Currency Exchange at Kyoto Station

When you are traveling in a foreign country, money is very important.
In Japan only Japanese yen works.


Today I will show you a convenient place for currency exchange.

This is the money exchange counter at Kyoto Station.
Most of our guests come to A-yado via Kyoto Station, so if you need to get Japanese yen, this counter is very convenient.


At this counter there are English speakers available.
You do not have to worry about communication.


By the way at Kyoto Station there is a information center.

Here also there are English speakers working.
You can get lots of useful information here.

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

Contact

Travel Goods Store

This is a general store, "Loft" in Kyoto.

I went to this store to buy travel goods.

This store has a big space for travel goods.

This is the entrance.

The sign"Departures" makes me feel as if I were in an airport.

I felt excited.

What a cool design this is.

At this store there are many kinds of goods.

It was a lot of fun to see those things.

There are so many handy things that I felt like to buy needless things.

Of course they sell lots of bags and suitcases.

From small ones to big ones, there is a variety of options.

It takes about 15 minutes on foot to get to this store from A-yado.

In Kyoto when you need to buy extra suitcases or travel goods, you should visit this store.

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

Contact

A Hotel Woman from Germany

She is our guest from Germany.


Excuse me for being personal, but I am planning to travel to Germany this September.
So I asked her, "Do you know any good places to visit in Germany?"
She answered, "You should stay at my place."

???

First I did not understand her intention.

Then she told me that she and her family is running a hotel in Germany.
She recommended me that I should stay there.


Her hotel locates in Herrieden.
She said to me, "I will show you nearby sight-seeing places such as Rothenburg and Nürnberg by car. "
It was a very helpful offer for me.
This offer made me think her hotel very attractive.


My travel plan has not been fixed but I would like to stay at the hotel.
She gave me a business card of the hostel, which she has in the photo, so I can book her hotel anytime.


At A-yado I made a new connection with a foreign guest again.
This hostel is a good place to get to know people from foreign countries.
When you stay at this hostel, please try talking to new people without being shy.

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

Contact

An airport limousine(リムジンバス）

How do you come to Kyoto from kansai International Airport(関西空港）?

You might think about that.
There are several way to come to Kyoto.
Some people take a train, some people take a taxi.
But there is a good option to come to Kyoto.
It is an airport limousine.

The limousine runs every 30mins and takes 85-100mins to get to Kyoto station.

Once i got to this limousine, it was so comfortable.
I think it is much more comfortable than a normal express.
Because seats are wide and you can stretch your legs.
Also you don't have to change the train. It arrives directly to Kyoto station.

I really recommend you to take an airport limousine from Kansai International Airport.
It costs only 2500yen.

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

Contact

Kanku(関空） Access Ticket

Do you know that there is a special ticket from Kyoto to Kansai Airport(関西国際空港）?

It is called "Kanku Access Ticket".
Everyone think that the transport of Japan is very expensive.
But if you find the cheap tickets like that, you can save much money.
This ticket costs only 1200yen. It is 20% cheaper than a normal ticket.
I think it is the cheapest way to go to Kansai Airport from A-yado.
If you would like to know more detail, ask our stuff when you are here.
Actually, i'm going to Kansai Airport with this ticket and fly to Okinawa(沖縄） which is the southernmost prefecture of Japan tomorrow.
Okinawa is a summer resort and there is a very beautiful sea around Okinawa Island.
I'm really looking forward to going there.
When i come back, i'll let you know about my trip in Okinawa!!

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

Contact

Amazing Vending Machine

In Japan there are many many vending machines.
Most of them sell drinks.


However several days ago I found an interesting vending machine in Tokyo.

This one sells banana!!
It was my first time to find this kind of vending machine.


I wonder if this is one is profitable.

Bananas are sold individually and in bunches.

It also sells banana chips and dried mango.


If you find the vending machine, please try buying banana from it.

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Finding Balloons Late at Night

I wend down a street along Kamo River, which is famous for one of the big and beautiful rivers of Kyoto. And I found them at the opposite side of the street.

I guessed they were colorful balls. Red, yellow, orange and pink. Yeah, it was clear. But, I was not sure why they were in a small space late at night like a kind of an exhibition. 

They were balloons. 7 balloons. Yeah, it was clear. But, I was still not sure why they were in a small space late at night like a kind of an exhibition. 

Because it was an exhibition. Yeah, now everything was clear.

Sometimes you may find strange things in this city, Kyoto. I love them all. If you find 100 balloons in a bathroom, please let me know.

Yeah! Kyoto is sometimes a mysterious city!

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

A bamboo artist on Philosopher's path

When I walked down Philosopher's Road(哲学の道, てつがくのみち), I found a really nice handmade shop. In the following photo, you will find a lot of small things on the black cloth.

Yeah! They are all insects made of bamboo. An bamboo artist, Makoto Yamaguchi who was a professional painter for kimono. He came up with the idea to make good toys by bamboo. 

What do you think about arms and antennas which are bent. He did it by heat and a bit strength. Bamboo is easy to break if you bend the thin one. He has the great skill for it, and, of course, his creations are all balanced. Yes, he is an artist!

It's on a swing. Amazing work! 

I said "Do you have a business card?". 

"Yes" he said smiling and leisurely. "But, right now I don't have."

"Oh, why?"
"I made my business card by myself. They are also hand made."
"OK, then how can I get it?"
"Well, could you wait for a month or something? Because some guys are waiting for my business cards. I'm drawing it."
"I see. Then I will wait for a month or so. And come back to this road to get it and take a look your creations again."

I said thank you. Yeah, that was a good meeting!
His age was about 60 or 70 years old? I don't remember it. Because he was very energetic and looked very young.

When you go there, check it out!

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Minami-za Theater(南座, みなみざ) located on the busy corner or Kyoto

The photo looks not so special, but the building is nice. That figure is like a rich house. It's the Minami-ze theater（南座, みなみざ）, which is the oldest theater of Japan playing Kabuki from Edo period(江戸時代, えどじだい) on. And that is still a very famous Kabuki theater with so many new facilities. Because about 20 years ago, that was rebuild to make it more convenient, and also the theater itself was getting very old.

So you can enjoy Kabuki in the great theater. But it's played, of course, in Japanese.
Yeah, but I guess there's no problem. Because I may not understand all the stories. Sure! It's just the feeling belonging to your artistic sense. If you want to try it, please ask us when you come to the hostel!!

Let's study together! :)

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net