Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Kyoto (City Travel Guide)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm writing this from Kyoto, where I had hoped to use this book to help me get around and find places to eat and shop. Its so poorly organized that the maps are unusable. If I go to a district, I want to be able to find shops, restaurants, andplaces to visit easily. I can't do that with this book. They are indexed on the map, but do not appear together in the text. Also, I think there must be places listed on the maps (with no explanation) that are no where else in the book. Many of the restaurants listed are also unfindable, perhaps because they have gone out of business. This is not my first time in Kyoto, and I know the layout of the city fairly well. If I had to rely completely on this book, I would be very unhappy. This book has not been helpful in leading me to specific places at all. The general information about Kyoto is ok, but I wanted helpful suggestions for getting around. Thus, well indexed maps are indispensible and this book's maps are cumbersome to say the least. Also the book's index is totally inadequate and the exchange rates listed are a joke they are so out of date. Other information is wrong too.
Sorry for the harsh comments, but this is a bad book.

Lonely Planet fills a niche by being a good source of information you are not likely to find in other guides, like the funky and the inexpensive, but really I wish they would make their guides more user friendly.

For one the maps are extremely frustrating to use. The information on them is numbered, and the keys are either on the page before or the page after the map, so you constantly find yourself looking at the wrong key. The info would fit on the maps themselves, but they chose to use keys without taking full advantage of them by not including the page number of each item's description. Also each map points in a different direction and is a different scale from the others, very confusing.

I also found the index to be lacking some very obvious entries, I don't remember specific examples but I do remember being puzzled by the index on several occasions. By the end of my trip I had corrected many of these problems by penciling them in, I suggest you do this on the airplane so you will spend less time on the street scratching your head.

This guide also has the nasty habit of inserting chapters in the middle of chapters. Sometimes you don't realise there is more information on subject you are reading, you are expected to look past the following chapter.

I found the information in the Kyoto book to be somewhat more up to date than the Lonely Planet guides I have used for other cities. I have learned not to rely too heavily on their specific recommendations, but they usually put me into the right neighborhood for what I am looking for.

Over the years I have been a repeat customer of these guides, although grudgingly. I find them to be a good source of getting the feel of a place before I go somewhere. Lonely Planet is going to lose my business real soon if they don't redesign their guides and become more diligent about updating their material.

I used this book along with three others on a recent trip to Kyoto. Some of the negative criticisms of earlier reviewers seem to have been corrected, though not entirely. But no other general guide (with a Kyoto section as part of a Japan guide) was more useful. I have some criticisms, but it is a useful guide.

Maps could have been more detailed (as well as descriptions of where things were). Restaurants were shown on maps but, at best, within a block or two of where they were. Addresses for restaurants were given (doubtless accurate using Kyoto address standards) but don't describe the exact street each is on. For example, we went to Ichi-Ban (a yakitori restaurant in the Gion district) which was merely described as "3 minutes" from the "Sanjo Keihan" subway stop. The map in the book suggested it was on Sanjo-dori ("dori" means street or avenue) but the address didn't say so. The book also said it had "a" red lantern out in front (which is used by yakitori or grill restaurants). We did find it by asking a nearby florist shop, but it would have been useful if the description had said it was "on" Sanjo-dori and also that it had "several" small red lanterns and that it did not have an English name on the facade. (It was a good restaurant, incidentally, once we found it.) The same was true for Omen, a restaurant near the Silver Pavillion. No description other than it was "near" the Silver Pavillion and was shown on a very small map of the general area. A couple of local vendors directed us there. It is two short blocks south of the approach to the Temple on the street used by Bus 32. (It was a superb restaurant for lunch--I recommend it highly--as well as the sister restaurant on Shijo-dori a few feet west of the south end of Pontocho alley, a famous night location.) There were some recommended restaurants we didn't even try to find--partly because the maps and description seemed inadequate, but we found enough to satisfy us on a five day visit.

The book could have been more useful in describing the details of the bus system. The busses cover most of the city quite well and the Tourist Bureau has a good (though very hard to follow--it takes intense study) map of bus routes. The presumption in the book is that most people will start from Kyoto station to reach various tourist sites. But, in my opinon, the most useful hotels are located within a third of a mile from the intersection of Shijo and Karawamachi "dori[s]" and several useful busses do traverse this intersection but don't go to the train station. Further, though "stops" are listed on the Kyoto bus map, the actual stops are often a block or so from the "listed" intersection and different bus numbers may have different stops for the intersection For example, busses at the Karasuma-Shijo intersection that traverse Shijo-dori stop either a block West of Karasuma OR a block East of Karasuma. We figured it out, but it took a couple of days as well as intense study of the Kyoto bus route map.

