Kyoto Station

To celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of their city, the people of Kyoto built the enormous Heian Jingu. For the 1,200th anniversary they built Kyoto Station. If these are any indication of things to come, it really makes you wish you could be around for the 1,300th anniversary. One can only imagine what wonders another 90 years will make possible.

Kyoto Station is the second largest rail station in the country, and certainly its most architecturally daring. An enormous cube of glass and steel, the station contains a shopping mall, theater, department store, and hotel. Several local government facilities have their offices here. The 60 meter glass atrium houses a performance space and the famous grand staircase, where people lounge on their lunch hours. The east and west sections of the station are joined by a glass corridor at the 11th floor that will challenge nearly anyone’s tolerance for heights.

It’s almost as if the trains were an afterthought. Not surprisingly, the building was somewhat controversial when it was built, though the chatter has died down over the last ten years. The station stands in fascinating contrast to the surrounding neighborhood, which contains some of Kyoto’s oldest and most important temples, as well as the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan. For visitors who are unprepared, stepping from the train into the station can be disorienting, or exhilarating, or both. Don’t listen to the carping of the building’s detractors, however benign their intentions. The building is a knockout, and well worth a bit of exploration before you wander off in search of the ‘real Japan.”

For travelers who plan to use the bus system, Kyoto Station is a good place to pick up one of the all-day bus passes, which allow you access to Kyoto city buses for an incredibly low price of 500 yen. (*Some areas are not covered by the pass. For details, check the website below.) You’ll have a hard time finding a better bargain during your stay in the city.

Matt Mangham

For more information about all-day bus passes and bus information;
Kyoto City Bus Official Website: http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html

Kyoto Tourism Council "Kyoto Travel Guide": http://www.kyoto.travel/