Getting Around Kyoto and Nara

Book excerpt: This Kyoto and Nara travel guide contains everything you need for getting around the region including a pull-out atlas! Kyoto is the number one travel destination for foreigners in Japan, but it can be a difficult place to navigate if you don't know Japanese. This handy new pocket atlas and transportation guide is an indispensable tool to help non-Japanese visitors find their way around the city. Dedicated journalist and urban explorer Colin Smith has devoted many years to exploring Japan on foot and by various forms of public transportation. Getting Around Kyoto and Nara is conveniently divided into chapters showing the user how to get to Kyoto by air or train, how to get into the city, and how to get around Kyoto and into the surrounding countryside using public transport. It includes chapters for Nara, Uji, Fushimi, Otsu, Ohara, Mt. Hiei, Kurama and other popular tourist areas around Kyoto. Detailed maps are given for each district of Kyoto showing the precise locations of temples, shrines, gardens, museums, hotels, shopping districts, restaurants, parks and other landmarks. Smith gives the reader detailed information on how to take a subway, a train or a bus around the city, how to read the signs, and how to operate the Japanese ticket machines to buy a ticket. He provides route diagrams showing all the stops along each route, so users know where to get on and off. Getting Around Kyoto and Nara includes: A large fold-out map of Kyoto Detailed area inset maps Train and subway routes Bus routes and bus stops near all the sights Other means of transport, like renting a bicycle and taking a taxi This guide is packed with practical and useful information on the Kyoto region's lodgings, restaurants, and the best places to visit--including all of the region's famous temples, shrines, parks and historical monuments.