我常聽人說京都是個日本歷史文化豐富的城市。2026 年 5 月，我心血來潮，決定與妹妹一同到京都和大阪走走。我們只想輕鬆地走馬看花，所以未把行程安排得過於緊湊。我覺得玩得蠻愜意的，也深深地愛上了京都；若有機會，我一定會再來造訪。鑑於京都素有「千年古都」之稱，我想先了解一下它的歷史，以便更好地感受這座城市的脈動。
京都作為日本都城的歷史始於西元 794 年，當時桓武天皇在此定都，並將其命名為「平安京」－這座城市的設計藍本正是唐朝都城長安與洛陽。以此為根基，日本古典文化迎來了許多人眼中的「黃金時代」，貴族文學與宮廷美學在此期間達到了極高的精緻境界。城市的佈局呈現對稱的棋盤格狀，以寬約 84 公尺的宏偉中軸大道「朱雀大路」為核心：北端坐落著皇宮建築群，南端矗立著羅城門，東西兩側則分別有東寺與西寺的寺院建築群相伴。儘管朱雀大路本身已不復存在，但其走向卻在如今的「千本通」以及 JR 山陰本線沿線的通道中得以延續——這種跨越時空的靜謐傳承，令我深感觸動。
京都最初那種呈方格狀排列的街區（即「町」），每個街區邊長約 40 丈 (120 公尺)，歷久不衰。這種獨特的街道格局，連同沿街分佈的傳統「京町家」聯排住宅，至今仍保存完好，並持續受到嚴格的保護。為了滿足日常商業需求，平安京曾設有東市和西市；儘管這兩個市場早已不復存在，但它們為這座城市至今依然充滿活力的商業特質奠定了基礎。
「平安京」這個名稱有「平穩安泰」之意，人們或許會希望這座城市的歷史能更忠實地實踐這個願景。然而在現實中，京都卻在戰亂頻仍的歲月中屢遭火災重創。在破壞性的「應仁之亂」後，豐臣秀吉主持了一場大規模的重建工程，從而奠定了現代京都的街道格局。即便進入江戶時代，重大火災依然不斷重塑著城市的面貌──每一次災後重建，都讓京都發生了微妙卻又顯著的變化。
京都作為日本首都長達一千零七十五年之久，直到 1869 年明治天皇將朝廷遷往東京。即便在更早的時期，當幕府將政治與軍事權力轉移至鎌倉（後來又移至江戶）時，皇宮依然留在京都，使這座城市得以保持其作為國家文化與精神像徵核心的地位。我覺得這種身分認同的沉穩延續，在很大程度上解釋了為何京都給人一種獨一無二、迥異於他處的感覺。
京都確實孕育了許多文化習俗與宗教傳統。其內涵既涵蓋了宮廷貴族與武士階級的禮儀，也包含了一般百姓的日常生活。在京都週邊的丘陵與郊野，散佈著歷代統治者修建的別墅、離宮及寺院。其中十七處遺跡現已被聯合國教科文組織列入世界遺產名錄，統稱為「古都京都的文化財」；這些遺產涵蓋了建築、園林、佛像雕塑、障壁畫（繪於拉門或隔扇上的畫作）、茶道以及花道等豐富內容。漫步於這些古蹟之間，人們能隱約感受到歲月累積的深厚底蘊。
明治維新後，隨著首都功能讓位給了東京，京都面臨衰退的現實風險。然而，當地展現了令人矚目的應對姿態：富有遠見的商界人士與政界領袖積極推動工業化，並對城市的道路、鐵路、運河及公園設施進行了現代化改造，使京都逐漸轉型為一座內陸工業樞紐。如今的京都，以一種優雅的姿態，完美地兼顧並融合了這兩種截然不同的特質。
2026 年 5 月 5 日，我們從台灣飛抵大阪關西機場。出發前，我們已透過「Visit Japan Web」完成了入境手續，因此通關過程格外順暢高效；隨後，我們便搭上了開往京都的 JR「遙號」（Haruka）特快列車。這趟列車每 20 到 30 分鐘一班，全程約 80 分鐘，不僅舒適便捷，更帶給我們一份意想不到的驚喜——我們乘坐的恰好是「Hello Kitty」主題列車。後來我才得知，這項聯名合作始於 2019 年 1 月，計畫持續至 2027 年中。這充滿童趣的細節令人心情愉悅，也為我們開啟了一段美妙的旅程：對於這座既能傳承古老底蘊、又深諳趣味之道的城市而言，這無疑是一個恰如其分的開場。
I had often heard Kyoto described as a city rich in Japanese history and culture, so in May 2026, I decided on a whim to travel to Kyoto and Osaka with my younger sister. We wanted a relaxed, leisurely trip, so we didn't pack our itinerary with sightseeing spots. I found the experience thoroughly enjoyable and really took a liking to Kyoto; I would certainly visit again if the opportunity arose. Given that Kyoto is known as the "Ancient Capital of a Thousand Years," I wanted to learn a bit about its history first to better appreciate the city's pulse.
