5 Places in Kyoto You Probably Haven't Heard About 🇯🇵 Japan Travel Guide

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Discover five lesser-known spots in Kyoto, including an immersive art experience, serene moss temples, a unique ramen shop, a retro train diner, and a scenic sandbar day trip.

1 plan · 9 places · 4 experiences

Plan · 2 places · Miyazu, Japan

Amanohashidate Day Trip: Views and Activities

“If you're looking for a day trip from Kyoto, Amanohashidate offers enough things to do to fill up your day, including visiting a local temple and trying the local mochi.”

Experience · 1 place
View Amanohashidate like a dragon
From Amanohashidate View Land, stand with your back to the sandbar, bend over, and look at the view from between your legs. This traditional 'matanozoki' pose makes the scene look like the sky, and the sandbar appears as a dragon flying to heaven. It's a unique way to experience one of Japan's most scenic views.
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Amanohashidate View Land
Amusement park · Miyazu
4.4 (1,255)Closed · opens Thursday 8:30 AM
Creator's voice
The best place to view Amanohashidate, located just behind Amanohashidate Station. A cute little ropeway takes you up to the summit. Up here, you can enjoy rides, a cafe, and even try pottery throwing. The view from here is priceless, especially when you try the traditional 'matanozoki' pose (bending over and looking between your legs) to see the sandbar as a dragon flying to heaven.
Amanohashidate Viewland, 437 Monju, Miyazu, Kyoto 626-0001, Japan
Experience · 1 place
Throw a Kawarake for good luck
At Amanohashidate View Land, you can try 'Kawarake Nage.' It's believed that by successfully throwing a kawarake (clay disc) through the chinoa (a rope ring), your wish to avoid evil and calamity will be granted. Try your luck to share in the blessings of wisdom and protection from disaster!
1
Amanohashidate View Land
Amusement park · Miyazu
4.4 (1,255)Closed · opens Thursday 8:30 AM
Creator's voice
The best place to view Amanohashidate, located just behind Amanohashidate Station. A cute little ropeway takes you up to the summit. Up here, you can enjoy rides, a cafe, and even try pottery throwing. The view from here is priceless, especially when you try the traditional 'matanozoki' pose (bending over and looking between your legs) to see the sandbar as a dragon flying to heaven.
Amanohashidate Viewland, 437 Monju, Miyazu, Kyoto 626-0001, Japan
Experience · 1 place
Bike along the sandbar
After coming down from View Land, rent a bicycle and ride along the Amanohashidate sandbar for a fun adventure. It's only about 25 meters wide at some points, so as you ride, you'll see the bay on one side and a beach on the other. The sky is so blue, making for a beautiful ride.
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Amanohashidate
Scenic spot
4.5 (5)Closed · opens Friday 12 AM
Creator's voice
A unique sandbar that runs across Miyazu Bay, translating to 'the bridge to heaven.' It's ranked among the three most scenic places in Japan. It's a great day trip from Kyoto, about a 2-hour train ride from Kyoto Station.
Amanohashidate, Monju, Miyazu, Kyoto 626-0001, Japan
Crab bento — For bonus points, grab a crab bento from near Amanohashidate Station and have a little picnic on the beach. This area is famous for its crab, so it's a local specialty worth trying.

