8 Coworking Spaces in Kyoto

About Kyoto

Once the capital of Japan and famous for its plethora of classical Buddhist temples, imperial palaces, elegant gardens, wooden houses and Shinto shrines, Kyoto will not disappoint or leave you wondering what to do with your time.

This is the land of Japanese traditions from kaiseki dining (multiple courses of precise dishes) and geisha in the Gion district. It is a tourist mecca and the crowds can be so intense you think you are going to scream in frustration. If this happens head to a Shinto shrine and slowly climb ancient steps in Zen mode or hide away in a centuries-old rock garden and pretend you are a gnome. But if you thrive in a bee hive atmosphere, dive into the tourist throngs and head to the Nishki Market or the Kyoto International Manga Museum and keep smiling.

Kyoto is the "old" Japan where you can quietly go barefoot over tatami mats in a ryokan, cycle through a bamboo forest or sip "matcha" (green tea) in quaint traditional tearooms. Kyoto is also a dynamic university town overflowing with the exuberance of its youth where the modern era is gatecrashing its sense of traditions.

You can visit the old market street and gawk at the traditional shops overflowing with tofu, washi (handmade paper) and tea merchant enclaves. The old streets of Nishijin and Gion will have you spellbound, whilst the futuristic Kyoto Station area will leave you gobsmacked in contrast. There are restaurants galore to gorge at, from traditional cuisine to international fare on offer, with many sitting in stunning wooden buildings with private gardens. For those that love architecture the eye candy will have you staring in awe at places such as the famed Golden Pavilion and the expanse of Higashi Hongan-ji. The garden lover will be smiling serenely whilst meandering through the Zen masterpieces at Ryoan-ji and Saiho-ji where blossoms and moss mingle.

It is all about seasons in Kyoto where the geisha's change their hair ornaments 12 times a year to celebrate the natural world and there are seasonal sweets to suck on representing whatever is in bloom.