Kyoto's history as Japan's capital stretches back to 794 AD, when Emperor Kanmu established his seat of government there under the name Heian-kyo — a city conceived in the image of the Tang Dynasty capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. From this foundation emerged what many consider the golden age of Japanese classical culture, a period in which aristocratic literature and courtly aesthetics reached a remarkable refinement. The city was laid out on a symmetrical grid anchored by the Suzaku-oji, a grand central avenue some 84 meters wide, with the imperial complex at its northern end and the Rashōmon gate to the south, flanked by the temple complexes of To-ji and Sai-ji. Though the Suzaku-oji itself no longer stands, its path lives on in the present-day Senbon-dori and the corridor along the JR San'in Main Line — a quiet continuity I found rather moving to contemplate.
The city's original grid of square machi blocks, each roughly 120 meters to a side, has proven similarly enduring. This distinctive street pattern, together with the traditional Kyo-machiya townhouses that line it, persists to this day and remains the subject of active preservation efforts. To support daily commerce, Heian-kyo once featured both an East Market and a West Market; these have long since disappeared, yet they laid the groundwork for the commercial character that still animates the city.
The name "Heian-kyo" means "peace and tranquility," and one might wish the city's history had honored that aspiration more faithfully. In practice, Kyoto suffered repeated devastation by fire during times of war. After the ruinous Ōnin War, Toyotomi Hideyoshi undertook a sweeping reconstruction that effectively shaped the street layout we see today. Even into the Edo period, major fires continued to remake the city's appearance — each recovery leaving Kyoto subtly, yet distinctly, changed.
Kyoto remained Japan's capital for over 1,075 consecutive years, until Emperor Meiji relocated the court to Tokyo in 1869. Even in earlier eras, when the shogunate had shifted political and military authority to Kamakura and later Edo, the Imperial Palace stayed in Kyoto, allowing the city to retain its standing as the cultural and symbolic heart of the nation. That quiet persistence of identity, I think, goes some way toward explaining why Kyoto feels unlike anywhere else.
Indeed, Kyoto is the birthplace of an extraordinary range of cultural customs and religious traditions — encompassing the etiquette of the court nobility and samurai class alike, as well as the everyday life of ordinary people. The surrounding hills and outskirts are dotted with villas, detached palaces, and temples built by rulers across many centuries. Seventeen of these sites are now collectively recognized as UNESCO World Heritage under the designation "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto," encompassing everything from architecture and gardens to Buddhist sculpture, sliding-door paintings, the tea ceremony, and ikebana. To walk among them is to sense, however faintly, the depth of the ages.
Following the Meiji Restoration, Kyoto faced a genuine risk of decline as the capital's functions moved to Tokyo. What followed was an impressive civic response: forward-looking merchants and politicians drove industrialization and modernized the city's roads, railways, canals, and parks, gradually transforming Kyoto into an inland industrial hub. The result is a city that manages, with considerable grace, to hold both worlds at once.
We flew from Taiwan to Osaka's Kansai Airport on the fifth of May. Having completed our entry procedures through Visit Japan Web before departure, we found customs refreshingly straightforward, and were soon aboard the JR Haruka Express bound for Kyoto. The train runs every twenty to thirty minutes and covers the journey in around eighty minutes — convenient, comfortable, and, as it turned out, unexpectedly charming: our service happened to be the Hello Kitty themed train, a collaboration I later learned had been running since January 2019 and is set to conclude in mid-2027. It was a small, cheerful detail, and a rather fitting introduction to a city that has always known how to blend the venerable with the delightful.
