Our Kyoto: Where Locals Go

(More copies en route from Japan.)

This unique Japanese–English guide introduces 180 spots recommended by twenty-six Kyoto residents from all walks of life in collaboration with the editorial team at Kyoto-kan, an official Kyoto City website.

Featured are local favorite cafés, bars, Japanese-style pubs, and Italian and Chinese restaurants to shops specializing in tofu, dried goods, wine, chopsticks, and more... long-beloved standards and well-kept secrets. Also covered are seasonal festivals and events like the Gion Festival, the Daimonji bonfires, and antique markets as well as settings where daily life in the city unfolds—the banks of the Kamo River, Mount Daimonji, the city’s bus network. Each recommendation—whether a place, product, or experience—represents a distinctly local point of view.

Chapters are organized by city ward (e.g., Nakagyo, Higashiyama), making it easy to explore several nearby locations together. A QR code on the opening pages links to a custom Google map featuring all 180 spots, and individual QR codes for each location are included at the back of the book for convenient navigation. With a layout that introduces each site alongside a single photograph, the book also invites readers to enjoy simply browsing through its pages as they would a photo collection.