JR Kyoto Station, which is also a stop along the Tokaido Shinkansen. Once you exit from the Central Exit (Karasuma Exit) that is thronged with people, right before your eyes will be Kyoto Tower. As it's just a two-minute walk away from the station, there is excellent access there without any risk of getting lost.

The elegant white and slim structure of Kyoto Tower was built with the motif of a lighthouse. Compared to other skyscrapers and towers built in Japan in recent years, it may not seem very tall.

Still, in the streets of Kyoto, which has a height limit on buildings, it's one of the tallest structures around! This tower building has shops, a hotel, and even a bathhouse, stretching from the third basement level to the eleventh.

On top of that, there is an observatory, spanning floors three to five of the observation deck, a unique construction element.

First, take the elevator up to the entrance of the observation deck, on the eleventh floor. At the ticket sales counter, there is a vending machine on the left that accepts cash only, and there is a manned counter on the right which accepts cashless payments (some payment methods via QR code are available).

Admission: 800 yen for adults, 650 yen for high school students, 550 yen for elementary and middle school students, and 150 yen for toddlers above three years old (all with tax)

From here, take the special elevator that goes straight to the observation deck's fifth floor. Inside the elevator, you can enjoy a special video featuring the mascot character, Tawawa-chan.

On the observation deck's fifth floor are binoculars that are free to use, and you can feel just how close popular sightseeing spots such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple are! A panoramic view of Kyoto's streets is, of course, a given., but on especially clear days, you can even see Osaka.

There are eight "Touch Panel-style Tourist Information Monitors" introducing sightseeing facilities that can be seen from the observation deck, as well as access to these places. On top of this, the "Moving QR Code", which sends more detailed information to your smartphone, has received great reviews as well. As English and Korean support are available as well, please thoroughly enjoy this world 100 meters above the ground.

You can see the streets of Kyoto bathed in orange light at sunset. As night gradually falls, buildings and cars light up at the same time, and you can see the special moment as the scenery shifts to a beautiful night view. And with that, the observation deck at night turns into a place almost like one out of a fantasy!

*From January 2021, opening hours have been shortened (11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., last entry at 6:30 p.m.)

By the way, though it is currently closed, on the third floor of the observation deck, there is a classy and elegant sky lounge, called "-KUU-". With chic lighting throughout the shop, starting from two types of counter seats, to couple seats and table seats, seatings for various scenes are spread throughout this space. Let's await its reopening, when we can once again enjoy days of seeing the night view of Kyoto through the glass.

In 2004, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Kyoto Tower's opening, the mascot character Tawawa-chan was created. Ten years after that, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tower, a Tawawachan-Jinja shrine was created with the motif of the beloved mascot. This shrine on the fifth floor of the observation deck is the highest shrine in Kyoto, standing at 100 meters above ground level. To pray for a smooth holiday in Kyoto, let's do it at the adorable Tawawachan-Jinja shrine.

Tawawa-chan's omikuji fortune slips, called Tawamikuji, are 100 yen each, and Tawawachan-ema boards with Tawawa-chan's face on them, are only available here.

It's an excellent fit if you write "I wish for good fortune", and offer a five-yen coin (pronounced as "go-en" in Japanese, it is homophonic with the word for "fate" or "fortune") as an offering.

The Tawawachan-ema boards with wishes on them and Tawamikuji fortune slips left here are brought to Shimogamo Jinja shrine to be prayed for and cleansed. A portion of the proceeds from here is also donated to the Tadasu-no-Mori, a world heritage site of Shimogamo Jinja, to protect the environment.

After enjoying ourselves seeing the panorama from the observation deck, we head to the tower building underneath.

At the Tower Terrace on the third floor, is a cozy restaurant where you can enjoy the day by the windows. The shop interior is designed with the image of forests in mind, and you can catch a view of JR Kyoto Station while relaxing there too.

At Kyoto Tower, where there are many ways to enjoy yourself, there's even a public bathhouse on the third basement level! If you've been to the observation deck, you'll receive a coupon for the bath, so do experience the baths for yourself.

The bathhouse ~YUU~ is built to be wide and spacious, and is a well-known spot amongst visitors of Kyoto! The baths for males have murals featuring the Daimonji bonfires and Kyoto Tower floating like shadow pictures, allowing you to enjoy the sights of Kyoto while enjoying the baths. The baths for the ladies have separators between each person at the bathing area, providing a little more privacy.

Kyoto Tower Hotel is built directly underneath the symbol of Kyoto, Kyoto Tower. The front desk is accessible via elevator, on the 8th floor.

The rooms are a modern mix of traditional Japanese and Western styles, and it's very well suited for passing the days by in. Depending on the room type, between one to seven people can stay there, and rooms for business travelers to family travelers are available. Besides this, on the eighth floor is a Tawawa-chan Room, which has many cute Tawawa-chan themed items.

Breakfast is served in a casual box-style. You can enjoy it in your room. (The photo shows one type.)
*Though there is normally a buffet-style breakfast at the Tower Terrace, from January 2021, breakfast is served in a box style that can be enjoyed in your room. (Further changes may be made in the future.)

After checking out from the hotel, we headed to Kyoto Tower Sando, from the first basement level to the second floor. Here, you can eat, shop, and experience, enjoying yourself at the various facilities here. First, let's pop in at the workshop on the second floor!

