Kyoto | A lesser-known artistic travel route that 99% of people don't know about
Having lived in Kyoto for over three years
My favorite is this off-the-beaten-path citywalk artistic route
One can spend a whole day here alone
Recommended Route
Nanzen-ji Temple ➡️ Lake Biwa Canal ➡️ Blue Bottle Coffee ➡️ Heian Shrine ➡️ Kyoto City Kyocera Museum (Kyoto Art Museum) ➡️ Tsutaya Bookstore ➡️ Kyoto Prefectural Library ➡️ The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
⛩️🎨☕️🎫
Filled with artistic atmosphere, encompassing all traditional cultural assets, highly recommended
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1⃣️ Nanzen-ji Temple
Apart from Kiyomizu-dera, this is the temple I recommend the most in Kyoto. It's a bit out of the way, but less crowded, and the photos are incredibly beautiful. The autumn leaves and summer green maple are also gorgeous, it's just a bit bare in winter
2⃣️ Lake Biwa Canal
An old canal project, the red bricks are super suitable for taking Taisho-era kimono photos, especially those with lace edges
3⃣️ Blue Bottle Coffee
The Blue Bottle Coffee at the entrance of Nanzen-ji is an old internet sensation, with menus in both Japanese and English. The staff speak English well, making for barrier-free communication, perfect for a drink after visiting Nanzen-ji
4⃣️ Heian Shrine
Take a photo with the super-sized torii gate ⛩️ + the inner garden is also huge, often used for wedding photos, suitable for spring (cherry blossoms) and winter (plum blossoms)
5⃣️ Kyoto City Kyocera Museum (Kyoto Art Museum)
The Kyocera Museum's exhibitions are always beautiful, and the museum building itself is a cultural asset. The interior is all white, making for superb photos, and it also has a Japanese garden, a perfect combination of modern and traditional❗️
6⃣️ Tsutaya Bookstore
With a coffee shop and restaurant, it's a great place to dine when tired
7⃣️ Kyoto Prefectural Library
The building is also a cultural asset, with a rich collection of books for those in need
8⃣️ The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
A place people go to see exhibitions, with a new exhibition by Masakazu Kobayashi starting on 1.6, worth checking out if you're there at that time
Additionally, Kyoto Yamamoto Leather Craft Store (I love leather goods, the quality is superb) and the Kyoto Museum of Photography are also worth a visit
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This route includes art museums, libraries, temples, shrines, coffee shops, restaurants, and almost all the buildings themselves are cultural assets. You'll really regret it if you don't go
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