Right in front of JR Kyoto Station is Kyoto Tower. Standing at 131 meters tall, Kyoto Tower is not just for you to admire from the outside – there's so much you can do inside too! From the beautiful scenery from the observation deck, to gourmet food and shopping, there's even a hotel and public bath!
Kyoto conjures up images of temples and shrines, but it's recommended to start your trip from here instead. While mingling with both tourists and locals, enjoy a fulfilling day here at this Kyoto icon, with ample measures in place against Covid-19.
Fifth-Floor Observation Deck: Enjoy the panoramic view from Kyoto Tower's observatory deck first!
JR Kyoto Station, which is also a stop along the Tokaido Shinkansen. Once you exit from the Central Exit (Karasuma Exit) that is thronged with people, right before your eyes will be Kyoto Tower. As it's just a two-minute walk away from the station, there is excellent access there without any risk of getting lost.
The elegant white and slim structure of Kyoto Tower was built with the motif of a lighthouse. Compared to other skyscrapers and towers built in Japan in recent years, it may not seem very tall.
Still, in the streets of Kyoto, which has a height limit on buildings, it's one of the tallest structures around! This tower building has shops, a hotel, and even a bathhouse, stretching from the third basement level to the eleventh.
On top of that, there is an observatory, spanning floors three to five of the observation deck, a unique construction element.
First, take the elevator up to the entrance of the observation deck, on the eleventh floor. At the ticket sales counter, there is a vending machine on the left that accepts cash only, and there is a manned counter on the right which accepts cashless payments (some payment methods via QR code are available).
Admission: 800 yen for adults, 650 yen for high school students, 550 yen for elementary and middle school students, and 150 yen for toddlers above three years old (all with tax)
From here, take the special elevator that goes straight to the observation deck's fifth floor. Inside the elevator, you can enjoy a special video featuring the mascot character, Tawawa-chan.
On the observation deck's fifth floor are binoculars that are free to use, and you can feel just how close popular sightseeing spots such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple are! A panoramic view of Kyoto's streets is, of course, a given., but on especially clear days, you can even see Osaka.
Close to Kyoto Station, you can see Higashi-Honganji Temple
There are eight "Touch Panel-style Tourist Information Monitors&qu…
