Sightseeing in Kyoto is largely outdoors, and rain sends the plan back to the drawing board. Temples and gardens lose none of their atmosphere in the wet, but long journeys and waiting do wear you down.
Here is how to choose places where adults stay dry, useful not only for a date but for friends and for the free hours on a business trip.
On a wet day, cut the number of journeys first
What ruins a rainy day is not the destination but the travelling. Walking under an umbrella, crowded buses, taxis you cannot flag down. Three journeys means getting wet and waiting three times.
Settling on one place where you can spend two or three hours produces a better day. Build around a venue that works entirely indoors, and add only the meals either side.
- Keep the day to two journeys at most
- Build around somewhere you can stay a long time
- Use underground passages and station-linked routes
Being near a station counts for more than it does in fine weather
In good weather, ten minutes' walk from the station is acceptable; in the rain, the same ten minutes feel completely different. Aim for within five minutes of a station, three if you can, and the strain drops.
Parts of Shijo-dori in Kyoto have arcades, so how you choose the route changes how wet you get. Simply checking the route on a map before you leave makes a difference.
The longer you can stay, the better it suits a wet day
Museums and aquariums are the standard rainy-day answers, but they close around 5pm, which leaves the evening thin. When the rain lasts into the night, think of the destinations in separate blocks of time.
What holds you late is an indoor venue with food and drink. Something physical, simulation golf or darts, keeps you from sitting still all evening, and the hours pass.
What suits you changes with the number and the company
Two people want somewhere they can talk quietly; at four to six, conversation alone starts leaving gaps. Something to play together keeps the rain from flattening the mood.
Filling time alone on a business trip, a venue with counter seating is the easy choice. Deciding your own length of stay is another advantage of coming alone.
- Two: somewhere you can talk quietly
- Four or more: somewhere with something to play together
- Alone: somewhere with a counter
Take clothing and luggage into account too
In the rain, shoes and hems get wet. At a place where you step up onto tatami, that alone can nag at you. Somewhere with chairs is more relaxing.
Whether there is somewhere for umbrellas, and whether bags can be left, are worth checking. Holding a wet umbrella for hours is more of a strain than you would expect.
To spend the evening at Gion-Shijo without minding the rain
Gion Country Club is an indoor golf and bar lounge three minutes on foot from exit 7 of Gion-Shijo Station, open from 5pm until 5am. The walk is short and everything happens indoors.
Simulator golf, the bar, darts and karaoke share the space, so even a two-hour stay never drags. Clubs, gloves and shoes are lent free of charge, so you can drop in without adding to what you carry.
Frequently asked questions
Is there anywhere in Kyoto to spend a rainy evening?
Mainly indoor venues with food and drink. Gion Country Club is open from 5pm until 5am.
Should we book on a rainy day?
Indoor venues fill up when it rains, so we would recommend booking. It saves arriving to find every seat taken.
Can we leave wet bags and umbrellas?
It varies by venue. At Gion Country Club there is a place for umbrellas.
