Konichiwa Kyoto

Advantages: It is a fascinating city which presents many of the contrasts of Japan
Disadvantages: This review is very long - but there is so much to Kyoto that I've only given you the main sites

...and enjoyable journey. A map for toilets, telephones and vending machines are all marked on the seat tray, making it easy for ignorant foreigners to make use of the amenities. As it also affords some wonderful views of Japan's lush and varying countryside, including a great view of Mount Fuji, I would most definitely recommend a trip on Shinkansen as part of any visit to Japan. STAYING IN KYOTO ON A BUDGET On our visit we stayed in Kyoto on a fairly tight budget. As a result, our room was pretty basic. Kyoto has more than enough to fill a hectic itinerary, so if you are intending to use it as purely a base, I would recommend Uno House (tel: +81 231 7763 and is located off the Marutomachi-dori within easy walking distance of the Imperial park) although it does come with a few minor disadvantages. Dormitories and private rooms are available. Ours...

ickkate 27.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of Kyoto (Japan)

Kyoto, the OLD capital of Japan.

Advantages: Cheap area, gorgeous attractions and temples, good for short visits!
Disadvantages: Limited activity so best for -5 day visits.

...I visited Japan at the end of this July, and have only just returned. I must say it was the holiday of a lifetime. Flights cost £900 each via British Airways. We visited Kyoto for 3 days. We got there via Shinkansen from Tokyo, and stayed at the New Miyako hotel, just over the road from Kyoto station. Kyoto was absolutely gorgeous and very easy to navigate around. You can get just about anywhere you want to from Kyoto Station. There are buses, subway trains etc. 220 yen is all you need for a bus ride to anywhere along the Kyoto bus lines. That works out at around £1. You just hop on the bus and pay when you get off. We visited Toei movie land which was a bit of a dissapointment. www.eigamura30.com. Looking at brochures we expected amazing movie scenes etc but it left a lot to be desired. A lot of it was shut off, and most...

Jellypigs 18.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Kyoto (Japan)

Kyoto is fabulous.... shame about the hotel!

Advantages: Location
Disadvantages: uncomfortable, not very clean, dated decor

...I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights on a short break to Kyoto when we were on holiday in Tokyo last year. The location is excellent and is only a few minutes walk from the beautiful Gion district. The rooms are very small but I have to say this is standard across Japan in the lower priced hotels especially in the main Cities. The room wasn't comfortable and I wouldn't like to have stayed here for any longer than 2 nights. The decor was very dated and there was a lack of air conditioning which wasn't much fun as it was extremely hot when we stayed there. The room did have everything you need, it was just a little cramped and not very welcoming. The standard of cleanliness wasn't great, it wasn't really dirty, but it certainly could have been better. One little detail that I did like even though it is very small is that they left...

lacedcandy 04.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Karasuma Kyoto Hotel

  Key to Kyoto

Advantages: Enormous temples, exciting centre & good wooded walks.
Disadvantages: Disappointment if you let the guidebooks build it up too much & expensive.

...KEY TO KYOTO I went to Kyoto determined to dislike it. Everyone had said I should go – parents, employer, students and friends had all told me how wonderful it was. However, I’d also heard several things that put me off. For example, Kyoto does not have a baseball team. Apparently you must live in Kyoto for three generations before you’ll be accepted as a “Kyoto person”. When I met other westerners working in Japan those that worked in Kyoto would always tell me so in a declaiming air that smacked of a fat baby born into riches, talking to the poor, confused cousin. I was even told that “Kyoto was proudly waiting for the Emperor to return” by some, and all in all it sounded like a snobby town of overcrowded, over exaggerated attractions. Looking at the map it was an unbroken grey...

Hmatt 08.10.2002 · Read review
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Review of Kyoto (Japan)

Hotel Alpha Kyoto

Advantages: Great location
Disadvantages: Cannot think of any

...is about £7 for a night's parking from 5pm to 10am. You can use credit card to pay for your room but beware that credit card usage is not popular in Japan and some shops do not accept credit card payment. I am going to write another review about Kyoto soon and I will explain clearer the important sights etc. Just to give you a picture over here, on the main street outside this hotel, there are buses going to all parts of Kyoto + the subway is just around the corner. If you get the Kyoto bus card for a day, it is only 500 Yen (about £3) and you can take all buses that go to the tourist attractions. If you want to take the subway too, then get the Day Transport card which is 1200 Yen for one day or 2000 Yen for two days. This is a sightseeing card which gives you discounts at some attractions. I went to Kyoto from Osaka so I got...