京都車站 Kyoto Station
京都站令人過目難忘，不僅是因為其宏大的規模——規模確實相當驚人。作為日本僅次於名古屋站的第二大車站大樓，這裡匯集了購物中心、飯店、電影院、伊勢丹百貨以及多個地方政府設施。自明治時代以來，它一直是這座古都的交通樞紐；而如今矗立於此的建築，實際上已是第四代建築了。
第一代車站於 1877 年啟用，是一座西式紅磚雙層建築，興建於鐵路網向全國擴展之際。到了 1914 年，隨著客流量激增以及大正天皇即位大典的臨近，這裏被一座更為宏偉的建築所取代——那是一座採用日本扁柏建造的大型文藝復興風格建築。然而，車站的命運多舛，最終因站內飯店發生電線走火而化為灰燼；1952年，一座現代化的混凝土建築在原址上拔地而起。現今的第四代車站於 1997 年啟用，由建築師原廣司設計，其設計理念圍繞著「歷史之門」這一構想展開。
原廣司的設計汲取了京都古老的「條坊制」（Jōbō）棋盤式佈局靈感，將這種井然有序的幾何美學轉化為玻璃幕牆與高聳通透的空間，使室內充盈著自然光線與清新空氣。這種設計效果令人驚嘆——既充滿現代氣息，又與所在場域的特質和諧共融。漫步於中庭，沿著那座相當於十五層樓高的宏偉樓梯拾級而上，讓人會深切感受到這建築所蘊含的獨特「場所感」。這座樓梯共有 171 級台階，經常上演燈光秀與動畫展演；頂部的「空中走廊」則提供了一處免費觀景台——尤其是在夜幕降臨、京都塔在深色天際線下熠熠生輝，這裡的視野可堪稱全城最佳之一。
Kyoto Station is hard to miss, and not only because of its scale — though the scale is considerable. The station complex is the second-largest in Japan, surpassed only by Nagoya, and houses within it a shopping mall, a hotel, a cinema, the Isetan department store, and various municipal facilities. It has anchored the city's transportation network since the Meiji era, and the building one encounters today is in fact the fourth station to occupy the site.
The first, opened in 1877, was a two-story red-brick structure in the Western style, built as the railway network extended its reach across the country. By 1914, swelling passenger numbers and the occasion of Emperor Taisho's enthronement prompted a grander replacement — a large Renaissance-style building in Japanese cypress. That second station met an unfortunate end when an electrical fire in the station hotel reduced it to ash; a modern concrete structure rose in its place in 1952. The fourth and current iteration opened in 1997, designed by the architect Hiroshi Hara around the concept of a "Gateway to History."
Hara's design draws on Kyoto's ancient Jōbō grid system, translating that spirit of ordered geometry into glass curtain walls and soaring open spaces that fill the interior with natural light and air. The effect is striking — at once contemporary and quietly aware of where it stands. Moving through the atrium, with its grand staircase climbing the equivalent of fifteen stories, one finds it easy to believe that a building can hold a sense of place. The staircase, 171 steps in all, occasionally hosts light shows and animated displays; above it, the Skyway offers what I thought was one of the finest free viewpoints in the city, particularly at night, when Kyoto Tower glows against the darkened skyline.
京都車站拉麵小路 Kyoto Ramen Koji
位於京都站十樓的「拉麵小路」，是一條美食長廊，匯集了各式各樣的日本拉麵，風味豐富多樣。這裡的選擇從北海道濃鬱的味噌拉麵到九州風味醇厚的豚骨拉麵（以濃香豬骨湯底著稱）等多種流派。大部分店門口均設有自動食券機，顧客在排隊時即可預先購票，從而確保了點餐流程的高效及順暢。部分售券機還配有圖片展示或外語介面，這對初次嘗試的食客而言，是一項雖小卻十分貼心的設計。
我們看到有一家店門前排起了格外長的隊伍，那便是「拉麵 京 祇園本店」（Ramen Miyako Gion Honten）；我們沒怎麼猶豫，便覺得既然隊伍這麼長，那肯定值得一試。這家店以其招牌的「京都祇園白湯」聞名，這種濃鬱的乳白色湯底是將雞肉與許多蔬菜一起慢燉九小時熬製而成；搭配湯底的是口感勁道順滑、經低溫熟成的細麵。除了招牌白湯，菜單上還有醬油、鹽味、味噌及海鮮風味等多種選擇。我點了一碗白湯拉麵，發現這漫長的等待絕對物有所值——這碗麵足以讓人覺得，為它花時間排隊是完全正確的決定。
On the tenth floor of Kyoto Station lies Ramen Koji — Ramen Alley — a dining corridor that gathers a pleasing range of Japanese ramen styles under one roof. The options span a considerable distance, from the rich miso ramen of Hokkaido to the tonkotsu of Kyushu with its deeply savory pork bone broth. Ordering is handled through ticket machines at most shop entrances, with payment made upfront while still in line, which keeps things moving at a sensible pace. Some machines offer photos or multilingual interfaces — a small but welcome consideration for the uninitiated.
