GET TO KNOW THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Go early for the southern lanes. Leave another day for Okazaki’s museums or the quieter paths around Yoshida and Ginkaku-ji.
Higashiyama stretches far beyond its famous southern streets. Treat this as three connected areas, not one day’s checklist: the temple approaches around Kiyomizu, the museums and canals of Okazaki, and the quieter northern world around Yoshida and Ginkaku-ji.
Southern Higashiyama is one of Kyoto’s busiest sightseeing areas. Come early for Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, then move towards a quieter temple or a museum as the day builds. The old pilgrimage streets are worth seeing; they simply reward a different rhythm from the middle of a tour-group afternoon.
Okazaki tells another story: the city’s modern cultural institutions and the Lake Biwa Canal sit alongside older temples. Farther north, the university, wooded shrine grounds and mountain paths give the eastern hills an everyday quality. Allow separate days to get to know these different parts.
SIGHTS & STORIES
Start early for Kiyomizu and the old slopes.
Kiyomizu-dera
Tradition dates the temple’s foundation to 778, around the waters of Otowa. The great timber stage projects over the hillside and turns the city below into part of the visit.
Go early, include time for the approach, and look beyond the familiar view to the halls and paths within the precinct.
Ryozen Kannon
The immense seated Kannon belongs to a memorial established in 1955 for those who died in the Asia-Pacific War.
It is a very different historical encounter from the medieval temples nearby. Visit quietly and take time to read the memorial’s own account of its purpose.
Kōdai-ji
One of my favourites. Nene founded the temple in 1606 in memory of her husband, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Gardens, tea houses and the relationship between the buildings and hillside make it worth slowing down. The surrounding lanes offer a way to step away from the main procession towards Kiyomizu.
Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka
These streets developed around the journey to Kiyomizu-dera. Their late-Edo, Meiji and Taishō buildings form part of the Sannenzaka preservation district, designated in 1976.
Walk between Kiyomizu and Kōdai-ji before the busiest hours; the stone steps and narrow lanes need patience when crowded.
Kyoto National Museum
Opened in 1897, Kyoto National Museum houses historic Japanese art especially connected to Kyoto’s temples and cultural history.
Its Meiji-era brick building and modern galleries sit near Shichijō in southern Higashiyama. Allow a half day to explore, and check which galleries and exhibitions are open.
Museums, gardens and a quieter temple afternoon.
Shōren-in
An imperial-connected Tendai temple whose roots reach back to Mount Hiei. Its gardens and the rooms looking onto them invite a quieter visit than the famous streets farther south.
Sit for a while, then continue towards Okazaki; this is a place to enjoy rather than simply pass through.
Heian Jingū
Founded in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of Kyoto’s establishment as the capital, the shrine deliberately recalls the architecture of the old imperial palace.
The great courtyard and the garden behind it feel quite different: leave time for the garden if you want the slower experience.
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
MoMAK has been collecting and exhibiting modern art since 1963, with a strong relationship to Kyoto and western Japan. Its current Fumihiko Maki building opened in 1986.
Choose an exhibition that interests you, rather than assuming the collection alone will be on display.
Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
The museum opened in 1933 and its 2020 renewal combines the historic building with contemporary spaces. Architecture, the garden and the programme all justify a visit.
It is across the road from MoMAK, but two museums deserve more than a rushed hour.
Nanzen-ji
Founded in 1291 on a former imperial retreat, this Zen complex places monumental architecture beside intimate gardens.
Its brick aqueduct belongs to the much later Lake Biwa Canal project. Choose one or two paid interiors, then walk under the aqueduct; each part of the precinct has its own visiting arrangements.
Yoshida, Ginkaku-ji and paths towards the mountain.
Yoshida Shrine & Yoshida-yama
Founded in 859, the shrine later became a centre of Yoshida Shinto under Yoshida Kanetomo.
Walk up through the wooded precinct behind Kyoto University, then continue onto Yoshida-yama. Mo-an is on the hill near the summit, rather than inside the shrine: a lovely place to stop for tea when open.
The Philosopher’s Path
The canal-side path takes its name from philosopher Nishida Kitarō, who walked in this part of Kyoto. The canal itself belongs to the city’s modern infrastructure.
Walk a section slowly, looking down the small side streets, rather than treating the entire length as a mandatory connection.
Ginkaku-ji
Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s fifteenth-century villa became the temple now known as the Silver Pavilion.
Its importance lies in the culture that gathered around it as well as the pavilion itself. The sand garden and hillside path make a visit much richer than a single photograph of the building.
Daimonji
The great 大 fire bed is part of Gozan Okuribi, the August 16 observance marking the end of Obon. On an ordinary day, the walk above Ginkaku-ji offers a broad view across Kyoto.
This is a mountain path with steep steps: take water, proper shoes and a weather-appropriate plan, and respect any seasonal access restrictions.
AT THE TABLE
Tofu, udon, bakeries and small cafés between temples and neighbourhood walks.
01 / UDON / NEAR GINKAKU-JI
A small udon lunch near the northern university district.
02 / VEGAN / JŌDO-JI
Vegetable-led cooking above the gallery in Jōdo-ji, with a seasonal plate that makes lunch feel like a proper part of the day.
03 / OKONOMIYAKI / NEAR EIKAN-DŌ
A sit-down okonomiyaki lunch near Eikan-dō and the southern end of the Philosopher’s Path.
04 / SEASONAL JAPANESE / SHIRAKAWA
Seasonal cooking beside the Shirakawa canal. A good choice when you want breakfast or lunch to have its own place in the itinerary; check the current sittings.
05 / A DRINK / HIGASHIYAMA
An evening drink near Higashiyama Station, in Minamisaikaishichō. Keep it for the end of an Okazaki or central Higashiyama day, with enough time to settle in.
06 / BAKERY / HIGASHIYAMA
Pick up breakfast or pause for something baked before heading into the temple district.
07 / A CONSIDERED MEAL / MARUTAMACHI
Keep this for a meal near the river before or after exploring Yoshida. Confirm the current menu and reservation arrangements directly.
08 / TOFU / PHILOSOPHER’S PATH
Yudofu—gently warmed tofu—makes a fitting lunch near the Philosopher’s Path. Kisaki also serves sesame tofu and other accompaniments.
SHAPE YOUR DAYS
A sample stay, with room to linger.
Start at the temple, then descend through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka while you can still see the streets clearly.
Allow an hour for the temple and gardens. Ryozen Kannon is a nearby alternative or addition if you want a shorter day.
Reserve Tan if it is your chosen lunch; otherwise take a bakery pause and continue at your own pace.
Visit the garden, then choose either one Okazaki museum or Nanzen-ji. Both together would turn this into a long afternoon.
Begin at Yoshida Shrine, climb to Mo-an, have lunch around the northern district and visit Ginkaku-ji.
FROM THE ARCHIVE
FIND YOUR WAY
ANOTHER PART OF THE CITY
MAKE IT YOUR JOURNEY
Build a journey around the places and experiences that interest you.
