The Atlas Obscura Guide To Kyoto

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

Updated June 4, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Kyoto

Sagano Bamboo Forest

Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

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

Sashimi on a stick.

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.

Yokai Street

Kyoto, Japan

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Sanjusagendo Temple

Kyoto, Japan

Sanjūsangen-dō

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

Ryōan-ji

Kyoto, Japan

Ryōan-ji

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

Kyoto, Japan

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.

See All 44 Things To Do in Kyoto

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Kyoto

Sashimi on a stick.

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.

Horai-soba, the signature dish at Honke Owariya.

Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

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

Ichimonjiya Wasuke.

Kyoto, Japan

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

See all 8 Places to Eat in Kyoto

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Explore Kyoto, Japan

Temples 9

Shrines 8

History & Culture 6

Buddhism 5

Statues 4

Sacred Spaces 4

Architecture 4

Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

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Stories About Kyoto

Artisans at the company have been fussing over small details for centuries.

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 Yuki-onna from Bakemono no e, an Edo-era Japanese handscroll depicting Japanese yōkai.

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

A baker makes fortune cookies at Hougyokudo in Kyoto, Japan.

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

A flirty tanuki, or racoon dog, crafted by artist Masatami in the late 18th century.

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

Ornate netsuke were practical status symbols.

by Sabrina Imbler

Sneaky foxes like to rob Nagaokakyo residents' shoe racks.

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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