(Busses are useful in reaching most tourist sites. The main exception is the Kyomizera-dera where the busses deliver people some distance away. A cab gets one much closer--though still probably a quarter mile away--and if one is not "athleticly" inclined, cabs are a useful alternative. Our cab there (from Karasuma and Shijo-dori) was a bit more than twice what a bus ticket would have cost.)

Cabs are in general a reasonable alternative both in terms of time saved and for those for whom walking isn't an ideal alternative (we are in our 70-s and though young in spirit do have some limitations which makes excessive walking less desireable if it can be avoided). Except for distant locations a cab ride will be between 600 and 800 yen and a bus ride for two is 440 yen and takes much longer. (Our maximum cab ride bill was 1300 yen but it was for a long distance with bad traffic. A daily pass on busses is 500 yen each.) Avoid a cab if you are going to traverse the area surrounding the Karasumi-Shijo intersection in the evening. It is VERY crowded and a cab will take many, many minutes to traverse the area (with the meter running.) But to the Golden Pavillion or the Silver Pavillion a bus ride is substantially cheaper than a cab. A cab would be even more expensive to Arashyiama--and the Kiefuku railroad (old fashioned streetcars) is much cheaper--and gets one to the center of things, unlike the Japan Rail alternatve.

The hotel recommendations seemed to be useful. We stayed in the Karasuma hotel, near the Shijo-Karasuma intersection and it was a decent and not outrageously priced hotel and a convenient location--less than a third of a mile from the epicenter of evening "action." Hotels near the Karawamachi-Sanjo intersection might be slightly closer to the "action" but they are substantially more expensive.

The book recommends most of the main tourist attractions. We were most interested in gardens and it did a decent job of describing them. We found the "Sento Gosho" the "retired emperors" palace in the old Imperial Palace grounds to be the "best" garden we visited--it is in the "stroll garden" category--vistas appearing as one "strolls" through the garden. It is better than the actual old "Imperial Palace" which has a much smaller garden (and the tour of it concentrates on the buildings rather than the garden). One needs to go to the Imperial Palace office and show a passport but it can be done shortly in advance of the visit (there are two tours a day of the Sento Gosho, the first at 11am). The Golden Temple and the Silver Temple are three star attractions, but the Ryoan-ji (the most famous of the Zen gardens) is being renovated and part of the famous "garden" is obscured. It is still worth a visit, however--though it will be closed for a couple of months in winter 2010-11. Nanzin-ji in the eastern sector of Kyoto is almost as spectacular as a Zen garden and Konchi-in in the Nanzen complex is close behind. (There are four temples in the Nanzen complex worth visiting--a real treasure trove for those who love Japanese gardens.) We didn't get to Daisen-in complex of gardens not far from the Golden Pavillion which also has famous Zen gardens but judging from pictures, they are worth a visit, time permitting, if Zen gardens (as opposed to Stroll Gardens) are of special interest. We also didn't get to the Katsura garden, reportedly a spectacular "stroll garden" in the suburbs (it also requires permission from the Imperial Palace office) partly because it is difficult and time consuming to reach and partly because the "Gardens of Kyoto" book, mentioned immediately below, suggested that the tour is so "fast" as to substantially reduce the pleasure of visiting it. If we'd had a couple more days we would have visited it (and the Daisen-in complex), but time didn't permit.

Other useful books if you are going to be in Kyoto for a substantial amount of time: Treib and Herman "The Gardens of Kyoto"; Clancy "Exploring Kyoto" (on foot in Kyoto); and Durston "Old Kyoto" (authentic shops and restaurants in Kyoto). The last is useful mainly if one is interested in purchasing "authentic" Kyoto products but it also has some restaurant and Ryoken reviews.

One almost final point: If you are going to be in Kyoto in autumn--aim for the fourth week in October. We were there in the second week and some trees were beginning to turn to Autumn colors, very beautiful but not spectacular. The third week would have been better than the second week and some guide books recommend November. On one visit I can't judge, but even in the second week dusk came shortly after 5pm (as best as I can tell, there is no daylight savings time in Japan) and by November dusk would be a lot earlier. I don't know about the Spring. Cherry blossoms are, apparently, capricious in when they bloom but I'm sure in many gardens of Kyoto they are spectacular.

