Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHOPPING
| BOOKSHOP
JUNKUDŌ
OFFLINE MAP
(
ジュンク堂書店
; 253-6460; Kyoto BAL Bldg, 2-251 Yamazaki-chō, Sanjō sagaru, Kawaramachi-dōri,
Nakagyō-ku; 11am-8pm; 10min walk from Kawaramachi Station, Hankyū line)
On the 5th to 8th floors
of the BAL building, right downtown, this is one of Kyoto's best bookshops. The 7th floor
has a good selection of English books and a smaller selection of books in other European
languages. It also stocks English-language manga, magazines, Lonely Planet travel guides,
and Japanese-language textbooks and reference books. There is an excellent cafe on the top
floor which has a great view over Kyoto to the Higashiyama mountains. You can get light
meals here as well as drinks.
| TEA
IPPO-DŌ
OFFLINE MAP
(
一保堂
; 211-3421; Teramachi-dōri, Nijō, Nakagyō-ku; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm Sun & holidays, cafe
11am-5pm; 10min walk from Kyoto-Shiyakusho-mae Station, Tōzai subway line)
This old-style tea shop
sells the best Japanese tea in Kyoto. Its
matcha
(powdered green tea used in tea ceremon-
ies) makes an excellent and lightweight souvenir. Try a 40g container of
wa-no-mukashi
(meaning 'old-time Japan') for ¥1600, which makes 25 cups of excellent green tea. Ippo-dō
is north of the city hall, on Teramachi-dōri. It has an adjoining teahouse.
ARITSUGU
OFFLINE MAP
(
有次
; 221-1091; 219 Kajiya-chō, Gokomachi nishi iru, Nishikikōji-dōri, Nakagyō-ku; 9am-5.30pm;
5min walk from Kawaramachi Station, Hankyū line)
While you're in the Nishiki Market, have a look at
this store - it's where you can find some of the best kitchen knives in the world. It also car-
ries a selection of excellent and unique Japanese kitchenware.
| KNIVES, KITCHENWARE
| DEPARTMENT STORE
TAKASHIMAYA
OFFLINE MAP
(
高島屋
; 221-8811; Shimogyō-ku, Shijō-dōri, Kawaramachi Nishi iru, Shin-chō 52; 10am-8pm, restaurants
to 9.30pm; 1min walk from Kawaramachi Station, Hankyū line)
The grande dame of Kyoto department
stores, Takashimaya is almost a tourist attraction in its own right, from the mind-boggling
riches of the basement food floor to the wonderful selection of lacquerware and ceramics
on the 6th floor. And don't miss the kimono!
