Kyoto in Winter

A quiet but beautiful and busy period

Winter is probably not the most tourist season to visit Kyoto. First, it’s cold, but in a way that is rather unpleasant. This is probably due to the fact that so many buildings in Kyoto were built for the Summer weather conditions rather than the Winter. And this is, in particular, completely true for all the machiya, the wooden townhouses. The first thing we did when planning the various renovation works for our houses was to include proper insulation and adequate heating (floor heating, radiators, air conditioning) for optimum comfort, all year round.  

Yes, Kyoto is rather quiet during the Winter months, but this doesn’t mean that the city is sleeping. On the contrary!  While it is usually cold, the weather is usually quite clear, with little rain and many sunny days. And of course, if you’re lucky and the city gets covered with snow, then you’re in for a special treat – the various temples and shrines under a blanket of snow — the dream of any photographer!   There are quite a few events and festivals taking place during the Winter period. And quite a few places feature special opening periods enabling us to see national and secret treasures.  And let’s not forget the special dishes only available in Winter, such as the delicious king crabs, etc. 

Here are a few suggestions for the Winter in Kyoto.