Top 10 Hidden Gems & Not Well-Known Cool Places to Visit in Kyoto

Kyoto is a beautiful city that is full of history! It was spared during WWII, not bombarded, so it still contains a huge cultural heritage. All tourists visit the Imperial Palace, Gion, Kinkaku-Ji Golden Pavilion, Bamboo Forest and Monkey Park in Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizudera Temple, etc. These places are packed with tourists! They are indeed beautiful places. However, I often enjoy visiting places that feel more authentic, are more peaceful, have less people around, and when someone starts talking about Kyoto, I can brag about visiting not that popular places, feeling like a pro Kyoto citizen. I'm kidding of course, but I really like places that are more solitary and yet have a nice atmosphere filled with Japanese culture, just being in the Land of Gods. I have visited Kyoto several times, so let me introduce some of such places to you. Maybe someone will find them as cool as I do and include them in their itinerary. Below is a video I made during my trip to Japan during the Hanami Sakura season in 2024.

Rakusai Bamboo Forest

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Everybody knows the bamboo forests in Japan. They look really nice and remind of the samurai times. Also, everyone knows the famous forest in Arashiyama. Almost always full of people and overcrowded. What if there was an alternative, larger, more natural, more peaceful, less people? Well, there is! This park is a little bit far from the city center, but it is an amazing and peaceful place. One can get quite close by the train. The area is not crowded at all and it is really nice escape from the hustle of the city center.

Takeisao (Kenkun) Shrine

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This shrine is located on a small hill with a forest. It is a place dedicated to Oda Nobunaga, famous samurai who played a crucial role in the unificaiton of Japan. This shrine acts as his burial site.

Tanukidani-san Fudō-in Temple

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This temple is secluded in the mountain forest. There are cute Tanuki statues and the whole place is quite serene. It is quite close to Ginkaku-Ji Silve Pavillion. The temple is also famous for its fire festival.

Mountain and Forest Hikes

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People often notice that Japan is surprisingly hilly. A lot of mountains around cities. There is plenty of hiking trails all around Kyoto. Definitely try some! Japanese forests are really nice and mysterious, resembling the atmosphere of Ghibli films like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away. These trails are often not very long or extremely difficult so one can integrate them into an ordinary tourist itinerary. I can recommend the trail from Mt. Kurama to Kifune Shrine. It is possible to get to Kurama by train, visit the shrines and continue to Kifune, then take the bus to the train station at Kibuneguchi. Another nice trail is from Jingo-Ji Temple to Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji in Arashiyama.

Maruyama Park

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This park is just a nice relaxation zone, beautiful during the Sakura season, one of the best Hanami spots. When I visited this place in the spring, many Japanese people were chilling there, some street artists performing, and it is near quite popular Yasaka Shrine where I bought takoyaki at the stalls. I also wanted to visit this place to see the statue of Sakamoto Ryouma, a famous samurai from the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Mausoleum of Emperor Meiji

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Emperor Meiji, who stood behind the famous Meiji restoration and modernized Japan, is highly regarded in Japan. This mausoleum is a beautiful and peaceful place. A nice forest around, mostly locals there. The mausoleum looks very simple yet magnificent. It is also worth visiting Fushimi-Momoyama-jō Castle nearby.

Ōiwa Shrine

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If you want a bit of an adventure, you can visit this almost abandoned shrine. In the middle of the forest, inhabited just by the forest spirits. The ruin-like appearance makes it even more interesting and nice.

Komyo-ji Temple

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This temple is beautiful in spring and also in autumn. Both sakuras and red-leaved maples are there. We visited during spring and this temple felt quiet and peaceful. The old man who was guarding the place was very nice and friendly, started explaining us the concepts of Buddhism and the history of the place.

Kōmyō-in Temple

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Not as well-known as gardens in Ryoan-ji, Nanzen-ji, or Shōsei-en, but a very harmonious zen garden in this temple just brings peace to one's heart. This temple is small, but feels very authentic. The traditional walls, tatami, and windows that the visitors can see from a close distance. I like that there was no receptionist and they only left a bamboo trunk there where people should throw the money for the visit. It felt friendly and trusting.

Yoshidayama

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This hill is a nice place to relax in nature but still in the middle of the city. There are two nice shrines, Munetada and Yoshida.

I hope you found something interesting in this list. One more extra place which is not cultural nor historical that I'd recommend is Aeon Mall near Kyoto station. Great place near the city center, especially with a great grocery supermarket. I went there to grab something yummy for a dinner whenever I could! Enjoy Japan!

Keywords: Nihon, shrines, temples
#japan #hanami #kyoto #traveljapan #japantravel #日本