JR Kyoto Station

JR Kyoto Station is one of those mega stations as you can spend a day here food crawling, shopping and getting lost.
Here you can catch local train, Shinkansen, subways and buses. A transportation hub.
Major eateries also operates smaller shops inside the station. Lines can be long for some of the popular restaurants. But this is just common in most of the bigger cities anywhere in the World.
The main hall area is spacious with tons of skylights.
We arrived during rush hour and everywhere was full of people, it was quite a chaotic experience if you are not familiar with the layout.

Cette gare est complètement folle.
Architecturalement parlant déjà, elle est vraiment hyper moderne. On a le vertige d’en bas en levant la tête tellement c’est haut. Une douzaine d’étages (rien que ça), avec à chaque étage, des magasins, des bureaux, et des restaurants. Encore une fois — je l’avais déjà précisé dans un autre avis, à la gare, on peut bien manger, en plus !
Vous y trouverez tout plein d’échoppes à ramens au 10ème, mais aussi des donuts stores, des cookies stores, et même une boutique de gaufres (dont l’odeur nous aura motivé plus d’une fois).
Le point d’information touristes est très bien fait et très sympathique. Le point d’achat des bus, hyper efficace. Le point d’achat de billets JR, hyper rapide.
La gare est grande, mais relativement bien tracée, on se repère bien entre les JR locaux et les grandes lignes JR.
Un point central bondé, mais pratique.

One of my favorite stations of all of Japan, and I have quite a large sample size. It’s massive and impressively built. Although all the floors can get confusing. You can access shinkansens/​hyabusas and JR lines from this station. There are many stores and restaurants. There’s a grocery store near one of the entrances that sells many items at 50% off at night. This station has many lockers, some even on the platforms. I was here during Golden Week and there were still plenty of lockers available.
There’s a Mister Donut right out side of this station, as well as inside. You might’ve noticed by now that I mention Mister Donut often. It’s cause you’re going to want to pick up a donut (s) for breakfast or as snacks. The one in this station is located on the 2^nd floor.

It is a nice station that had quite a few shops. It can be a wee bit daunting to navigate, but on a whole English is everywhere. This helps the foreigner to navigate. In the passage between north and south platforms there is a collection of the toy ball machines.

Grande gare mais après quelques temps d’adaptation il est facile de s’y retrouver.
Les quais pour les tgv sont d’un côté avec un contrôle supplémentaire de billet.
Les voies pour Nara et Uji sont 8,9 ou 10. En gros selon votre destination les voies né changent pas. En plus c’est indiqué en japonais et anglais.
Il y a pas mal de boutiques et restos notamment au 10ième et 11ième étage avec pleins de ramen au dixième.
Des points d’information en anglais, une grande gare routière devant, des casiers pour bagages de toute taille.
Vous risquez d’y passer souvent lors de votre séjour.

Massive station with a lot to do here. Attached are 3 different malls and it is easy walking distance to several nearby temples. The top floor has some nice views of the city and a nice park to relax. On the opposite side of the building are a other places to sit and partake of the city views and it is a lot less crowded. There are plenty of places to eat here. On the next to top floor is a ramen alley with several ramen shops showcasing the different styles from around Japan.

JR KYOTO STATION
We did a day trip from Tokyo to Kyoto on Tuesday, April 12^th. Since all the temples close around 5pm, we decided to just head to the Kyoto Station to have dinner. This station is huge! So many shops, stores, places to eat, etc.
We were trying to go upstairs to all the restaurants with a view, but we couldn’t figure out how to get up there. After walking around in circles, we decided to just have dinner at a ramen place called Tonkotu Ramen in their shopping plaza Porta. (Not sure if that was the name of the ramen place, but it was the only name on their English sign.) The ramen was good. It was fast, easy and relatively cheap. We also found the convenience store Suvaco where I found some Lemon Pocky (¥195)! I also found some Tea Kit Kats (¥378) on the train platform.
I wish we weren’t so tired when we got to the Kyoto Station. I would have loved to walk around and explore the station. Instead, we just chilled in their waiting room til it was time for our train. At least we got to try some ramen!

4.5 stars
The trains run frequently in Japan as we have learned from our stay here so we were able to buy our tickets for the airport express the same day as our flight in the information office. You can also get a refund of your 500 yen deposit and any remaining balance on your ICOCA card here (or in the appropriate ticket machines in the station) for a small fee.
We didn’t have time to check out the ramen restaurants on the 10^th floor (yes they have 10+ floors) but Kyoto Station seemed to have had everything planned out for us. There was a noodle shop ON the platform next to the train. This was extremely convenient and although not the best ramen, did its job very well. I am highly impressed with the architectural design and practical layout of this station!
Note: it’s about 75 minutes ride to the Kansai airport from Kyoto station and a 2.5h bullet train ride to Kyoto from Tokyo. The transfer from the Shinkansen bullet train to the JR train lines was a bit confusing because we didn’t know which platform/​train to take.

