Well after spending most of the morning and early afternoon at Temples and Shrines I felt it was time for a change of pace. Kyoto station is a great destination of its own.

Not only is Kyoto station a major railway and transportation hub but it is home a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, and a department store. It is one of the largest buildings in Japan. Walking into Kyoto station after a long day of visiting ancient buildings and gardens almost feels like you are walking into the future. The architecture and busy feel are really a change of pace.

First thing I did was buy a Manneken Belgium Waffle and some tea and started making my way up a series of escalators to reach the observation level. The observation level is an open air roof area on the top of the building. Along the way of course I stopped for a few photo opportunities.

The observation deck is like a park. Several people were there enjoying the fresh air and trees while sitting on park benches. You can see most all of Kyoto from there including Kyoto Tower which is just a short distance away. There was a young mom playing with her kid, some young lovers and some seniors scattered around. It was very peaceful and the weather was beautiful.

Kyoto Tower (京都タワー)

I did a little shopping in the department store and walked around for a while. I decided to have lunch at an Italian restaurant there. It was really popular. I ended up being seated next to a group of schoolgirls. I was amazed how much food they ordered the entire table was loaded with dishes but they finished it all.

Kyoto-Yodobashi

After my visit to the station I walked across the street to Yodabashi the land of electronics. No matter how many times I go to Yodabashi I am always blown away by the incredible amount of electronics they have. It is nearly endless. I picked up an extra memory card and then walked around central Kyoto for a while learning the streets and checking out interesting shops as I walked around.

After wearing out my feet I headed back to my hotel room for a bit of a rest.