28 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Kyoto - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Kyoto

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

Nishiki Market

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The Ten Thousand "Torii" Shrine.

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

Sanjūsangen-dō

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Ryōan-ji

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo trail

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Kyoto

Nishiki Market

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

Honke Owariya

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

This 25th-generation family business has been serving sweets for more than a millennium.

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Exploration through a history of exile, gold rush, and thriving cultural traditions.

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Stories About Kyoto

Artisans at the company have been fussing over small details for centuries.

The Enduring Haute Couture of a 466-Year Old Kimono House

How Chiso, a relatively obscure Japanese textile firm, keeps an age-old craft fresh.

February 1, 2021

The Yuki-onna from <em>Bakemono no e</em>, an Edo-era Japanese handscroll depicting Japanese yōkai.

The Ghostly Japanese Fireball Spirits That Live On in Pokémon

The digital descendants of 'yōkai' can be spotted in many Japanese games.

by Sabrina Imbler

October 29, 2019

A baker makes fortune cookies at Hougyokudo in Kyoto, Japan.

The Free Cookie in Your Chinese Takeout Is Actually Japanese

Fortune cookies emerged from one of America’s darkest moments.

by Selena Takigawa Hoy

October 11, 2019

A flirty tanuki, or racoon dog, crafted by artist Masatami in the late 18th century.

These Cheeky Statuettes Were Part of Edo-Era Japan’s Answer to Pockets

Ornate netsuke were practical status symbols.

by Sabrina Imbler

Sneaky foxes like to rob Nagaokakyo residents' shoe racks.

Found: Foxes Stealing Shoes in Japan

And they would have gotten away with 40 pairs, if it weren't for the police.

by Christina Ayele Djossa

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