Before we look back on the past year, here are three foodie booms in Kyoto that our editors have been paying attention to! Check out these topics that are becoming a boom in Kyoto.

In 2024, many fashionable places opened where you can have a drink in the late afternoon. Some of them are open from morning to evening, a style that has not been seen in the past.
The owner's lineup of beer, wine, sake, and other beverages is sure to please. Many of the restaurants are easy to pop into, so "sake bar hopping from lunchtime" may become a new trend.
We have introduced many stores in "Leaf KYOTO". Please check them out.

This year, we have received news of eel restaurant openings every month. With the increase of inbound travel, eel restaurants are opening one after another, especially in tourist areas.
Gurunavi, Inc. has selected "eel" as "this year's special dish" in 2024, making it one of the most popular gourmet foods in Japan. Leaf KYOTO" also introduces "Recommended Eel in Kyoto" in a feature article.
In fact, enjoy deep-fried eel in Kyoto.

Kyoto's famous ramen stores, known for their long lines, are opening new stores one after another.
The long-established restaurant near Kyoto Station [Daiichi Asahi], the popular Ichijyoji restaurant [Menya Kyokudori], and [Menya Inoichi], which was selected as a "Michelin Bib Gourmand" for nine consecutive years, opened new restaurants and became a hot topic.

Let's take a look back at the news in Kyoto in chronological order. There are many noteworthy topics, such as the first restaurant to land in Kyoto and restaurants that have people waiting in line from the moment they open!

Kyoto Porta, a commercial facility directly connected to Kyoto Station, will undergo a large-scale renovation from February to May 2024. A total of 38 stores opened, including 19 new stores, which were the first in western Japan, the first in Kansai, and the first in Kyoto, and 19 stores that relocated or were renovated. Restaurants also received Bib Gourmand awards and were the first restaurants to open in Kansai and Kyoto. In November, the former Porta Kitchen in the east area of the underground shopping arcade was reborn as Porta Dining, with four new restaurants. The area is bustling with people.

Yuasa Kaikan, built in 1913 and located a 5-minute walk from Gojo Subway Station, will be renovated in March 2024 as a spot for Kyoto restaurants to gather. Mr. Koyama, owner of the Chabuya Group, will produce the new building. The restaurants that will open one after another include new restaurants from popular restaurants in the city and restaurants operated by the owners of famous yakiniku restaurants, all of which are very talented. This is a spot of note that Kyoto food lovers should visit at least once!

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STANDING OVATION／Charcoal Fire Bistro Nattsun／Nikujin／Japanese Sake Kisai Yuusan／Highball Bar Koyuki／Kakuuchi and Noodles Ban-san

［DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station, the second hotel in Kyoto under the DoubleTree by Hilton brand, opened on March 29, 2024 in a convenient location for both sightseeing and business, about a five-minute walk from the Hachijo exit of JR Kyoto Station.
The hotel offers a variety of facilities to enhance your time at the hotel, including an all-day dining restaurant (Harvest Kitchen), a café lounge (Globe Lounge) where you can enjoy drinks from around the world, and the first executive lounge in Japan.

On April 6, 2024, the restaurant at Minamiza in Gion, Kyoto will reopen as an udon specialty restaurant [Kyoto Minamiza Nadaman Chaya].
The restaurant had previously been open only to theatergoers, but it has been relaunched with a new approach: it is now open to non-theatrical patrons as well.
The noodles are made from Inaniwa udon, one of the three most famous udon noodles in Japan. A wide variety of menu items are available, from simple Inaniwa udon to Tantan Inaniwa udon, a combination of Japanese and Chinese noodles, and Udon suki, a dish filled with a variety of ingredients.

Six Senses, a pioneer in natural luxury resort hotels since its establishment in 1995, has landed in Japan for the first time. The unique menu of anti-aging treatments, combining cutting-edge science, traditional healing therapies, and Japanese Zen culture, can be experienced at the spa (available for one-day use). The wellness experience will surely make your trip to Kyoto a special one. This is a hotel you will want to stay at at least once.

The first "Starbucks Tea & Cafe" store specializing in tea opened in Kyoto Prefecture at Kyoto Porta, directly connected to Kyoto Station, the gateway to Kyoto, and became a hot topic. The store offers a lineup of approximately 20 seasonal tea beverages, which can be enjoyed to the fullest.
Don't miss the mugs, a variety of herbal teas, the store's original TEAVANA™️ candies, and other goods.