One shop in particular had drawn a notably long queue — Ramen Miyako Gion Honten — and we decided, without much deliberation, that a line of that length was reason enough to join it. The shop is known for its signature Kyoto Gion Paitan, a creamy white broth achieved by simmering chicken and a generous quantity of vegetables for nine hours; paired with it are thin, springy, and smooth noodles aged at a low temperature. Beyond the signature broth, the menu extends to soy sauce, salt, miso, and seafood-based varieties. I ordered the Paitan and found it thoroughly worth the wait — the kind of bowl that quietly justifies the queue.
京都車站地下街 Kyoto Porta B2
午餐後，我們想散散步消化一下肚子裏的食物，便決定四處逛逛。京都站內設有JR京都伊勢丹百貨，那裡匯集了備受好評的各類時尚與生活用品，但我們當時對逛街興趣缺缺，於是轉而前往地下商業街。
京都 Porta 是一個規模宏大的綜合商場，匯集了約 225 家店：地下一樓是餐飲區，地下二樓則設有超市和熟食攤位。由於剛吃過東西，我們略過了餐飲層，直接前往地下二樓。面對熟食櫃檯，我們著實經歷了一番小小的掙扎：各式便當和現成菜餚琳瑯滿目，看起來誘人極了，但當時的我們實在都吃不下，只能飽飽眼福，隨即繼續前進——我想，這種單純的觀賞本身也是一種小小的樂趣。
After lunch, we felt the need to walk off the meal and decided to explore a little. Kyoto Station is home to the JR Kyoto Isetan department store, which carries a well-regarded selection of fashion and lifestyle goods, but neither of us was particularly in the mood for shopping. Instead, we made our way down to the underground mall.
Kyoto Porta is a sizable complex, gathering around 225 shops across its levels — dining on the first basement floor, a supermarket and prepared food vendors on the second. Having just eaten, we gave the restaurant level a pass and headed straight downstairs. The prepared food counters were, as it turned out, a minor exercise in restraint: bento boxes and ready-made dishes arranged in rather appetising abundance, none of which we were in any condition to consider. We looked, admired, and moved on — which is, I suppose, its own modest pleasure.
計程車 Taxi
我們從京都車站叫計程車去旅館，我發現大部分的車子的款式看起來都很「古早味」——車身方正、高挑，輪廓透著一種不緊不慢的從容感——但每一輛都光潔如新，彷彿剛打過蠟或經過了精心養護。這種印象引發了我的好奇心，促使我上網搜尋資料。原來，京都街頭最常見的車款是 1995 年至 2017 年間生產的專用計程車；它們那種刻意追求復古、方正的造型，是為了與這座古都的格調相得益彰。這些車輛採用廣泛流通的量產零件製造，不僅維護簡便，而且性能極為可靠。儘管後來也推出了車身更高、兼顧無障礙出行與環保理念的新款復古風格車型，但由於購置成本較高，京都許多小型出租車公司仍繼續運營著舊款車隊。這種現像有一種令人愉悅的寧靜感：車輛保養得如此之好，以至於讓人難以判斷它們的車齡。
沒多久，另外一個有趣的細節吸引了我的注意。京都計程車的車頂標誌各不相同，這讓我產生了探究緣由的好奇心。日本的計程車主要分為兩類：由公司經營的法人（車行）計程車和自營的計程車，每家公司都有自己獨特的標誌和配色。在京都街頭，公司經營的計程車佔了絕大多數。我最常看到的標誌是綠色的三葉草，這是「彌榮出租車」（Yasaka Taxi）的標誌；作為該市歷史最悠久、規模最大的車行，其車隊擁有約 1400 輛出租車。在整個車隊中，只有四輛車帶有四葉草標誌——對於有幸搭乘這些車輛的乘客來說，這算是一份小小的幸運。更罕見的是帶有雙葉草標誌的兩輛車，這是為紀念上賀茂神社（Kamigamo Shrine）活動而推出的限量版車型，據說象徵著「美好的相遇」。另一個常見的標誌是「MK計程車」（MK Taxi）的心形圖案；該公司以其精緻、優質的服務享譽全日本，其特點包括司機身穿整齊制服、禮貌極佳。因為主打不隨機在路邊排隊等客，MK 計程車通常停靠在專屬招呼站（例如京都站的八條口），或透過電話或應用程式預約。
對於打算在京都搭乘計程車出遊的人，了解一些實用資訊會很有幫助。在日本，合法計程車一律使用綠色車牌（綠底白字或白底綠字）；若看到懸掛白色車牌的車輛，應避免乘坐，因為那屬於無證營運車輛。此外，留意副駕駛側的 LED 指示燈也是有必要的：顯示紅色「空車」字樣表示這車處於空閒狀態，可供載客；顯示橘色「迎車」或「預約」字樣則表示該車已被預訂，此時招手攔車是不會停的。在各大車站、知名景點及飯店門外的指定乘車點，通常都能順利找到計程車。
起跳價通常約為 500 日圓（涵蓋最初 1.2 公里），此後每行駛 200 至 300 公尺加收約 100 日元，具體收費標準因出租車公司而略有差異。夜間22:00 至隔天凌晨 5:00 期間，系統會自動加收 20% 的附加費。不需要另外給司機小費。絕大多數車輛均接受信用卡、IC卡（如 Suic a或 ICOCA）及 PayPay 付款。
乘車前有一項值得了解的慣例：左後側乘客車門由司機在前排座位控制，可自動開關。乘客應避免出於本能去觸碰車門，因為這樣做既可能導致受傷，也可能損壞油壓系統。此外還需注意，京都許多計程車司機是高齡長者，英文溝通能力有限；若能在手機上準備好目的地的日語名稱或飯店的完整日語地址，通常能高效解決溝通問題。最後，在櫻花季或賞楓季，交通堵塞可能導致車輛長時間怠速，而使計程車費激增。因此，更明智的做法是以地鐵和火車為主要出行方式，僅在必要時才搭乘計程車。