The final point: We didn't get to Nara, nearby--partly because it appears not to have spectacular gardens (which was our primary interest) but I suspect it is worth a trip, time permitting. Somewhat further afield, Himeji Castle (in Himeji) is spectacular, described (I think accurately) as the finest extant castle in all of Japan--one can climb to the top; and Korakuen, a garden in Okayama--"classified" as one of the "three best" in all of Japan is worth a visit. So is Kurashiki, a short distance west of Okayama, with an extremely attractive well preserved "feudal warehouse" area (including a museum with, of all things, a lovely El Greco painting--and a few Impressionist paintings as well). Kanazawa, north of Kyoto has another of the "three best" gardens, but we didn't get there.

Well I just used this book and it is not a bad book but it is not great either. It was handy however, in identifying me as a tourist and therefore approachable to help.

It was called the book of lies by my friend due to the fact that much of the information seemed to be outdated and not overly informative. An example being that the admission prices were a few hundred off for the museums and also the fact that it did not inform people that major portions of museums would be closed for renovation. Another incident was the wasted time in trying to apply for a tour of the Imperial Palace and then finding that the office of the Agency involved were closed in other words, the hours were not listed correctly in the guide. Also, the information that there are at least three seperate tours for various parts of the Imperial Palace compound which you also need to schedule. These and other things makes one cautious about using the guide for exact information.

Though there are many maps they were not done very well and there is no pullout map of the transit system of Kyoto you have to rely on the mappings of the transit system on area maps or simply snag a much more easy to understand map from a hotel such as, the Miyako near Keage station.

On the positive side it has a decent food section on how to behave and what the food will be on your trip. The book also at least mentioned things to look at or do so that a rough idea is given regarding things in the broader sense.

Another piece of advice that I would give is that the small town like Himeji are given very little space or description but have much more available than listed in the guide.

I would not rely on this guide exclusively and would suggest another guide in supplement to this book

Lonely Planet: Kyoto is one of the best investments you can make before your trip to Japan. Like all of the other Lonely Planet books, it is well-organized and interesting to read, with plenty of practical information (where to stay and what to see) plus a thorough section on language, history, and culture. Kyoto, Japan's imperial capital, has over 3,000 shrines and temples--it's essential to have a guidebook that explains, in detail, the form and function of the major ones and offers suggestions for seeing the smaller ones. I found the "Things to See and Do" sections especially helpful... in addition to the religious centers, Lonely Planet helped me find my way to Lake Biwa (Japan's largest lake) and to museums, shops, restaurants, and even a baseball game. If you are not planning a specific itinerary, it's easy to "flip and point" in order to find something that looks good on a given day. I was in Kyoto for a year and was not able to see half of the things that Lonely Planet covered, but for those that I did see, it really enhanced my experience. Lonely Planet is a good all-around book that won't let you down. It considers all budgets and offers suggestions for even the poorest student. If you aren't a native speaker of Japanese, it may help to have a copy of Lonely Planet's Japanese Phrasebook, just in case the guide doesn't go into enough detail.

Kyoto is a city famous mostly for its ancient temples. The Lonely Planet Kyoto guidebook does a good job listing them, but it is almost impossible to determine which are good to visit using the minimal one-paragraph descriptions. Small illustrations and longer descriptions would make this guidebook more worthwhile.

Curiously, the book neglects to mention Horyuji temple in its excursion section to Nara. Horyuji contains the world's oldest wooden buildings.

A few years ago we discovered Lonely Planet travel guides. They have been a staple of every trip ever since. The Kyoto book was no exception.

The major highlights of this book include:
- Great walking tours
- Fun listings of out of the way places
- Interesting history and background
- Good tips and recommendations for everything from getting around on the subway (complete with a handy map), to reliable restaurant recommendations.
- Restaurant & place names written in Japanese in the book. Even if you don't read Japanese, this was very handy for doing symbol comparison to make sure you were in the right place.

Lonely Planet guides are really excellent for helping you see the sights that not everyone else is seeing, and to help you get more out of the culture you are visiting. The authors have a good sense of humor and seem to aim towards a slightly more liberal and adventurous audience.

On their own, I found both the guide and the maps very helpful (although I do agree with the other reviewers that the varied orientation and scaling of the maps could occasionally be disorienting). However, when attempting to cross reference these I often got frustrated. Many of the references to maps in the guide were just wrong (wrong map listed), and many things just weren't on the maps. Similarly, many things on the maps were difficult or impossible to locate in the guide. Example: "We need to find a restaurant near were we are right now. Oh look, here's one a block away. I wonder what type of food they have?....<begin leafing through the guide to find the restaurant listed>... Hmmm...I can't find it...." I know Lonely Planet knows how to do this effectively (see the Condensed guide to Tokyo as an example), it was just frustrating that they did not apply that knowledge to this book.

