Moving to Kyoto

[kidicarus]

I've searched this forum for information about Kyoto, but haven't found all that much useful information. I'll try anyway: I'm moving to Kyoto next month and just wondering if superposters have any recommendations. I've been there before, but it was six years ago, and I'm sure a lot has changed since then. I'll be working in central Kyoto and probably living near Kyoto Daigokku. Any recommendations for shopping, restaurants, bars and clubs, &c., would be appreciated. Thanks.

[englandmj7]

As someone who plans to move to Japan in the future (if Allah allows) would you mind my asking how you got hooked up to work there/what you might be doing?

Personally, I found Kyoto to be the most boring, albeit beautiful, of the large cities when I was in Japan but then again, alot of other people loved it for its attachment to "the old ways" and its more relaxed mood.....great food too!

[kidicarus]

I worked on the JET program (it's a huge, Japanese government-sponsored program that recruits Anglophones with university degrees to "teach" English in middle schools and high schools) right after college. Now I speak some Japanese, and I'm finishing up my master's degree in architecture. I have an internship at an architectural office for the fall.

[Kasper]

i agree with englandmj7, while being quite a pretty city, Kyoto is not that nice in terms of shopping, nightlife etc. had some friends studying at kyodai last year and they were always down in osaka. since it's only a short train ride away (about 25 min to shin-osaka with regular train, 15 with shinkansen), i guess you will go down there a lot. as for restaurants, there's just so many, you will be pretty happy. i went a few time eating/drinking in some place along the kamo river, was pretty cool, but there is also much more.

http://www.bento.com/kansai/index.html

here's a nice website with restaurant listing in the kansai area (there are more listing for tokyo, but it's still pretty nice)

[greentea]

kyoto jazz massive baby.

[CactusArmy]

Does it get really hot in the summer there?

[djrajio]

PM me. I studied in Kyoto University for half a year. Have tons of friends at Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan, and Doshisha to help you out.

[Kasper]

Does it get really hot in the summer there?

more than you can image is possible because of the humidity...

it's a bit better in than in the coastal cities (tokyo, nagoya, osaka) where it's hell though cause it's a bit higher up