7 Days vacation in Kyoto

Hello Everyone

I will be going on a vacation in Kyoto with side visit to Nara, Osaka and Himeji in March and there are some things that i want to know about like:

1. Food price (Foods like Ramen, Katsudon & Yakitori etc).
2. Mosquitoes / Japanese Encephalitis in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Himeji.
3. Recommended Places to eat (Preferably some place which have English translation on the Menu and my hotel is near Kyoto Station.)
4. Weather temperature.

Any information is appreciated.

Thanks.

1. Google, or look at the food and budgeting sections on this website.

2. You're travelling in March (winter/early spring), and to well-developed areas. You don't need to worry.

3. Google/TripAdvisor/Tablelog. Kyoto Station has several restaurants inside.

4. Google, or look at the weather and Kyoto/Osaka/Nara/Himeji sections on this website.

There are many restaurants underground at the Kyoto train station. Most have pictures on the menus and will bring you an English menu if you ask. The restaurant floor at Yodabashi Camera has a place with fabulous Okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes) that are cooked at your table.

First, you lucky person. Anyhow some quick answers
Food prices: There is a link to an english menu with prices on this page https://www.yoshinoya.com/en/ that will give you the low end prices. From there they go up to however much you are prepared to pay.
Mosquitoes: Definitely not a problem in those locations at that time of year.
Where to eat: Kyoto is on the main tourist route and they are well used to english speakers. I would expect most places to have an english menu somewhere. I would suggest that you at least need to eat some okonomiyaki. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/the-best-okonomiyaki-in... I have eaten at Issen Yosyoku Kyoto myself, several times :) (My favourite place is in Hiroshima)
Weather: Near freezing early in the morning & mid teens by the afternoon (celsius)

Enjoy

Previous posters have written right answers so I would concentrate on this issue.

1. Food price (Foods like Ramen, Katsudon & Yakitori etc).

In general, eating out in Japan can be very cheap as compared to western countries. You can eat a beef bowl as low as 3 dollars etc. Ramen and Katsudon are eaten as lunch for most Japanese and the price range is in the cheaper side. It will cost 500-1000 yen per meal. Yakitori is a kind of �gwith alcohol�h meal and usually served in that kind of restaurants called �gIzakaya�h and the whole price of the meal will be somewhat expensive, like around 3000 yen. However, please note that Kyoto is the center of cuisine in Japan, and Ramen, Katsudon and Yakitori are not the typical meal in Kyoto.

Katsu comes from the French word cotelette, and in Japan this is basically breaded deep-flied pork. Kyoto is in the Kansai region where pork is not popular as compared to beef. So there are fewer Katsu restaurants (as compared to Kanto region where pork is popular among people). However, still there are some popular ones in Kyoto which is basically for local people. The price range of the set menu with Katsu (Ton-Katsu where Ton means pork), rice bowl, miso-soup and sliced cabbage is around 1000 yen and around 2000 yen for dinner (dinner is more expensive in many restaurants in Japan).

Tonkatsu KYK (chain restaurant based in Osaka)
Ooedo (meaning Big-Tokyo, but this is only in Kyoto)
Katsukura (chain restaurant based in Kyoto. You can find it even in Tokyo)
are popular Katsu restaurants in Kyoto.

Katsudon is a rice bowl with Katsu (Ton-Katsu where Ton means pork, egg and Soy-sauce based, a little bit sweet broth. This is sometimes served in Katsu restaurants, but sometimes not. It is basically the variation of other Donburi (rice bowl with something, like beef, chicken with egg, etc.). Donburi is a typical Japanese fast food which is served in noodle shops. So you can find Katsudon more easily in the noodle restaurants, but some �gsophisticated�h noodle shop doesn�ft provide Katsudon. I believe you can find Katsudon somewhere in JR Kyoto station�fs restaurant alley, but it can be in the Katsu restaurant, Noodle shop or some other kind of restaurants.

As for Ramen, I can say very little. I was living in Kyoto 30 odd years ago when Ramen is not so popular in Kyoto. There was Tenka-Ippin which was popular among students at that time, but as I googled there are many new comers which received higher customer ratings than Tenka Ippin. Interestingly most of the popular new comers are located in residential area meaning these are for local people.

If you want to try Japanese noodle, Daimyojin-Sohonpo in Okazaki (Higashiyama) area is very nice Udon restaurant. As a Udon restaurant, it is in the expensive side (around 1000 yen per meal), I think it is more than worth the price. The broth is the best I have experienced. It is very hot (temperature) so take care of it.

Kyoto�fs Yoshoku (Japanized western cuisine) is sometimes overlooked, but I think Grill Junsai close to Kokusaikaikan (end of the subway) is very nice (around 1000 yen for set menu lunch, opens only in lunch time).

I believe, Tonkatsu, Katsudon, Ramen, Udon and Yoshoku are easilly accepted among foreign people, but Kaiseki is not. But still it is the essence of Japanese cuisine, so I want foreign tourists to try it at least once in their Japan trip. In Kyoto station there is Manshige at Porta which is a branch of Manshige at Nishijin. Kaiseki is rather expensive but Manshige at Porta provides rather affordable menu (less than 2000 yen).

Further you can try local�fs everyday meal by buying bento (around 500 yen per set meal). Second Kitchin seems to be nice. There are cheaper shops, but this shop seems to provide good food.

I remember eating Ramen in Kyoto somewhere near Gion which was really good.

http://www.multilingual.ippudo.com/fp/menu/

Not sure if it was this one, but this would give you a good idea of menu/prices (around 800 yen for a cheap main dish). Food can be pretty cheap in Japan if you eat stuff like Ramen, Curry e.d. It�fs also very easy to find somewhere to eat and order in English in major cities like Osaka, Kyoto and touristy places like Nara. Generally the menus have pictures and prices and many (especially younger) people understand enough English to get by.

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of the information you have given, i appreciate it.

Now i have roughly an idea on how to manage my budget for this trip and i think i will try asking the locals over there (even thought i can't speak Japanese but i will do my best) when it comes to places to eat.

Well sadly when i was doing my own research i found out that the Kiyomizudera Temple is under some renovation for another 2 or 3 years but anyway as long as there is sight to see and food to eat i'm good.

As for transport i'm still figuring out this flat rate area for bus ride in Kyoto and i kinda understand the basic when identifying the type of buses so less worry there.

Anyway i'm using this website suggested itinerary with some modification i made.

I'm still accepting suggestion for this post as i still have 2 weeks to finalize my plan for this trip.