My wife and I just returned from Kyoto, and unfortunately we were relying on this book as our guide. The information was, for the most part, up-to-date.. but the maps were *horrible*. I dunno if they just used maps from the 1930s, or hand drew them from memory, or what.. but you are going to get seriously lost if you rely on these things. There are almost no street names included and the walking tours often rely solely on hard-to-find landmarks.

They also missed some major sights.. for example, Gion; I dunno about you, but I'm interested in seeing some of the tea houses where Geisha actually work. The guide talks about these and gives you one place to look for them. However, it totally skips one of the most beautiful tea house districts located in Maruyama Park! We stumbled on this place by complete accident, and found it to be the best place for Geisha-watching.

It also appears to be an exclusive area where the really well-off clients go, and so perhaps it wasn't covered to keep down the crowds.. but that's the kind of information I *want* in a guidebook.

In short we were extremely dissapointed in this guide. I don't know what would be a good substitute, but I can tell you to avoid this one.

I used the 4th Edition of the Lonely Planet Kyoto City Guide for an 11-day visit to the city and environs, and by far found it the most useful guidebook available. In general, the guide includes at least brief references to almost all the sites I was interested in visiting, with accurate descriptions and logistical information (about location, travel directions, hours of operation). Restaurant descriptions were also helpful in combination with those found in other guides (e.g., Time Out). The pullout map turned out to be the most valuable tool we had in our explorations of the city, with very useful transportation information and a map of Greater Kyoto on the reverse. Although some have written that maps available free through the tourist information office are just as good, we did not find this to be the case and consistently relied on the Lonely Planet map for every day's outing, eventually annotating it and adding to it some information we had found in other guidebooks. We used it so much that it had to be taped and re-taped during our trip. The detailed maps inside the book are extremely useful in pinpointing locations of sites, shops, and restaurants. These maps enabled us to figure out how to organize our day and, although we did not use this information, these maps also included Japanese names for each item referenced, which could be useful if trying to direct a taxi driver. We found two errors in the representation of the transportation system on the front of the overall map--the Tozai subway line extends further west than depicted, beyond Nijo, and the Hankyu Railway does not extend east to the Keihan Line as shown on the map. While these are surprising errors, they did not have serious impact on our travels. For us the most challenging part of planning our visit to Kyoto--not a particularly short visit--was selecting which sites to see. I would encourage the author of Lonely Planet Kyoto City Guide to vary his language a bit more to help readers better distinguish between the various temples and shrines particularly. He accurately describes many of them as among the most important, or most popular, but further research with other guides was sometimes necessary to get a better understanding of how these sites differed or what distinguished one from the other. In this respect the guide would benefit from some illustrations. Finally, I encourage users of this guide to take lightly the author's definition of Central Kyoto as an overarching geographical area. I had initially clustered various "Central" sites together before realizing that this was not a very helpful definition--many of the sites in so-called "Central Kyoto" are, in fact, closer to other parts of the city than to one another and more easily visited in conjunction with other well-defined neighborhoods than as a separate group. My criticism of this guide is very specific and does not diminish the fact that it was far and away the most useful of the 7 guidebooks we purchased in preparation for our Kyoto travels.

I read the reviews for this book before buying it and I was concerned about the complaints that the maps were horrible. However, there were no other recently-published guides to Kyoto so I decided that a guide with bad maps was better than no guide at all. So, I bought the book and I am happy I did.

Yes, the maps for the book were bad and I am thankful to the other reviewers for pointing this out so I did not unknowingly try to rely on the maps and find myself lost. Here is the good news: You can get excellent maps for free in Kyoto Station. The maps in this book were helpful for a general outline of where things are in relation to one another, but I relied almost entirely on the free maps I obtained from the tourism office in Kyoto Station. If you are traveling to Kyoto, I recommend you do the same. The maps provided in the station were up-to-date, detailed, and extremely helpful. And, best of all, free! As most people traveling to Kyoto will arrive through Kyoto Station, picking up these free maps is easy and the first thing you should do when you arrive.

Maps aside, I found this book very helpful. A friend and I traveled to Kyoto for the first time and had five and a half days in the city. Although I knew I could find resources for visiting Kyoto online, I wanted a small and informative book that I could carry with me everywhere and refer to whenever I needed it. This book provided exactly that. It was the perfect resource for a brief trip to Kyoto (combined with the free maps from Kyoto Station, of course). So if you're looking for a book that will help you find things to do while in Kyoto (as well as places to eat and sleep), I highly recommend this city guide in combination with the maps from Kyoto Station.