Kyoto by Night

Hello everyone! Welcome to my second post on Kyoto, Japan, one of my favorite cities in the world. In this session, I'd like to highlight some night scenes from this wonderful city, because let's be real, just as much fun stuff happens at night as in the day. :)

Without further ado, let's get to it!

Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station is Kyoto's largest train station and given the city doesn't have its own airport is a sight most travelers will see upon first arriving in Kyoto. The building was completed in 1997 commemorating 1200 years since the old capital's founding. This picture is taken from across the street from the front of the station.

The architecture is not quite what you'd consider "traditional Japanese"...but it's pretty cool!

Downtown Kyoto near Shijo street. While Kyoto certainly has the reputation for being more traditional in culture and much quieter than cities like Tokyo or Osaka, downtown can get pretty にぎやか and crowded at night. In fact, that's one of the things I like best about Kyoto; it's full of history and culture but still provides glimpses of technology, modernness, and liveliness many have come to associate with Japan today.

Kiyamachi Street A perfect place to grab dinner and go for an evening stroll, especially during cherry blossom season!

One of the most famous, back-alley streets downtown is called Pontocho and is known for its expensive, tiny restaurants and bars. Dinner here will typically have you dropping 50,000 yen or more, but no worries, it's cool just to walk around too.

One place on Pontocho I particularly like is a jazz bar called Hello Dolly--a bit pricey but a great atmosphere. In fact, there are several awesome jazz bars in Kyoto.

Now on to what Kyoto does best: shrines and temples! This is Kiyomizu-dera, one of Kyoto's most famous temples completed around the year 780. While the temple is impressive during the day, it's best known for its night light ups which are conducted a few times a year

And there you have it; Kyoto by night!

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