As you make your way up Mt. Yoshida, you’ll come across “Moan,” a café where you can enjoy tea and sweets in a building originally constructed as a tea house during the Taisho era. The lush natural scenery visible through the large windows on the second floor offers a moment of respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The sight of rain dripping from the trees is like a scene straight out of a movie. This café, where you can spend a leisurely, luxurious time listening to the sound of the rain, is well worth a special trip on a rainy day.

Business hours/12:00-17:00 (LO/16:30)
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (open if Monday or Tuesday is a national holiday)

Founded in Kyoto in 1923 (Taisho 12), [ANDO] is a long-established manufacturer of traditional Japanese fashion accessories with a history spanning over 100 years. Yanagibaba-dori, where the store is located, was once an area where shops specializing in dyeing and shibori were concentrated. [ANDO]’s dyeing workshop was created to help people experience firsthand the traditional techniques of dyeing and shibori—skills that are gradually fading from everyday life as times change. You can choose your favorite combination from 20 dye colors and practical items such as T-shirts and furoshiki to create your own original dyed piece. The store is lined with a wide array of vibrant shibori-dyed items created using traditional techniques. Spend some time refining your artistic sensibilities by participating in the dyeing workshop and experiencing this historic dyeing culture.

Business hours/9:30-17:00
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Time required/90 min.
Trial Fee: Starting at 5,500 yen

At “Fukujuan,” housed in the [Kubo Family Residence] (formerly the residence of Kagenori Imao)—a designated Tangible Cultural Property—you can relax while admiring the stunning Japanese garden, meticulously maintained down to the finest detail. The “Hana Warabi” dessert, adorned with edible flowers, is as exquisite as a work of art, and its wobbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture is truly captivating. It’s also a nice touch that guided tours of the building are available upon request. Savor this blissful moment as you experience both the historic building and the beautiful warabi mochi.

Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Last Order: 7:00 p.m.)
Closed/unscheduled holidays

[My Sake World Kyoto Kawaramachi] is an experiential facility where you can blend your own sake to suit your taste. The sake used as ingredients comes from a total of eight brands from across Japan, including Kyoto. While listening to the staff’s explanations and tasting samples, you can select several varieties to create your own blend. Your finished original sake, “My Sake,” can be bottled on the spot in a mini sample bottle (approx. 200 ml) at the adjacent [Sake World Makino Kura] and taken home. Whether you’re just stopping by for a sake tasting or to purchase a bottle, feel free to drop in and discover your own unique way to enjoy sake while learning about its history and culture.

Original Blended Sake Experience
Hours of Operation: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
*Available reservation times: 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00
Time required: 50 minutes (time to make my sake + about 30 minutes)
Fee: 5,900 yen (guides available in Japanese and English)
*Better to make a reservation

Tofuku-ji Temple, the head temple of the Tofuku-ji School of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism, is also known for its beautiful scenery during the rainy season. From the Tsutenkyo Bridge over the ravine on the temple grounds, visitors can see the fresh green of green maples from May to June, and in summer, approximately 2,000 Iroha maples and maple trees can be enjoyed. The sight of the valley turning green is breathtaking. It is also wonderful to sit on the porch of the hojo and take a good look at the honbo garden, which has four gardens on the north, south, east, west, and south sides, created by the gardener Mirei Shigemori. There are several other areas to visit, so be sure to allow plenty of time for your visit.

Visiting hours/9:00-16:00
Admission Fees / Tsuuten Bridge and Kaizandō: Adults 600 yen, Elementary and Middle School Students 300 yen
Tofukuji Honbo Garden (Hojo) Adults 500 yen, elementary and junior high school students 300 yen
*Effective November 1, 2026, admission to the Tofuku-ji Main Hall Garden (Hōjō) will be 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students.
Combined Admission Ticket: Adults 1,000 yen, Elementary and Junior High School Students 500 yen (available except during the fall season)
* Visiting hours and admission fees for Tsutenkyo and Kaisando vary depending on the season.