After half a day spent at charming Arashiyama, I took the train back to Kyoto Station. Instead of rushing back to Shiori-an Guesthouse to collect my bags, I decided to explore the station.
Because Kyoto Station looks pretty coolBuilt at a cost of $1.25 billion, the station building complex houses a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilitiesKyoto Station is a tourist attraction by itselfThis is the SkywalkKyoto tower, right opposite Kyoto stationThe train tracks belowThe Skywalk is simply one long path taking people from one end of Kyoto station to anotherYou have restaurants and other stores on this sideThere is a rooftop garden and viewing deck at this end as wellAnd a helipadIt was time to go back downI wouldn’t call Kyoto Station’s architecture beautiful or anythingBut it is definitely uniqueThe bus station outside. You can board buses going straight to Kiyomizu Dera from here.