KYOTO VISITOR'S GUIDE

Discount Tickets
Kyoto City Transportation Bureau offers a one-day pass: 500 yen for buses, 600 yen for subways, 1,200 yen (for one day) or 2,000 yen (for two days) for bus and subway.

How To use
Bus pass: insert the card in the slot beside the driver; for rural destination buses insert card upon entry and exit. One-day passes and Traffica Cards can be purchased at information centers, tobacco kiosks, from bus drivers and at many convenience stores.

Sunday & high season transportation tips
To get around Kyoto faster, especially on peak days, like Sundays and national holidays, keep these points in mind: 1) to get to Kinkaku-ji Temple and/or Daitoku-ji Temple take the subway from Kyoto Stn. to Kitaoji Stn. and take city bus #204 going west. 2) to get to Ginkaku-ji Temple from downtown or Kyoto Stn. take the subway to Imadegawa and change to city bus #203. 3) To get to Arashiyama take the Randen line (from Omiya Stn. or Kitano Hakubaicho Stn.) or the Hankyu line (change at Katsura).

Buses
In Japan, you enter the bus from the back, exit and pay at the front. Change for 500 yen coins and 1,000 yen bills, etc. can be made by the machine at the front of the bus. Innner city buses charge a flat rate of 220 yen. You can also purchases booklets of 5 tickets called kaisuken (1,000 yen ). Rural buses issue numbered tickets upon entry. The fare for your number is shown on the electronic board at the upper left front of the bus. Bus scheduled at bus stops are easy to read: the left column is for weekdays, the middle column is for Saturdays, and the right column is for Sundays and holidays.

Raku Bus
The Raku bus routes (number 100, 101, 102) are very convenient if you want to see a combination of major Kyoto tourist sights in a single day. All Raku lines depart from Kyoto Stn. bus terminal. Raku #100: for Kiyomizu Temple, Heian Shrine, Ginkaku-ji Temple. Raku #101: for Nijyo Castle, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kinkaku-ji Temple. Raku #102: for Ginkaku-ji Temple to Kinkaku-ji Temple route (via Daitoku-ji Temple). Pamphlets in English, Chinese and Korean, explaining the various sights on the route, are available at the Kyoto City Transportation Center underground in the Karasuma Oike subway Stn. and major tourist information centers.

Subways
Kyoto has two subway lines: Karasuma line (north–south): runs from Takeda Stn. in the south to Kokusaikaikan Stn. in the north, Tozai line (east–west): runs from Uzumasa Tenjingawa Stn. in the west to Rokujizo Stn. in the east. Service hours: 5:30–23:30. The underground sections of the Hankyu and Keihan Railways can also be used to cover short distances quickly in the city.

Trains
Kyoto is connected to Osaka via the Hankyu (downtown), Keihan (along east side of river) and JR (from Kyoto Stn.) lines; and to Nara by the JR and Kintetsu lines ( both from Kyoto Stn.) The Randen line provides access to Arashiyama and northwestern Kyoto form Omiya Stn. and Kitano Hakubaicho Stn. The Eizan line provides access to the northern edge of the city: Kurama, Kibune and Yase (near Ohara) from Demachiyanagi Stn.

Bycycle Rental
Cycling is an excellent way to get around Kyoto. Bycycles can be rented from: Kyo no Raku Chari: 2,000 yen/bicycle/day.

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2008 August
Published on the 1st
of every month.
The 223th issue, since 1987.