Unique experiences in Kyoto

Where can you find unique, off-the-beaten-path things to do in Kyoto?

In this guide I share some lovely hidden gems in Kyoto I found on my trip to Japan.

If you visit Kyoto during peak season, you’ll most likely encounter the crowds on the main shopping streets, in the popular temples, and even while waiting at a bus stop…

Kyoto does have some quieter spots though, without any queues.

On my last visit I went looking for some local cultural experiences and off-the-beaten-path places in Kyoto, and found a beautiful, intimate concert, unique museums, and a wonderful crafty workshop.

These are places where you won’t see any crowds at all, even though they’re still tourist-friendly and well worth visiting.

Off-the-beaten-path experiences in Kyoto

Traditional Japanese music concert and workshop

One of the highlights of my trip to Japan was hosted in a cosy living room, in a local home in Kyoto.

Alongside five other tourists, I got to see an intimate concert played with traditional Japanese instruments.

Even if you know nothing about Japanese music or its instruments, everything is explained in English before and during the performance.

The music was beautiful and uplifting and the musician was gracious and talented.

The hosts gave us a warm welcome and I felt they really wanted to teach us about Japanese culture and appreciated our interest in it. I’d say there was a feeling of mutual appreciation in the room.

After the concert I stayed for a music workshop and learnt how to play a song on the koto, a string instrument.

This is optional – you can book the concert by itself, or choose to add a private class.

The class was fantastic and good fun, with clear instructions on how to play. I suppose it’s easier with a musical background, but even if you don’t have any, they explained everything very patiently.

At the end of the class I played the melody on the koto and the musician played the accompaniment.

Tickets for the concert

Kyoto Shibori Museum

I had a lovely experience at this museum and took home a hand-made souvenir.

Shibori is a traditional Japanese tie-dyeing technique that creates beautiful and intricate patterns on fabric.

It’s an ancient technique, dating back to at least the 8th century.

By folding, clamping, wrapping or stitching the fabric in advance before dyeing it, you can predict what the pattern will look like.

Still, every piece created is handmade, and so it’s unique, with variations and imperfections that are part of its aesthetic.

This just might be a bit of a hidden gem in Kyoto, because in a city full of tourists, this spot was refreshingly calm.

I highly recommend you do a workshop there. There are a few classes to choose from and I chose to make a furoshiki – a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth, made of cotton.

The instructor gave me simple instructions and guidance, so even with no knowledge or experience, I got a great result.

It’s a tourist-friendly workshop with English-speaking staff.

While your shibori creation dries up, you want to go upstairs and see the exhibition. When you join a workshop, the price includes the museum entry fee.

It starts with a film on the history of the craft and continues with many different examples of shibori.

A friendly member of staff showed me around the museum and the shop.

He had a wealth of knowledge and was so genuinely passionate about shibori that he really made my museum visit memorable.

After seeing the exhibition, go downstairs again to the workshop area, where you’ll find your shibori creation packed and ready to take home.

Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design

My favourite museum in Kyoto was its beautiful design museum.

It may look small at first, but once you step inside you’ll find there’s a lot to see and I ended up spending quite a bit of time there.

The museum takes you through the history of Japanese design. It has very clear explanations of the traditions, alongside modern day design.

It has a nice sense of space, and the aesthetic display invites you to follow along and learn.

You’ll learn how traditional crafts are made step by step, such as bamboo baskets or fans and also how modern design uses traditional methods.

It’s simply fascinating to see how much work is put into every item.

There are English descriptions and some nice interactive displays, and even a live demonstration of traditional Japanese crafts, like ceramics.

I also spent a lot of time in the museum gift shop, which felt like an extension of the exhibitions in the museum itself.

There was no queue to enter and no crowds inside.

This museum is right next to Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art and the The National Museum of Modern Art, both worth a visit.

Kunjyukan fragrance museum

This unusual museum was another spot I found in Kyoto that wasn’t flooded with tourists, but is worth a visit.

I came across it by chance while walking around, stepped in and was surprised to find a cool museum dedicated to fragrance and Japanese incense culture.

Kunjyukan is a small, relaxed museum next to an incense shop.

I liked the hanging fragrance boxes that let you immerse your head in different scents.

The museum is free to enter and you can see it in about 30 minutes.

Get an offline map of these Off-the-beaten-path spots in Kyoto

This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Kyoto.

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