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Winter is awfully cold in Kyoto, so how about spending some time indoors? Conveniently located in Umekoji Park, the Kyoto Aquarium opened in 2012. The main attractions include the Dolphin Pool and the Sea of Kyoto tank. A General Admission ticket is 2,200JPY and the aquarium has no fixed holidays, although visitors are encouraged to check the official site in case of emergency closures.
Kyoto Aquarium Official website.
The Kyoto Railway Museum is located just south of Umekoji-kyotonishi Station, just on the other side of Umekoji Park. Opened in 2016, the museum seeks to educate the public and preserve the history of train innovation within Japan. There are many train fans in Japan, and you may even become one yourself! The museum is open everyday 10:00-17:00, and closed every Wednesday. A General Admission ticket is 1,200JPY.
You can learn more by checking out their official website.
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Tonkatsu Ichiban has been using the same secret recipe for over 60 years to make their deep-fried pork cutlets. Their dishes rival high end restaurants but with affordable prices so customers can enjoy good flavor on a daily basis. The recommended dish is the “Sauce Katsudon” (regular size 780JPY); a rice bowl topped with thin crispy pork cutlets and cabbage.
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Tonkatsu Ichiban is about a 15 minute walk from JR Kyoto Station and only around a 5 minute walk from Kyoto Aquarium.
This ramen shop is dedicated to researching new ramen recipes and recreating old recipes with rich flavor. Lunch time is especially recommended here since they offer great specials featuring authentic Tonkotsu ramen (700JPY at lunchtime hours, 760JPY at dinner).
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Kyoto Ramen Kenkyusho is about a 7 minute walk from JR Kyoto station hachijo exit.
Tempura Kadokyu Produce by Yasaka Endo
Tempura is a typical Japanese dish that can be found at many restaurants and food courts. However, this restaurant focuses on making higher quality tempura using fresh and seasonal ingredients from the nearby Kyoto central market while still keeping the prices fairly reasonable. They have a standard size tempura course (1,100JPY), large size (1,650JPY) that comes with both fried shrimp, seafood and vegetables together with rice and miso soup.
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Tempura Kadokyu Produce by Yasaka Endo is only a few minute walk from Umekoji Kyotonishi station.
NOTE: Due to the on-going COVID-19 Pandemic, the business hours of the shops above may differ from the hours listed on OpenRice JP. Please confirm with the shop directly before your visit.