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Experience · 1 place
Walk among the massless amorphous sculpture
My favorite room here is the 'massless amorphous sculpture.' It's an insane experience, literally like walking among clouds made of foamy bubbles. Even if a piece comes off, they somehow join back together. You can buy a raincoat if you want to stay dry, but we just used a face mask. We spent about 3 hours here and still felt like we missed some rooms, but it didn't feel crowded, even though tickets were supposedly sold out. It was very enjoyable, and I hope they keep the numbers low.
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TeamLab Kyoto: Bio Vortex
Modern art museum · Kyoto
4.6 (5,665)Open · until 9 PM
Creator's voice
A brand new, massive TeamLab exhibition in Kyoto, spanning three stories with both familiar and new installations. It's the biggest TeamLab in Japan and the creator personally prefers it over the Tokyo ones. Tickets can be booked through Klook, and using the code 'Sunny in Japan' offers a discount.
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, 21-5 Higashikujo Higashiiwamotocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8006, Japan
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Gioji Temple
Buddhist temple · Kyoto
4.5 (2,784)Closed · opens Thursday 9 AM
Creator's voice
A beautiful moss temple in Arashiyama, about a 15-minute walk from the famous bamboo forest. The entrance fee is 300 yen. It features a modest thatched-roof main hall surrounded by a stunning moss garden that feels like something out of a fairy tale. The temple is named after a 12th-century dancer, Gio, who became a nun here.
Giōji Temple, 32 Sagatoriimoto Kozakacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8435, Japan
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Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street
Tourist attraction
4.4Closed · opens Friday 10 AM
Creator's voice
A gorgeous local Kyoto street located just off Gioji Temple. As you walk along it, you'll see lovely traditional houses and a couple of other cool temples.
Saga-toriimoto preserved street, 嵯峨鳥居本 Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8435, Japan
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Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
Buddhist temple
4.3 (2,036)Closed · opens 9 AM
Creator's voice
A very old temple, founded around 1,200 years ago, that served as a burial and memorial site. It features 8,000 stone graves representing people who died alone. It has a solemn atmosphere, making it feel a bit weird to call it a sightseeing location, but that's also what makes it special. At the back, there's a mini bamboo forest leading to another cemetery. Please respect any no-photography signs around the grave sites.
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple, １７番地 Sagatoriimoto Adashinocho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8436, Japan
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Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Buddhist temple
4.7 (3,591)Closed · opens tomorrow 9 AM
Creator's voice
Probably one of the coolest and most unique temples in Kyoto, located about a 10-minute walk past Adashino Nenbutsuji. Around 70 years ago, a Buddhist sculptor, Kocho Nishimura, restored the temple with the help of pilgrims, creating over 1,000 stone statues of Buddha's followers, called Rakan. These statues are a gorgeous fusion of religion and self-expression, depicting Rakan in various poses like deep in prayer, singing, playing instruments, or holding cats.
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, 2-5 Sagatoriimoto Fukatanicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8439, Japan
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Maya Ininoi (Uji Branch)
Cafe · Uji
4.2 (1,798)Open · until 6 PM
Creator's voice
A Michelin-recommended ramen restaurant with a new branch in Uji that currently has no wait time, unlike its main branch in central Kyoto which can have a 2.5-hour wait. The Uji branch is about 20 minutes by train from Kyoto Station, past Fushimi Inari. Uji is known as the green tea capital of the country and is worth a day trip.
Itoh Kyuemon - JR Uji Station / Sabo, Umonji-16-1 Uji, Kyoto 611-0021, Japan
- Soy sauce based ramen (white broth) — Maya Ininoi specializes in soy sauce-based ramen. They offer two types of broth: white or black soy sauce. I personally prefer the light white broth, especially when you add yuzu zest – it's so good! The soup itself is unique because it's made without any animal products, getting its umami from fish, which contributes to its light flavor.
- Soy sauce based ramen (black broth) — Maya Ininoi specializes in soy sauce-based ramen, offering both white and black soy sauce broths. Both soups are great, and you can choose toppings like pork chashu or beef. The soup is unique as it's made without animal products, deriving its umami from fish.
- Wagyu beef don — This Wagyu beef don is an exclusive item available only at the Uji branch. It's a great option if you're looking for something beyond ramen.
- Shumai — The shumai here are incredibly good. They're a must-try side dish.
- Kodo ku (dried seaweed) — If you're feeling adventurous, try adding this kodo ku to your ramen. It's thinly sliced dried seaweed that dissolves into an interesting texture in the soup. It might look a bit unusual, but it's pretty good once you get over the appearance.
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Future Train Kyoto Diner and Cafe
Restaurant · Kyoto
4.5 (561)Open · until 10 PM
Creator's voice
A unique dining experience located just one stop from Kyoto Station, built on an abandoned train railway line inside an old Thunderbird express train. It has a super retro yet futuristic vibe with bright colors, like the pink and blue car 2 we were in. It's cashless and you order via QR code. They recommend booking ahead, though you might get lucky with a weekday lunch walk-in. There are different unique carriages, an art experience space, and a terrace.
Japan, 〒600-8835 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Kankijicho, ３−7 梅小路ハイライン FUTURE TRAIN KYOTO DINER & CAFE
- Future Ekiben Box — An 'ekiben' is a bento box you buy at train stations before hopping on a bullet train, so this dish is very on-theme for the diner. It's a fun and unique meal option.
- Ume Burger — This is the signature dish, a pink ume burger that was like a pile of sukiyaki in a burger. It was actually really tasty, though quite messy to eat. I felt like absolute royalty when it arrived!
- Kawaii Fivetory Pagoda Parfait — This parfait was very 'extra' and visually impressive. It features strawberry and white chocolate, with cookie stuff inside. My companion rated it a 7 out of 10 because, according to him, a parfait needs corn flakes.
- Pokémon manhole — Just outside the Future Train Kyoto Diner and Cafe, keep an eye out for an adorable Pokémon manhole cover. It's one of the many small details around the restaurant that are a hit of dopamine when you notice them.

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