Railways in Kyoto
Railway lines to Kyoto
Main Railways in Kyoto
Kyoto (京都) is the old capital of Japan from 794 to 1869.
It has a population of 1.4 million.
Now, it is the most popular sightseeing city in Japan, so most foreign tourists visit here.
The main area of the city is in a basin surrounded by mountains on three sides (north, east, and west).
The main area is about 5 km from east to west and about 6 km from north to south, and the streets are laid out in a grid.
Many famous temples and shrines are mainly around the edge of the area near the foot of mountains.
The lines of national railways were laid along the southern and western sides of the city in the 1870s.
JR Lines to Kyoto
Kyoto station
The central station in this city is JR Kyoto station.
This is the only terminal station in Kyoto.
The following trains arrive at and depart from this station to some directions.
Some limited expresses to distant destinations are operated.
- Shinkansen : From Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka (All trains stop at Kyoto.)
- JR Kyoto Line : From Osaka, Kansai Airport, Tsuruga, Gifu
- JR Biwako Line : From Otsu, Gifu
- JR Kosei Line : From Tsuruga
- JR Nara Line : From Nara
Hankyu Railway
Hankyu commuter train
Hankyu is a railway company with the lines to Kyoto, Kobe, etc.
The terminal station is Umeda, and it is just located near JR Osaka station.
In Kyoto city, the line runs underground from west to east, and the terminal station is Kyoto-kawaramachi near Gion area.
In addition, it has a branch line to Arashiyama from Katsura station in the western part of Kyoto city.
It is a railway to access Kyoto from Osaka.
Keihan Railway
Keihan commuter train
Keihan is a railway company connecting Osaka and Kyoto.
The terminal station in Osaka is Yodoyabashi.
The line runs near Fushimi Inari Taisha and Tofukuji in the south of Kyoto city.
And, it runs underground along the eastern side of Kyoto.
Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Kyoto Imperial Palace, etc. are close to the stations.
It may be like a subway running through the most popular area in Kyoto.
The terminal station in Kyoto is Demachiyanagi.
From here, Eizan Railway to the northern area of Kyoto is connected.
Kintetsu Line
Kintetsu limited express, Aoniyoshi
Kintetsu is a large railway company and has many lines mainly in Osaka and Nara area.
There is a line to Nara from Kyoto station.
Many local trains are operated to Nara, and the limited expresses to Nara and ise-Shima area.
Subway in Kyoto
Kyoto subway, Karasuma Line
Kyoto city has only two lines of subway.
Karasuma Line runs north-south through the city center.
It runs through Kyoto station.
Tozai Line runs east-west through the city center.
The crossing point of them is Karasume-Oike station, and it is at the center of the main area of Kyoto city.
These don't go near the popular sightseing spots directly, but the roure buses are connected at many stations.
Railways for sightseeing in and around Kyoto
Randen
A train of Randen
Randen is a railway in the western part of central Kyoto.
(Formal name of the railway company is Keifuku Electric Railroad.)
Street cars are operated between Shijo-Omiya, Kitano-Hakubaicho and Arashiyama.
There are Kinkakuji, Ryoanji, Ninnaji, etc around the lines.
Eizan Railway
Train of Eizan Railway
Eizan Railway is a railway to the northern part of Kyoto city.
The terminal station is Demachiyanagi, and it is also the terminal station of Keihan Railway.
The main line goes to the foot of Mount Hiei.
Kurama Line branches, and it goes to Mount Kurama.
Sagano Scenic Railway
Torokko Train of Sagano Scenic Railway
Sagano Scenic Railway is a railway along steep Hozu Gorge.
Arashiyama is a popular sightseeing spot and Katsura River flows.
The river forms steep gorge for about 10 km between Arashiyama and Kameoka city upstream of there.
The railway is laid along the gorge and trolley train for viewing scenery is operated.
"Trolley" is called "Torokko" in Japanese.