoshi, Yoshitomo, and Yoshitsune. However, after Yoshitsune escaped from Kyoto, it was burned down, leaving Ushii, the left woman in the mansion. It was said to be famous water until posterity, but it was destroyed by the expansion of Horikawa-dori. Right next to the city bus Horikawa Gojo.

Toji Gokokuji
A garden in Toji (Kyooh Gokokuji), a temple related to Kobo Daishi. To the north of the five-storied pagoda, there is a pond-style gourd pond, and in early summer, lotus flowers shine on the surface of the water and are bright to the eye.

Honganji Mission
Honganji Dendoin, which is characterized by red bricks, rises in the Monzen-cho area where Buddhist altar shops are lined up. Built in 1912 as a life insurance company building, it has been used as an educational facility for monks after working at banks and clinics. Designed by Chuta Ito, a professor at the University of Tokyo, Japanese architecture with staggered winds made of stone while incorporating various architectural styles such as an Indian Islamic dome and a hexagonal tower that imaged a British building.

It’s usually private, but the appearance alone is worth a look. Ginkgo (male tree) in the precincts of Nishi Honganji Temple. It is a flat land in the precincts, and the outer circumference of the embankment of about 30 cm is surrounded by a stone ball wall. The shape of a thick horizontal branch or oblique branch in each direction from about 1.5m to 3m above the ground is peculiar to a ginkgo tree, and is also called an inverted ginkgo tree. It is said that when the fire broke out in 1788, water was sprayed on Mikagedo to prevent burning, and it is also called “water-blown ginkgo” or “fire-fed ginkgo”. City-designated natural monument.

Shimabara Oomon
Koraimon with a width of one ken, a roof tile, and a gable. It is said that the gate was lined with old lattice-built ageyas and okiyas on the left and right sides of the street. There was also a bridge in front of the gate, commonly known as “Exit willow” and “Farewell fence”, and on the route in front of the gate, “Shinbashi”. City designated building. City bus Shimabaraguchi 300 meters.

Wataruen (Shosei-en Garden)
The garden of Higashi Honganji Temple, which is familiar to Kyoto citizens as “Otosan”. It is also called the “Karatachi” because it was planted with trifoliate oranges around it. In the early Heian period, Emperor Saga’s Prince Minamoto no Toru adopted the taste of Rojo Kawarainen Pond, which brought seawater from Namba in memory of the scenery of Oshu Shiogama. In 1641, the current land was donated by Iemitsu Tokugawa, and in 1653, Jozan Ishikawa created the garden at the request of the 13th generation of Honganji Temple. All the buildings were burnt down by the two great fires of the Edo period, but they were reconstructed in the early Meiji era. You can enjoy plums and cherry blossoms in spring, irises and water lilies in summer, and autumn leaves and seasonal atmospheres in autumn. In 1936, it was designated as a national scenic spot.

Ring-shaped Jizo
It is a Jizo statue in front of the gate of Shogyō-in Temple (Saru-ji Temple), and was built using the car stones laid on the nearby Takeda Highway. It was enshrined along the highway to protect traffic safety, but it is said that it moved to its current location in the first year of the Meiji era. The ring shape is a groove for wheels on the paving stone. 200 meters in front of Kyoto Station on the city bus.

Shichijo Buddha Ruins
Including the Buddhist priest (Buddha sculptor) Jocho who was active in the middle of the Heian period, where the family, children, and descendants lived for a long time and had a sculpture, there was a “Shichijo Buddhist temple” Was called. In the Kamakura period, Unkei, Tankei, Kaikei and others appeared one after another from this Buddhist temple, and many masterpieces were released to the world. However, in the Muromachi period, this Buddhist temple also moved to Shijo Karasuma when he was the 21st generation Yasumasa. After that, the remains of the Buddhist temple were completely lost due to a fire in the war at the end of the Edo period.

Tiger Valley Garden
The garden of Nishi Honganji. It is counted as one of the three major gardens of the Edo period in Rakuchu, and was designated as a national special scenic spot in 1955. The name “Torakei no Niwa” is derived from the fact that it was created by copying the scenic spot of Torakei at the foot of Mt. Lu in Jiangxi Province, China. It is a garden with a dry landscape garden that was created as the front yard of the Shoin, with the roof of Mikagedo as if it were Lushan.

Saiji Temple Ruins
A temple near Karahashi Saijicho, Minami-ku. Built in 794 (Enryaku 13) to the west of Rajomon during the construction of Heiankyo. One of the two major temples along with Toji. The temple area occupies 200 meters square, and the scale of the temple is the same as that of Toji. Fires such as the great fire of 990 (Shoryaku 1) were destroyed one after another. The ruins of the temple are confirmed at the location of Karahashi Elementary School and Saiji Children’s Park. There is a stone monument. 200 meters in front of the city bus Saiji.