We took a taxi from Kyoto Station to our hotel, and I found myself struck almost immediately by the cabs themselves. Most appeared rather old-fashioned in their styling — boxy, upright, and decidedly unhurried in silhouette — yet every one of them gleamed, as though freshly polished or scrupulously maintained. The observation nagged at my curiosity enough that I looked into it afterward. As it turned out, the vehicles most commonly seen on Kyoto's streets are purpose-built taxi models produced between 1995 and 2017, their deliberately classic, squared-off design chosen to complement the aesthetic of an ancient capital. Built from widely available mass-produced components, they are apparently straightforward to maintain and remarkably reliable. Newer models have since been introduced — taller, retro-styled vehicles designed with accessibility and environmental considerations in mind — but their higher purchase price has led many of Kyoto's smaller taxi companies to continue running the older fleet. There is something quietly pleasing about this: cars kept so well that age becomes difficult to judge.
Another detail caught my attention before long. Kyoto taxis carry different markings on their rooftop signs, and I was curious enough to find out why. Japanese taxis are divided into two categories — company-operated cabs and independently owned ones — with each firm displaying its own distinctive logo and colour scheme. Company taxis make up the overwhelming majority on Kyoto's streets. The marking I spotted most frequently was a green three-leaf clover, the emblem of Yasaka Taxi, the city's oldest and largest operator with a fleet of around 1,400 vehicles. Among that fleet, only four carry a four-leaf clover — a small stroke of luck for anyone who happens to board one. Rarer still are the two vehicles bearing a two-leaf clover, a limited edition introduced to commemorate an event at Kamigamo Shrine and said to symbolise a fortunate encounter. Another common sight is the heart emblem of MK Taxi, a company with a reputation across Japan for polished, high-quality service: uniformed drivers, impeccable courtesy, and a model built primarily around advance booking rather than street hailing. MK taxis are typically found at designated stops — the Hachijo Exit at Kyoto Station among them — or arranged by phone or app.
A few practical notes may be useful for anyone navigating Kyoto by cab. Licensed taxis in Japan display green licence plates — white characters on a green background, or the reverse — and any vehicle showing a white plate should be avoided as unlicensed. The LED indicator mounted near the front passenger seat is equally worth a glance: a red display reading 空車 signals that the cab is available; an orange display reading 迎車 or 予約 means it is already reserved, and flagging it down will be fruitless. Taxis are reliably found at designated ranks outside major stations, well-known attractions, and hotels.
Fares typically start at around ¥500 for the first 1.2 kilometres, with increments of roughly ¥100 per 200 to 300 metres thereafter, though minor variations exist between companies. A surcharge of twenty percent applies automatically between ten at night and five in the morning. Tipping is neither expected nor practised. Payment by credit card, IC card — Suica or ICOCA — and PayPay is accepted in the great majority of vehicles.
One custom worth knowing before the ride: the rear left passenger door is operated by the driver from the front seat and opens and closes automatically. One should resist the instinct to touch it, as doing so risks both injury and damage to the hydraulic mechanism. It is also worth bearing in mind that many of Kyoto's taxi drivers are elderly and may not speak English with any confidence; having the Japanese name of one's destination, or a hotel's full address in Japanese, ready to show on a phone tends to resolve the matter efficiently. Finally, during the cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons, heavy traffic can cause metered fares to climb steeply as the cab idles. At such times, the more prudent approach is to rely on the subway and trains as the backbone of one's travel, and call on taxis only as needed.
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