HARIO, a company that manufactures and sells coffee utensils, has opened a café along Ishibe Koji in Gion. The store, which was renovated from an old Kyoto townhouse, has an elaborately designed interior and a tsuboniwa garden with lanterns, creating an atmospheric atmosphere. The shop offers about 5 kinds of coffee beans, including KYOTO BLEND, a Kyoto original. Enjoy an elegant coffee break while gazing at the tsuboniwa garden.

Ajosi Gion Yasaka Honten, which was closed due to the Corona disaster, has relocated to a new location near Gion Shijo Station in response to many fans' requests, making a fresh start after four years.
This popular Kyoto cold noodle and Korean cuisine restaurant attracts many customers for its signature dish, Kyoto cold noodles made from Kyoto buckwheat flour and made to order, as well as its lunch-only set menus.

［Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Premier, the first hotel in the Kyoto area in the Premier Series of Mitsui Garden Hotels, will open on July 31, 2024. The hotel will feature a contemporary architectural design, but will also blend in with the post-Meiji modern architecture that has characterized Sanjo Dori since the Meiji period, with its chic brick tiles and other features.
The new building has been attracting attention for its excellent location, with excellent access to downtown Kyoto and tourist attractions such as Nijo Castle and Nishiki Market.

Three restaurants join the restaurant floor on the B1F of [Kyoto Avanti], a short walk from the Hachijo exit of Kyoto Station.
In July, Furaibo, a restaurant specializing in fried chicken wings, which opened for the first time in Kyoto, and Fisherman's Hut, which boasts fresh seafood dishes, made their debut in July. In August, POP @ P CAFE-KYOTO/ Animate Cafe Gratte⁺ opened, further boosting its power.

The Nintendo Museum, the first public relations facility of Nintendo, which began as a manufacturer and seller of Hanafuda (Japanese playing cards) and has created a variety of household games, including the hit Super Mario Brothers, opened on October 2, 2024. The facility, which was renovated from the former Nintendo Uji-Okura Factory, will feature exhibits of games and entertainment products that the company has produced since its founding on the second floor, and a variety of hands-on exhibits on the first floor.
Tickets, which must be reserved in advance, are currently available by lottery, and many applications have been received.

In March 2022, Inoda Coffee Sanjo, which had been closed for rebuilding due to the aging of the building, reopened for business for the first time in two and a half years. It was reborn as a "New Classical" store with large windows that let in the morning sun. In addition to the popular an-butter toast, which was available only for a limited time, the Sanjo branch now offers pork cheese cutlet sandwiches and Sanjo hot dogs with cute branding of a pot.

The third store of the popular Fukuoka-based bakery [amam dacotan], which was born in 2018, opened in Karasuma-Oike on November 2, 2024 as the first store in Kansai and the last store in Japan. Even before the store opened, it was already a hot topic of conversation, with customers lining up even before the store opened on the first day. Please note that the business hours have changed since the opening. Bread will be sold out as soon as it is sold out, and on early days it may be sold out by early afternoon.

Baikal Shimogamo Honten, a long-established confectionery store that has been in business for 70 years, completed reconstruction work that began in January of this year and opened its newly renovated store on November 15, 2024 (Friday).
A red showcase like a jewelry store welcomes you at the main entrance. In the apple pie workshop adjacent to the store, the pastry chefs' skillful techniques can be seen through a large window. While respecting the store's history, the company aims to make it a pleasant place to visit again and again, such as by selling seasonal products to further delight fans.

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, Japan's "traditional sake brewing," including sake, shochu, and awamori, will be registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
The number of stores specializing in sake is increasing in Kyoto. In addition, a store where visitors can experience making their own one-of-a-kind original sake is scheduled to open in 2025. It is likely to attract even more attention in the future.

Thank you very much for reading Leaf KYOTO articles this year!

Leaf KYOTO" will continue to be a web media that delivers the "now" of Kyoto, connecting you with the city and communicating the charm of Kyoto.
We hope to continue to provide you with a lot of content that you will enjoy! Thank you for your continued support.

I wish you all a happy new year and look forward to working with you in 2025.