Shinyoin
Historic sites of Nobunaga Oda and Yoshiaki Ashikaga. It is a unique dry landscape garden with scaly stones lined up. There are melon lanterns, eboshi stones, and Yobuko chozubachi in the park.

Remains of Sogei Kinchiin
Kukai opened as an educational facility for the common people in 828 (Tencho 5) at the Kujo residence of Sanmori Fujiwara in Nishikujo, Minami-ku. Lectures on Confucian and French books for those who cannot enter university or national studies. After the death of Kukai in 835 (Jowa 2), it declined and was abolished without a successor. The regulation is Kukai’s autographed “Sougei Kinchiin Ceremony”. Shuchiin University was established in 1881 (Meiji 14) in Hachijo-dori, Mibu-dori, Minami-ku, but moved to Mukaijima, Fushimi-ku.

Ougizuka
The northwestern part of Gojo Ohashi in Shimogyo Ward is where the Miedo fan was made. Mikagedo is another name for Shinzenkoji Temple, which was built near Ohashi in 1284 (Koan 7). The Mikagedo fan is a fan from this temple. In the olden days, a fan-producing area where Mr. Hiroshi Misue gathered. 1960 (Showa 35) A fan-shaped monument made of granite was erected. Keihan Electric Railway Kiyomizu Gojo. 100 meters west.

Ryukoku University Hibiki Hall Alumni Hall
Ryukoku University Hibiki Hall Alumni Hall was established as a facility for practicing and presenting students’ extracurricular activities, public lectures at the university, and lifelong learning courses. We also rent out facilities so that they can be used by citizens.

Museums

Kyoto Railway Museum
The “Kyoto Railway Museum,” which opened in April 2016, is based on the concept of “a railway cultural base that walks with the community.” “Railway work experience” where active employees of JR West convey the charm of railways with all their might, experience exhibition “SL steam” where you can get on a passenger car towed by real SL, Japan’s largest “railroad diorama” We aim to become a “learning place” that everyone can enjoy by “seeing, touching, and experiencing”.

Bank of Yanagihara Memorial Museum
Yanagihara Bank was a bank established in the Dowa district in 1899 (Meiji 32) by local volunteers such as Akashi Minzo, who was the mayor of Yanagihara Town (Takahito district). Even after the bank went bankrupt in 1927 (Heisei 2), the building was used as a store and a rented house, but in 1986 (Heisei 61), a plan to demolish the building came up, and in the area, the building was changed. The conservation movement, which is a symbol of town development, became popular, and a building survey conducted in Kyoto City in 1989 revealed that it was a Western-style wooden building in the late Meiji era with a high design density, and it was found in 1994 (Heisei 6). ), It was registered as a tangible cultural property registered by Kyoto City.

Under these circumstances, the building was relocated and restored, and it was opened as the Bank of Yanagihara Memorial Museum in 1997 (Heisei 9). Many people at this museum are enlightenment facilities that aim to correctly understand Buraku issues and spread and raise awareness of human rights through exhibits that touch on the history, culture, life, etc. of the region, including valuable materials donated by local people. It is familiar to.

Heian Aristocracy Living and Culture Exhibition Room
In 1987, an archaeological excavation of buried cultural properties prior to the construction of the research park discovered the remains of a large-scale mansion during the Heian period (mid-9th century), so an exhibition room was set up to give an overview of the remains. It is also called “the original form of Shinden-zukuri” because of the layout of the building. There is a huge model 3.5 meters long and 2.2 meters wide, which is a 1 / 40th size restoration of the old mansion, and you can get a glimpse of the life of a gorgeous aristocrat.

Rakuto Remains Museum
The former residence of the Kashiwara family, a wealthy merchant in the Edo period. Approximately 8,000 items such as wedding costumes and furnishings, management records, old documents, and 10,000 old books remain. Antique art, wedding furnishings, costumes, etc. handed down by merchants.

Okutani Gumi Shrine Temple Architectural Exhibition Museum
Since its founding in the 6th year of the Meiji era, Okutani-gumi has been dedicated to building shrines and temples, and has endeavored to study and develop traditional techniques. As a professional company that handles all woodwork by its own directly managed craftsmen and can entrust everything related to shrines and temples such as new construction, renovation, restoration, etc., we have received the trust and patronage from everyone in the Buddhist and shrine worlds nationwide. Taking advantage of the fact that Kyoto Prefecture recognized us as a “long-established store in Kyoto” in 1997, we created a model of joints and joints by ourselves, and opened a museum that exhibited photographs and figures with explanations. I received. We would like you to understand in detail various traditional techniques that cannot be seen from the appearance of wooden buildings by using materials such as models. We hope that you will take this opportunity to experience the splendor of traditional techniques of ancient architecture.

Museum “Eki” KYOTO
An art museum adjacent to the 7th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan in the Kyoto Station Building. It holds exhibitions in a wide range of genres such as painting, crafts, fashion, anime, and picture books.

