Kyoto Station Free View

Japan has many great views that can be enjoyed for free. The popular tourist places have paid viewing areas on top of large buildings. However there are many views from the tops of buildings that can be accessed for free. It’s fun to discover where they are. Kyoto is a more expensive city than Osaka. It is a tourist city, with tourist prices. So it’s refreshing to be able to enjoy one of Japan’s best views for free.

Kyoto station in my opinion is the most unique train station I have ever seen. It is a huge rectangle that is covered in glass windows. It contains thousands of shops, an open roof on the inside, and an extremely long escalator ride to the top of the building. Once at the top you can enjoy a free 360 degree view of the entire city. It’s a great place to take photographs and enjoy your lunch if you have brought it with you. Seats are provided at the top. Also one can spend hours exploring the shops in the building and the underground shopping mall. Alternatively there is a paid view across the road at the Kyoto tower, which is a bit better and slightly higher off the ground.

Here some images of Kyoto station and landmarks which can be seen from the viewing platform. Keep in mind there is a tall glass wall so it’s hard to take a clear image from behind the glass.

To get there from Osaka just take the JR train from Umeda Station, Osaka.