Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
KYOTO INTERNATIONAL MANGA MUSEUM
OFFLINE MAP
Nakagyō-ku; adult/child ¥500/ 100; 10am-6pm; 3min walk from Karasuma-Oike Station, Karasuma & Tōzai
subway lines)
This fine museum has a collection of some 300,000 manga (Japanese comic
books). Located in an old elementary school building, the museum is the perfect introduc-
tion to the art of manga. While most of the manga and displays are in Japanese, the collec-
tion of translated works is growing.
| MUSEUM
In addition to the galleries that show both the historical development of manga and ori-
ginal artwork done in manga style, there are beginners' workshops and portrait drawings on
weekends. Visitors with children will appreciate the children's library and the occasional
performances of
kami-shibai
(humorous traditional Japanese sliding-picture shows), not to
mention the AstroTurf lawn where the kids can run free. The museum hosts six month-long
special exhibits yearly: check the website for details.
PONTOCHŌ
OFFLINE MAP
(
先斗町
; Nakagyō-ku; 2min walk from Kawaramachi Station, Hankyū line)
There are few streets in
Asia that rival this narrow pedestrian-only walkway for atmosphere. Not much to look at
by day, the street comes alive by night, with wonderful lanterns, traditional wooden exteri-
ors and elegant Kyotoites disappearing into the doorways of elite old restaurants and bars.
| NEIGHBOURHOOD
Pontochō is between the Kamo-gawa and Kiyamachi-dōri. Many of the restaurants and
teahouses can be difficult to enter, but several reasonably priced, accessible places can be
found. Even if you have no intention of patronising one of the businesses here, it makes a
nice stroll in the evening, perhaps combined with a walk in nearby Gion.
Pontochō is also a great place to spot
geiko
(geisha) and
maiko
(apprentice geisha) mak-
ing their way between appointments, especially on weekend evenings at the Shijō-dōri end
of the street.
| MARKET
MUSEUM OF KYOTO
OFFLINE MAP
| MUSEUM
