Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Students
Kyoto is packed with universities, including Kyoto University (or Kyōdai as it's com-
monly known) in the Northern Higashiyama district, near the intersection of Imadegawa
and Higashiōji streets (Hyakumamben Intersection). If you're after cheap eats and drinks,
this is the place to go. It's also a good place to meet young Japanese, many of whom
speak some English. Kyoto's university students are also fond of drinking in the cheap
watering holes along Kiyamachi-dōri, between Sanjō and Shijō streets. On hot summer
nights, you'll also find them drinking along the Kamo-gawa, near Sanjō-Ōhashi bridge.
They'll often be street performers entertaining the crowds.
The Smart Set
Kyoto's yuppies spend their weekend days shopping in high-end department stores like
Takashiyama and Daimarui, which also happen to be loaded with good restaurants and
cafes in which to refuel before another bout of shopping. Down on street level, these same
types can also be found browsing the boutiques that line Shijōd-ōri. For those whose fin-
ances run to imported sports cars, the destination of choice is Kitayama-dōri, where they
park their sweet rides long enough to duck into the latest gallery or French bistro. In the
evening, these well-heeled Kyotoites do their drinking and dining in such elegant venues
as Gion or Pontochō.