Shichijōkanshundō is a Japanese sweets shop from Kyoto with a long history stretching back to 1865, and they're holding a Japanese sweets making workshop now! Making use of simple techniques and tools to make Japanese sweets, it's simple even for beginners and foreign visitors. The sweets which you make can be eaten together with some matcha tea.

■Kyogashi sweets making workshop
Fees: 2,750 yen (with tax)
Contents: 4 raw sweets (out of three types, one type will be made twice), and one dried sweet
Reservations: Until 12:00 p.m. the day before
Time slots: a. 10:00 a.m., b. 1:00 p.m., c. 3:00 p.m., d. 5:00 p.m.
Time needed: about 90 minutes
*Children below elementary school age must be accompanied by an adult
*If there are vacancies, same-day reservations are allowed
Phone number: 075-371-0801
Web reservations available here:
http://airrsv.net/7jyo-kansyundo/calendar

"Let's make it quickly," says the shop owner Mr. Ōta. As we fold mochi powder into the white bean filling, let's start making the "Nerikiri", a Japanese style sweet, also called wagashi!

Using both hands, gently wrap it up.

Using a tool called a "hera", create the sweet.

The raw sweet for December, called "Sazanka", is completed!

When we visited the shop in December, sweets available included a cute Santa Claus and the Sazanka, and a Christmas tree made using chestnut paste, along with other Japanese style sweets that incorporate designs of the current seasons. The seasonal sweets available change each month, so there'll definitely be something new to discover each visit!

You get to try making five wagashi sweets. You can challenge yourself to make raw wagashi, where you can make three types with a total of four pieces (one type is made twice), and a small dry sweet too.

The dry sweet is a type of wagashi which uses sugar to dry it out. You can enjoy the difference between raw and dry wagashi too. Out of the raw sweets you've made, you can choose one to try with matcha tea, and you can bring the rest home. Do try out this special experience where you can feel the seasons in Japan!

Besides this, the "Sushi Seminar" held by sushi chefs on the same floor, and the "Traditional Craft Experience" where you can try painting craft pieces, are popular workshops too.

On the first floor of Kyoto Tower Sando, is a market where exclusive products from Kyoto are lined up for sale! Be it sweets, miscellaneous goods, and alcohol, you can have fun picking and choosing them.

Kyoto Rokukakukan Sakura-dō is a brand of make-up brushes that has received rave reviews from actresses and models.

Made carefully by master craftsmen from Kumano in Hiroshima Prefecture, there are over 150 types available, from powder brushes and face washing brushes, to lip brushes and more!

The main shop is near Shijō-Karasuma and Rokukaku-dōri, but you can buy it from here too, right in front of Kyoto Station.

The "Kessho Hana Hitsu Ayari", which went on sale in November 2020, which costs 7,700 yen, has vivid colors in the same manner as the Olympic rings!

"We hope that the Olympics can go on in 2021," says the shop owner, Mr. Konishi. In contrast to the bright five colors of this brush, is the chic black and white "Kessho Hana Hitsu Modern", which costs 5,500 yen, which is popular as well.

With the meanings of "vibrance" and "connecting" in mind, the "sui" series has a checkerboard pattern, considered a lucky pattern, and with gold and silver leaf along the brush handles, it's absolutely gorgeous. As they come with their own original wooden box, we recommend it as a great present for someone important to you.

One of the advantages of using natural hairs is that the more you use it, the more familiar it becomes with your skin, allowing you to use it for extended periods of time. At the very least, they can last five to six years, and there are even fans who have used it lovingly for over fifteen years.

From caring for the brushes at home to hair quality, for those who are buying brushes for the first time, you can get advice from the staff, and explanation pamphlets in English are available as well.

*All prices include tax

Finally, let's go take a look at the first basement level. Roughly seventeen stalls are arranged in a free-style food hall, along with two restaurants, allowing for a spacious area where you can also enjoy tea and other refreshing drinks with your lunch.

KYOTO TOWER SANDO Bar is created with the image of a Kyoto-style cafe-bar, and it's easy to pass time there on your own as well. It's a great place to down a quick drink while enjoying your time sightseeing and shopping.

When speaking of Kyoto, sake is definitely on the list! If you're lost as to what to try, we recommend trying the "Kiki Sake Set", which starts from 1,100 yen, which serves three out of twenty eight types of sake from the shop's cellar, including junmaishu, ginjoshu, and daiginjo, and the variety changes every day.

As for glass wines, you can experience the luxury of their rich smell. From 500 yen, you can pick a wine of your choice from three types available for a shot, or try several different types like the Kiki Sake Set too. For food, the anchovy potato salad, for 410 yen, and roast beef, for 720 yen, are popular.

There is also Tanba wine and craft beer available, along with a 45-centimeter tall glass, called the "Tower Beer", for 1000 yen, where you can pick an alcohol of your choice to fill it up with, for a fun and exciting lineup! Matcha lattes and other soft drinks are available too.

*All prices are tax inclusive.

As we left the tower after finishing our coverage, Kyoto Tower had lit up. Though it's usually white, several times a year, the color changes to match a theme, including orange, blue, and red.

There aren't just beautiful sights to see, there's delicious food and shopping, and accommodations at this tower that is a symbol of Kyoto! Do come and enjoy it at your leisure.