One word. EPIC. This place is absolutely humongous. If you are taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, then this is the station that awaits you. From groceries stores to department stores to entire alleyways filled with Ramen. Escalators going seemingly up to the heavens, and platforms galore. This place was fun to experience and I can honestly say Ramen Alley was my favorite part. Good times!

Traveling to and from Kyoto via this station absolutely will not train on your parade. If you just walk through the station from the bus stops to the JR platforms, you’ll miss out on an amazing station. If you’re in Kyoto on vacation it’s definitely worth budgeting an hour to check this place out, while traveling through.
The architecture of the station is stunning, with a towering truss roof high above the main transit area. A set of escalators goes up a series of terraced floors, away from the main area. On the tenth floor there is a ramen food court and on the roof a garden. The garden wasn’t that spectacular but the roof offers a nice view of Kyoto.

I love Kyoto station! I love how massive and open this place is. Since we frequented this station a lot, we became quite familiar with it. Yeah, it’s super busy like any other train station, but I never felt suffocated because of its open areas. Plus, there were plenty of places to dine in– ramen street at the 10^th floor for starters! Plus many more restaurants above it and scattered throughout the whole station. Also, a lot of places to shop!

Being a Londoner, I do like using public transport to travel within the city as well as traveling to and from the city. However, the Japanese have a different mentality and philosophy about their train stations
They are massive structures and of course massive transport hubs. Kyoto’s JR station is the terminus for the Shinkansen (bullet train) services to an impressive array of Japanese cities as well as local services. We caught a direct train from Kansai international airport, which was very convenient
The 2 subway lines in Kyoto run north-​south and east-​west and intersect at this station. The bus station and taxi stand can be found at the Central gate
It is busy and bustly but signs are plentiful and in English as well as Japanese and mandarin. Finding English speakers can be challenging in Japan but not so at the station. The ticket offices are staffed by English speaking staff and there are even roaming guides in the station, looking to help lost looking tourists
One confusing thing about Japanese public transport is that different operators run the different lines with different tickets valid on different lines. Happily, you can purchase an Icoca card, which you can load with money and use on all modes of public transport. However, for our group of 4, we found it more convenient to get cabs. Though the cab drivers don’t generally speak much English, they could recognise the names of the famous tourist sites even if spoken with bad foreign accents!
The last thing is to point out that Japanese train stations are great places to go for shopping and eating. Yes, really. They’re attached to giant malls and offer a huge array of eating options, which are of high quality. I’m a ramen freak and there is a ramen street on the 10^th floor

Just like with most any other station in a large city in Japan, Kyoto Station has it all. More than just a rail station, this is a shopping mall. There are retailers that sell clothes, shoes, food, and pretty much anything you could want or need. There are games stores, bakeries, and even home goods stores.
Not as fancy as Tokyo Station, I still found some really lovely high-​end, high quality shops. If you’re traveling to or through Kyoto, save time to come here and shop or at least browse for an hour. And hunt down the Laduree and Pierre Herme outposts if you want classic or modern French macarons!
Down in one of the lower level shop areas I found a giant Lego version of the Kyoto station. It was so impressive! And the station itself is pretty gorgeous. With really tall ceilings and lots of glass, it’s quite impressive.

The Kyoto station is connected to pretty much every line in the city. It’s pretty massive with shops, restaurants, and well. trains. We arrived here around 8:00 AM from Tokyo. When I got here, it was extremely busy. We picked up some snacks at one of the shops then went on our way to the first temple out of 14 things we had to do on our agenda for our day trip then catch the train back to Tokyo at 8:00 PM.
The station is pretty much like the rest of Kyoto. Kyoto is a beautiful city, rich in culture, a robust history and vast in traditions. I totally recommend taking the train into Kyoto. It’s a great spot and you could hop on the local train to your first stop.

This station is like a mall.
I recommend getting the city bus pass at kyoto station. For 500 yen you can ride unlimited for a day on the bus. There are some restrictions to which types of buses you can go on. If you don’t buy the pass here they don’t sell them on the actual buses so plan wisely.
Stop by the tourist information center for free bus and city maps.

Kyoto as the Most favorite destination for world traveler, Kyoto station is the main entrance of the city. All of Tokaido Shinkansen trains stop at Kyoto, you can get very easy from Tokyo or other cities.
A lot of temple and shrine inside outside Kyoto, one day subway pass available at subway station, that’s very convenient for personal travelers.

This isn’t just a station; this is essentially a mall with many stores and restaurants to satisfying all shopping and dining needs! Welcome to Kyoto Station, where it connects to not only various parts of the city but also various parts of Japan and even the world if you count its express train from the airport!
When I first arrived at this station, I was surprised at the size, the cleanliness, and the modernity of this station. The amount of amenities here are simply amazing, and all the signs even in English are clearly labeled. Serving as the main nexus of all Kyoto’s public transportation, it is easy to get on any bus to travel to any destination within the city.
The station itself also has an incredible amount of stores and restaurants, both above and below ground! Heck, it even has the Ramen Alley on 10 °F which houses some ramen restaurants from various parts of Japan so you don’t have to travel around Japan to taste different ramen types!
If you do stay at Kyoto, make sure you find a place near this station. It will make your life easier by not only giving you easy access to all buses but also to great shopping and dining!

