Best Things to Do in the Hot Days of a Kyoto Summer
Matcha shaved ice with dango dumplings and red beans
As if cleansed and purified by all manners of rain, Kyoto is bright, beautiful and green in summer. But it can get too hot and humid too! What do locals do to escape the heat? Here are our suggestions for keeping cool while enjoying some of Kyoto's unique offerings.
Have a Kakigori!
The Italians have gelato, the Japanese have Kakigori (shaved ice). This is their quintessential Japanese summer treat. Kakigori is an ice dessert made fluffy by shaving ice off a block manually or mechanically, and drizzled with flavored toppings such as matcha or fruit syrup, tea and sake, rice dumpling and red beans. Throughout the city, you’ll see teahouses and shops with little flags ornamented by the character 氷 (ice), signalling the availability of Kakigori.
Flag with character 氷 (ice), for Kakigori shaved ice
The “fresh snow” shaved ice at Saruya kiosk, nestled in the Tadasu-no-Mori forest of the Shimogamo Shrine.
Umezono sweet shoppe at the foot of Kiyomizudera
Here is our google map with links to places for enjoy Kakigori 🍧Shaved Ice (かき氷) in Kyoto: https://maps.app.goo.gl/S2sLRmH3aVebfRVs9?g_st=i
Amongst our recommendations are Umezono on the way to Kiyomizudera, Tea and Sake Tasuki, Saruya, Cheka Sabo Teahouse and Nijo Wakasaya Teramachi.
Take a Fushimi Jikkokubune Canal Cruise
Fushimi is best known for its world famous shrine. Not many people know that it is a district knwon for its sake breweries and a historical canal. Dug as a waterway to transport rice and sake between Kyoto and Osaka, the canal is now the site for scenic boat rides. Take a cruise on a Jikkokubne boat (with scheduled departures) and enjoy picturesque sights of sake breweries on 2 sides, canopied by willows that turn the canal into a green tunnel in summer. The cruise includes a museum stop, and can also be combined with visits to friendly breweries (some with sake tasting) as well as the iconic Fushimi-inari Shrine.
Jikkokubune flat-bottomed boat cruising on Fushimi’s willow-lined canal. A leisurely way to see the picturesque town dotted with time honoured sake breweries.
Go North - visit Kibune
Kibune is a small rural town located in the mountains north of Kyoto. On the upper reaches of Kamo River, it is a beautiful place to escape from the heat and bustle of downtown Kyoto. The Kifune Shrine, with its stone steps lined with red lanterns poles in the middle of the forest is photogenic in all seasons. Below the shrine in a stretch of restaurants where one can enjoy a kawadoko experience on a crystal-clear river!
Close to the water at Kibune north of Kyoto.
Enjoy Kawadoko Dining in Kibune
This is Kibune's offering of traditional dining on platforms over/by the Kibune river. You are so much on the water that you'd want to soak your feet in the river! Guests are seated on tatami cushions and bamboo floor mats as multi-course meals are served to the sound of river streams. The temperature is usually a few degrees lower in the Kibune area. It can even feel a little chilly at night!
Atmospheric lanterned-lined stone steps leading to Kifune Shrine.
Traditional Kawadoko dining on platforms over Kibune River.
Try Yuka Dining on Kamogawa, or Take a Stroll along the River
Where it is called Kawadoko in Kibune, river platform dining is called Kawayuka or Noryoyuka in Kyoto, where a 2.3km stretch between Nijo-dori and Gojo-Ohashi on the west bank of Kamo River is lined with restaurants offering al fresco dining between May and October. Platforms are set up for dining over the river, offering a great way to cool down while enjoying a scenic setting. A pastime for the elite that started in the Edo period, it has developed to serve locals and tourists with all types of cuisines and seating arrangements.
Yuka dining on the west bank of Kamo River. A great way to cool down in a scenic setting.
Go Swimming in Lake Biwa
Kyoto has no beaches, but lake swimming is just 30 minutes away by train. Take the JR train from Kyoto Station to Omi Maiko Station, and a beach of the same name is only 500m away, with 4km of white sand amidst pine trees, changing facilities and shops offering classic street food like yakisoba (fried noodles), takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), kakigori (shaved ice), and cold beers. Lake Biwa, a large freshwater lake in nearby Shiga prefecture, is a popular area for sightseeing and activities, with floating Torii gates, temples, cycling and water activities. Definitely a cool place for a spot of lake swimming!
Clean water in Lake Biwa’s Omi Maiko Beach.
