One of my favorite areas of Kyoto for people watching and exploring is the area of Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka. They are a pair of sloped lanes that are between Kodai-ji and Kiyomizu-dera.

Walking along Yasaka-dori

The streets are home to beautifully restored traditional shops and have a lively atmosphere. A couple more things that I love about this area is that Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka are pedestrian use only and have no overhead power lines which help make it among the most atmospheric places in Kyoto.

Sannen-zaka AKA Sainen-zaka

It feels almost like you are being transported back in time. There are lots of restaurants and teahouses as well as other goods for sale so it is really a nice area to explore. I took my time here soaking in the atmosphere.

Inoda Coffee

One of my favorite coffee places is located in this area and I built up a bit of thirst so it was time to pop into Inoda Coffee. The store is beautiful and the staff is so friendly. I ordered an iced coffee and some ice-cream as I was hot from lots of walking. I was able to sit near the windows to the beautiful garden that they have. After my coffee break was over I picked up some souvenirs to take back. They have a nice little gift shop near the entrance.

It was now time to head up the stairs to Kiyomizudera. At this time it was extremely crowded as tons of school kids descended on the area in large groups. I held back for a while but it seemed there was no end to the group so I just went along with the flow. Once you reach the top of Sannen-zaka and head left up the Mountain you enter another busy street lined with tons of great shops called kiyomizu-michi and also there is Matsubara-dori both leading to Kiyomizu-dera.

Looking back

I think half of the fun of going to Kiyomizu-dera is exploring this area of Higshiyama, eating delicious food and soaking in the vibe.

To see more pictures of Nininen-zaka and Sannen-zaka checkout my complete Kyoto set: http://kfrates.zenfolio.com/p45570337