This is the mother of all train stations. The sheer size and everything connected to this station is staggering. There are likely larger stations in Tokyo or Osaka but this structure is the best of the lot where some of the other large stations were incrementally expanded. As this station was only opened in it’s current form in 1997 — it sure is modern! Attached to one side of this station are the Shinkansen platforms as Kyoto is a major stop on the main line between Tokyo and Osaka. Most tourists do come to and leave Kyoto via the bullet trains so most tourists will have the chance to ogle over this magnificent station.
There are department stores, shops, plenty of eateries, a movie theatre and even a hotel directly linked to Kyoto station. It is very clearly signed so it is easy to get around and find your way around.
The station is only connected to 1 of the Kyoto subway lines so you need to connect at other stations. If you’re confident connecting trains (which is quite easy in Japan), you can get around the city and to the tourist attractions from Kyoto station. If you’re less adventurous you can make use of the bus depot out the front of Kyoto station however the queues for buses can get quite long.

If you’re just connecting through Kyoto and don’t leave the train platforms you could miss the interesting architecture and soaring escalators leading to a small rooftop terrace with a view of Kyoto. Next to the escalators is a wide stairway with LED lighting. At night you can stand at the bottom of the stairs and watch the lights paint changing pictures of Kyoto scenes. While we were there the lights were programmed to show cherry blossoms.
The tourist information booth on the second floor is not far from the main entrance and the Isetan department store. If you’re staying in Kyoto, the helpful staff can make event reservations, suggest tour itineraries, provide city maps, and in April, even tell you where the best cherry blooms are.
Another helpful place is the bus information center located in a little building outside the main station entrance. It is near where the city and tour buses pickup and dropoff. We neglected to stop at the bus office and discovered too late that our JR ICOCA cards could be used on Kyoto city buses (the green buses, not the red ones). The people at the bus office can answer questions like that and also sell day passes, etc., that might save you money.
There is plenty of food available in the station as well. We enjoyed the selection of ramen restaurants on the 10^th floor. Each place features a ramen style from a different region of Japan. There are more sit-​down restaurants on the 11^th floor and a variety of fast food and take outs in the lower level.

La gare est immense, une des plus grande du pays et du monde (il paraît).
Bref, la chose qu’il faut faire dans cette gare, c’est de monter au 10eme étage pour avoir une vue panoramique sur Kyoto, le tout gratuitement, que demander de plus?!

The Kyoto train station is absolutely world class. I have been to several stations throughout the world and I would have to say that Kyoto ranks #1, it’s that good. This place is a modern fortress with pretty much everything you can imagine, museums, malls, architecture, skydeck, great dining options, it’s clean and it operates very efficiently. Everything about this place is top notch. If you’re taking the Shinkansen in or out of Kyoto, I would recommend getting a later train to just experience what this station has to offer. Very nicely done

After a two hour journey on the Shinkansen from Odawara Station, we arrived in Kyoto Station, a modern, massive train station that has shops, restaurants, and a rooftop view of the city.
I headed to the 11^th floor of the Kyoto Station Shopping Mall in search of some grub and I settled on a Japanese-​Italian restaurant called Ante Caffee. They do have tons of ramen and sushi shops if you want something more authentic. In their food court, there is a Café du Monde (NOLA!!) which I didn’t get to try out.
Our group met outside of the shopping mall and we prepared to leave for our hotel.

JR Kyoto rail station.
This station was MUCH larger than I expected, guess because I read that Kyoto is a more «old school» Japanese city, guess to me that meant «small», nope not so much.
It features both subway and bullet train access as well as a shopping center (underground) and a dining mall (Porta).
TONS of taxis and buses located on the north of the station.
Most all of the signage are in both Japanese and English making it VERY easy to navigate. Although I still managed to get turned around (lost) at least once.
FYI at the JR ticket office they have 2 counters especially for foreigners making it easy to get help when it’s desperately needed.

JR Kyoto station is definitely an impressive stop. Big open vertical space as you exit the central turnstiles, and usually bustling with Japanese and foreigners alike. I had the fortune? misfortune? of getting stranded at Kyoto station for seven hours one way-​too-​rainy afternoon, but it definitely could have been worse.
I was able to explore the shops and station grounds as they decided if trains would be working later on or not. On the Western side, there is Suvaco and a delicious green tea soba spot. Around the 9^th floor there are also many ramen shops, many of which you can’t go wrong at. Keep on heading up and one can visit the Kyoto station skywalk where you can walk across the station while several several stories up. The skywalk gives a nice view of the city, and is especially pretty at night. Also on the Western side are many stairs that illuminate and sometimes have patterns which are nice to look at.
Whether it be for a departure/​arrival, transfer, or sightseeing spot, Kyoto station is worth a look — just hope that you’re not stranded like I was for hours: P