Our hotel is surrounded by tourist attractions ranging from popular leisure spots to places known for their scenic beauty.
Make a plan that matches your mood and get the most out of your trip.
Gion Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals
The Gion Festival usually lasts for a month from July 1 to 31 every year, during which time numerous festivities are held. The highlight of the festival is the Yamaboko Junko (float procession), and the Mitsui Garden Hotel Shinmachi Bettei, located in Yamaboko-machi where each of the floats are kept, offers a close-up view of the powerful Yamaboko "Kita Kannon-yama" float. The Yamaboko floats are decorated with lanterns during Yoiyama, and visitors can enjoy the sight of them floating in the light of the lanterns.
Fushimi Inari Taisha
68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City
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This is the main shrine for the Inari shrines, known and loved as the Oinari-san. It is worshipped for prosperous business and a good harvest. The view from the Thousand Torii Gates leading up Inari-san where the Inari Okami resides is exquisite, making it a popular tourist attraction.
Kitano Tenmangu
Bakuro-cho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City
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Built to worship Sugawara-no-Michizane in 947 A.D., this is the main Tenmangu shrine. Known and loved as the Tenjin-san of Kitano, it is a renowned spot for ume and autumn leaves. A monthly day known as Green Day on the 25th of every month sees many street stalls line the grounds.
Katsura Rikyu
Katsura Rikyu, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City
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Construction began in 1615 for this alternative residence for the Imperial Hachijo-no-miya family, and it took approximately 47 years to complete. The buildings dotted around the grounds are one with the“kaiten-shiki garden, said to be the epitome of beauty in Japanese gardening.
Kyoto Gosho
3 Kyoto-Gyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City
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Home to emperors since Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Kyoto, all the way until the early Meiji era. The present buildings were built in 1855, and the grounds feature many styles of architecture from the Heian Era onwards, such as the Shishin-den and the Seiryo-den.
Yasaka Shrine
625 Gion-machi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City
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Worships Susanoo, Kushinada Hime and Yahashira-no-mikogami, also famous for the “Gion Festival”. According to the shrine’s history, it was built in 656. It is known locally as Gion-san.
Kiyomizu Temple
1-294 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City
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「Known for its Kiyomizu Stage, it is the main temple of the Kita Hosso Sect of Buddhism. It is registered as both a Historic Monument of Ancient Kyoto, and as a World Heritage Site. The main temple, a National Treasure, is currently undergoing roof repairs.
* Graphic from the Kyoto Free Photo Archive
Moto-rikyu Nijo Castle
541 Nijo-dori Horikawa Nishi-iru Nijojo-machi, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City
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Built by Tokugawa Ieyasu as a residence in Kyoto in 1603. Consisting of the main castle, it was built by bringing the old Katsura-no-miya Palace and the decadent Ni-no-maru Palace. It is registered as a world Heritage Site and a “Historic Monument of Ancient Kyoto”.
Arashiyama
Ukon ward, Kyoto City
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Located to the west of Togetsu Bridge, Arashiyama not only covers the nationally designated Historic Site but the whole area either side of the Katsura River. Renowned for its cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, these key seasons see the area packed with tourists and the traffic is deadlocked.
Shiun-zan Choho Temple (Rokkaku-do)
Rokkaku-dori Higashi-no-toin Nishi-iru Dounomae-cho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City
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Built by Prince Shotoku in 587. The main temple is hexagonal, a style known as rokkaku-kei, hence it is often fondly called Rokkaku-do. It is a stopping point on two pilgrimages, the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage”and the Rakuyo Kannon Pilgrimage. It is also famous as the founding place of ikebana (traditional flower arrangement).