dance 15.08.2006 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Alpha, Kyoto

Kyoto Station - A Must See

Advantages: Excellent view of Kyoto, including the Tower! Good change from all the temples...
Disadvantages: Sticks out amongst 'traditional' surroundings, shops aren't anything special

...For many, Kyoto Station is the first thing that you will see when you reach Kyoto. A futuristic, elaborate building, it's the last you'll see of its kind in this city, so enjoy it. Kyoto Station, in the south area of the city, is the main JR station where you will find the Bullet Train ('shinkansen') and trains out of the city, as well as to other areas within Kyoto. (Note: If you are here to travel, unless you have a pass, it's well worth checking that you can't reach your destination via another rail network that isn't JR, e.g. Kyoto-Osaka with JR costs around 800 yen, with Hankyu it's a mere 390 yen).) The building itself is worth a visit though, built opposite Kyoto Tower, which offers a view of the city for a price, you can get just as good a view (and including the Tower too!) for free from the Station. On entering...

folore 31.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Kyoto Station, Kyoto

Hostel part two - Twice as bad!

Advantages: quite short!
Disadvantages: hmmm!

...must confess, however, that I had my reservations. The first film was unique, and self contained. What could they do to improve on it? It seems to be, that Eli Roth has a singular vision. A vision that, though once remarkable, has now become dull and boring. His inability to look around the box, has led him to have a much shorter career than he should. He should have taken more time creating hostel part two, or else not have bothered with a sequel at all. The plot, which is thinner than Homer Simpsons' hair, is basically the exact same one from the first film. The events of the film, are 'similar, but not as scary. The acting is perhaps slightly worse, and all he has done to try and make this a film in its own right, is give it an all female lead cast, and provided a Taratinoesque twist, at the end. This would have been a compliment...

giksy21 21.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hostel Part 2 (DVD)

The root of all evil part two

Advantages: The journey continues
Disadvantages: Please read part one before this one

...For those of you that have been following my journey through nanowrimo we can resume where we left off. For anyone who has come to read for the first time you will have to read part one if you want to know what is happening. It has been a long journey. I hope those that have been with me all month have enjoyed it. I have made it to the 50000 mark so have completed the challenge. The next challenge will be to finish the story. So here we go, we left our intrepid band deep in the woods following the river, let us pick up where we left off. The root of all evil continued And the Maple called for war The days past, the days turned into weeks and the trees went on. They walked on in the perpetual gloom under the canopy of pine needles. The sky above remained heavy and dark, threatening snow and delivering on a regular basis...

docpov 28.11.2008 (25.01.2009) · Read review
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Review of Nanowrimo Stories - part two

The Godfather: Part II review

Advantages: Engaging, immersive, great script
Disadvantages: May be too violent for some people

...The Godfather: Part II is the second installment in the Godfather saga, chronicling the life and times of the Corleone family. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written with Mario Puzo, this film won 6 academt awards, including best picture and best supporting actor for Robert De Niro. A noticeable difference with this film is that it presents two parallel storylines. One involves the now head of the Corleone family, Michael (Al Pacino), from 1958 to 1959 as he tries to expand the family's business by opening up a casino in Las Vegas, the other is a flashback showing his father, Vito "Don" Corleone from his childhood in Sicily to his founding of the Corleone crime family in New York. As with the first one, there is a lot of violence and murder, so it's not to everyone's taste. I know this film is held up as the exception to...

Walter_Kovacs 04.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Godfather Part II (DVD)

Visit Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto

Advantages: Most visited temple in Kyoto
Disadvantages: None

...You probably know that Kyoto is famous for its shrines and temples. It is also one of the cities listed under World Heritage Site. Kiyomizu Temple means Pure Water Temple. One of the oldest temples in Japan, it is now being listed under UNESCO World Heritage Site in year 1994. It was destroyed many times and thus, throughout its 12 centuries of history, has been rebuilt many times. The main attraction in this temple is its wooden terrace. This is also one of the most popular scene on Kyoto postcards. From this terrace, you are able to get a nice view of Kyoto city. On this terrace, there is a Japanese saying, 'jump off the stage at Kiyomizu', which is equivalent to the English expression of 'to take the plunge'. It is said that if one were to survive jumping from this terrace, his wish would come true. Below the terrace, you...

dance 31.12.2005 · Read review
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Review of Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto