Our walk takes us through Kyoto’s historic Higashiyama neighborhood as it connects temples, shrines, and its workaday streets, moving between well-traveled streets and quieter parts of the neighborhood that show how the area continues to function beyond the tourist spots.

The focus shifts from the main tourist sights and spots to the smaller details, local shops, side streets, and residential corners that give a clearer sense of how the neighborhood is used and lived in day to day.

Nene-no-michi is one of the important and historic streets in the area, with its own history and character that you will learn more about on our walk, and just off it is Ishibe-koji, a small alleyway that is one of Kyoto’s oldest streets, with wooden homes and a stone-lined path that feels more residential and less busy than the surrounding area. It is where some long-standing local merchant families, who still run shops in the area, live, and is also one of Kyoto’s most prestigious addresses.

Just off Nene-no-michi are Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, short stepped streets leading up the hill and lined with traditional wooden shops that have catered to travelers for centuries, guiding visitors toward Kiyomizu-dera. These streets have been used for generations and are among the most recognizable spots in Kyoto and across Japan.

Nearby, Hōkan-ji (Yasaka Pagoda) rises above the surrounding neighborhood and is one of Kyoto’s most photographed landmarks, offering a memorable point to pause and take in the setting. This is where memories are made.

At the top of the neighborhood sits Kiyomizu-dera, one of Kyoto’s most well-known temples, known for its wooden stage built without nails and its views over the surrounding area.

As we move through Higashiyama, the focus remains on how these places connect to the streets, businesses, and daily life that shape the area today.