Culture
Ryosokuin, Komatsu-cho
Located in the grounds of Kenninji, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, this sub-temple is dedicated to zazen or “seated meditation”. Sessions last for 90 or 180 minutes and are led by monk Tosei Shinabe. All are welcome, including non-Japanese speakers.
Donkou + Café Kissa Fang, Kamonhayashi-cho
This remarkable private library and café by curator Yoshitaka Haba welcomes visitors on a reservation-only basis. Art and photography are among the subjects in the library’s 3,000 books, which are best enjoyed with a nel-drip coffee in hand. Forest views add to the calm.
Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, Okazaki Enshoji-cho
This landmark destination, renovated and reopened in 2020, occupies a teikan (Imperial Crown Style) brick building that dates back to 1933. Exhibitions range from emerging creatives to the museum’s collection of more than 4,000 works of Kyoto modern art.
Garden of Fine Arts Kyoto, Shimogamo Hangi-cho
This modern space was designed by celebrated architect Tadao Ando, who kept much of the structure below ground so as not to interrupt the mountain views. Eight facsimiles of well-known paintings adorn the space, including Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies”, which is reproduced on porcelain and immersed in a shallow pond.
Nonaka-Hill Kyoto, Nishino-cho
Founded in Los Angeles, Rodney and Takayoshi Nonaka-Hill’s gallery arrived in Kyoto in 2024. The two-level space on Shinmonzen-dori is housed in a transformed kyo-machiya (Kyoto townhouse), providing a memorable setting for exhibitions spanning contemporary craft, photography and more.