Kyooh Gokokuji (Toji) Treasure Museum
Reinforced concrete 3-story gable construction. Completed in 1963. Open to the public in October 1965. It is said to be a treasure trove of esoteric Buddhist art since Kobo Daishi Kukai, and there are about 25,000 temple treasures designated as national treasures and important cultural properties, and these cultural properties are open to the public at the treasure hall.

The exhibition space is on the 1st and 2nd floors of the building, and sculptures such as the national treasure “Tobatsu Bishamonten”, which is said to have been at the entrance of Heiankyo, and the important cultural property “Senju Kannon Statue”, which is about 6m long, and the national treasure ” It houses the remains, books, and ancient documents such as “Fushinjo” and scripture documents. In addition, there are also paintings such as “Denshingonin Mandala”, “Shingon Shichiso Statue”, and “Five Great Statues” (all are national treasures), and it is said that there are more than 50,000 unexamined ancient documents. We hold special exhibitions on the theme of history and cultural properties twice in spring and autumn.

Hanbei Fu, Bento Box Museum
On the 2nd floor of Hanbei, which was founded in the 2nd year of Genroku (Edo period), a large number of Edo period lunch boxes are on display. You can see the skill and playfulness of craftsmen and ancestors such as cherry blossom viewing, lacquer work according to the season such as playing in the river, and a lunch box in the shape of a shogi board. After watching, please spend a relaxing time while looking at the garden in the store on the 1st floor.

OMRON Communication Plaza
Reservations are required for tours that are held about four times a day. The course is about 1 hour, and you can tour the museum under the guidance of the staff. On the 3rd floor, “History Floor,” OMRON exhibits what kind of products it has developed in advance of the needs of society from its founding to the present day. We will exhibit technologies and initiatives that have spread from OMRON, such as the mechanism of ticket gates that process at high speed and accurately, and the background of establishing the first welfare factory in Japan. The second floor is the “Technology Floor,” which introduces products and technologies that solve various social problems in three sections: “Society,” “Life,” and “Industry.” Here, you can experience cutting-edge technology while using projection mapping that makes the most of the entire floor space and actual products.

Costume Museum
The Tale of Genji’s Rokujoin’s mansion “Spring Palace” is made with a quarter-sized model, and the colorful costumes are embodied in the same color pattern as the story, and at the same time, a part of the full-scale doll, furnishings, and Shinden-zukuri are exhibited. However, it revives the world of The Tale of Genji, which was only touched on in books and picture scrolls.

Ryukoku University Ryukoku Museum
The Ryukoku Museum is a comprehensive Buddhist museum located in front of Nishi Honganji, a World Heritage Site. In addition to a series of exhibitions that introduce a wide range of trends from the birth of Buddhism to modern Buddhism based on research results and valuable academic materials accumulated over the long history of Ryukoku University, special exhibitions and projects based on specific themes. We also hold exhibitions. The full-scale restoration of the Bezeklik Cave with the best Buddhist art and vows on the Silk Road is a must-see. Please enjoy the ultra-high precision video works at the museum theater.

Sumiya Motenashi Cultural Museum
Kakuya has maintained continuous cotton, buildings, and family reigns since the opening of Shimabara in 1641, and was designated as the only remains of Ageya architecture, a place of feast hospitality during the Edo period, in 1952. It was designated as an important cultural property of. Ageya was a large private banquet hall in the Edo period, according to the definition in Edo period books as “a person whose business is hospitality”. An important feature is that the large garden facing the large tatami room always has a tea ceremony room and a kitchen of the same size as the back of the warehouse. In 1983, Buson’s “Red and White Plum Folding Screen” was designated as an Important Cultural Property. In addition, the Kakuya Preservation Society was established in 1989, and the “Kakuya Hospitality Cultural Museum” was opened in 1998 to display and open the collection of art works along with the Kakuya building itself. I am. In 2010, Kakuya’s garden was designated as a “Kyoto City Place of Scenic Beauty”.

Events / festivals

Card Thanksgiving
Mantokai memorial service, Bon festival dance
End Kobo
Wakaichi Shrine Wakaichi Kosha Grand Festival and Fire Festival
Seven days later Rehearsal
Double Ninth Festival
Shincho Hosho
Shincho Hosho
Hoonko Hoonko
Okame Setsubun
Jizo Jizo Merit Day Festival
Women’s extermination festival
Mugwort Festival
#Temple / shrine events
Ichihime Festival
Hatsukoho
Living life
Regular festival, Hoei festival
Shinsou Honko Hoonko
Kobo Daishi Birthday Party, Gathering of Osanago
New Year’s festival and night festival
Hiina Festival
Prajna Shinkeiho memorial service
Sanko Hosho
Natsukoshi’s Great Shrine
Repatriation Ceremony