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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Kyoto

34 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Kyoto, Japan

Updated December 12, 2022

Unusual Attractions in Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

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

Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

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

Kyoto, Japan

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

Kyoto, Japan

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

Kyoto, Japan

Sanjūsangen-dō

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

Kyoto, Japan

Ryōan-ji

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

Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Kyoto, Japan

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

See All 34 Things To Do in Kyoto

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

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

Kyoto, Japan

Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

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

Kyoto, Japan

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

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

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Guided Tours of Kyoto

Atlas Obscura Trips

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

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Sacred Spaces 4

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Stories About Kyoto

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 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

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

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

Ornate netsuke were practical status symbols.

by Sabrina Imbler

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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