Hello, I’m Risu, a blogger who loves to enjoy Kyoto without spending a lot of money!
This time I’d like to introduce you to the Kyoto Station Building.
In fact, there are lots of spots inside Kyoto Station that you can enjoy for free!
- List of free spots in Kyoto Station Building
- Location and directions to free spots in Kyoto Station Building
- Appearance of free spots in Kyoto Station Building (daytime and nighttime)
- Dates and times of Kyoto Station Building illuminations
- Model itinerary for free spots in Kyoto Station Building
You can see the illuminations at night!
All of this is free.
- You can see the illuminations at night!
- There are plenty of relaxing spots during the day too!
- You can take great photos!
- All for free!
- The atmosphere is great, so it’s perfect for a date!
- It’s right by Kyoto Station, so it’s easily accessible!
List of Kyoto Station Building free spots
There are many plazas and passageways within Kyoto Station.
All of these are free to enter, make peaceful resting spots during the day, and beautifully lit up at night, making them great date spots!
Among them, the route we especially recommend is the Grand Staircase → Wood Space → Sky Plaza → Aerial Route → East Plaza → Karasuma Koji Plaza → Musical Fountain.
This route is beautifully lit up at night, so it’s especially recommended for dates!
I will explain the route in detail below, but to start with a summary:
Take the escalator in front of Mister Donut and head down the large staircase (Muromachi-koji Square)
→ Stop by South Square (Wood Square)
→ Take the escalator next to the large staircase further up to Sky Square
→ Go down the large staircase a little and head to the sky route
→ Take the escalator at the end of the sky route down to East Square
→ On the way back, go down the escalator and pass through Karasuma-koji Square
→ Go down the escalator again and head outside to the music fountain
↓By the way, here are the illumination times!
It’s lit up while it’s still light out, but I recommend going after dark as the atmosphere is better!
- Grand staircase
- South Plaza (Wood Square)
- Ozora Plaza and Happi Terrace (rooftop)
- Airway
- East Plaza
- Karasuma Koji Plaza
- Musical fountain AQUA FANTASY
So, below I would like to introduce each spot in detail!
Grand staircase
Let’s start with the grand staircase!
To get there, look for Mister Donut on the second floor!
Take the escalator in front of Mister Donut and you’ll see a large staircase right in front of you.
And here’s the view of the grand staircase!
To be precise, this is the view from Muromachikoji Square below the staircase.
This is the main spot, and the illuminations are beautiful at night.
The designs projected change depending on the season!
The photo was taken at Christmas time!
At Christmas time, there was a Christmas tree decorated in the square in front of the grand staircase!
By the way, this is what it looks like from above when you go up the escalator next to the grand staircase.
It’s pretty high, so it’s scary…
Be careful when you’re with kids!
South Square(Wood Square)
If you go a little to the side from under the grand staircase, you will find the newly built South Plaza (Wood Square)!
This is the entrance.
And if you enter from the left side…
There are green markers on the floor, so follow them to get there.
This gives you counter space and a workspace with power outlets!
Perfect for a short break or for work.
The counter seats have a great view!
There is also a nursing room, so mothers can feel at ease!
The main square has a green artificial turf and cute playground equipment!
The corners of the playground equipment are rounded, making it safe for small children.
There are also large monitors showing videos for children, so there are plenty of ways to keep you from getting bored even if you spend a long time there.
It’s a great space for parents and kids to relax together!
Ozora Plaza and Happi Terrace (rooftop)
Next up is the rooftop!
Go back to Muromachikoji Square and take the escalator on the right side of the large staircase to the top…
You’ll find a very moody space!
This is a plaza with plenty of benches and is a popular spot for couples.
This is what it looks like during the day, but on nice days it’s nice to relax on one of the benches.
It’s a lovely space with lots of greenery.
The view is great and the scenery is beautiful both day and night!
Depending on the angle, you can even see Kyoto Tower!
Air Route
And next up is the aerial route!
If you go down the grand staircase you just came up on, you will see this entrance on the right.
Once inside, there are many ramen shops lined up, so if you go further in…
The entrance to the air route!
Once inside, you can walk along a pathway that overlooks the outside!
People who are afraid of heights might find it a little scary!
This is what it looks like at night.
The whole place is lit up, creating a great atmosphere!
There are small spaces along the route where you can enjoy the scenery!
At night, you can see the illuminated Kyoto Tower, which is beautiful.
East Plaza
And it’s not over yet!
After passing through the aerial passage and going down the escalator, you’ll find this space!
This is the East Plaza.
Depending on the time of day, they also do projection mapping!
You can take photos inside, and couples lined up in order!
By the way, this is what it looks like during the day.
On the side there was a street piano, paintings by elementary school students, and Kyoto Station made out of Lego blocks!
Surprisingly, there are a lot of people who play the piano!
There is also a bell in the East Square that would make a great photo!
It’s also nice to take a photo together as a couple!
Karasumakoji Square
And on the way back from the East Plaza, there is a little spot like this!
If you take the escalator down from the East Plaza, you will come to a slightly open plaza.
This is Karasuma Hirokoji Square!
In fact, Kyoto Tower looks the biggest and most beautiful from here!
It’s especially beautiful at night!
Musical Fountain AQUA FANTASY
そして更にエスカレーターを下りきってすぐの出口から外に出ると、駅前広場に出て、こんなスポットも！
The fountain is amazing!
This is a musical fountain!
Aqua Fantasy is a musical fountain where you can see the fountain being lit up with music playing at different times!
It’s small and not very noticeable, but some people are moved to tears when watching.
↓Click here for details!
- April to September → 20:00 / 20:30 / 21:00 / 21:30
- October to March → 19:00 / 20:00 / 21:00 / 21:30
(1) April to September: 8:00pm/9:00pm performances
October to March: 7:00pm/9:00pm performances
- “All You Need Is Love” The Beatles
- “Another Day Of Sun” (from the movie “La La Land”)
- “Moonlight” Claude Debussy (performed by Jacques Roubier)
- “Song” Belle (from the movie “The Dragon and the Freckled Princess”)
- “It’s Okay To Cry” Sophie
- “SWEET MEMORIES” Seiko Matsuda
(2) April to September: 8:30pm/9:30pm performances
October to March: 8:00pm/ 9:30pm performance
Opening: “Gion Bayashi, Gion Kouta, Sakura Sakura”
“Salut d’amour” by Edward Elgar
“Toy Symphony” by Edmund Ungerer
“Toreador from Carmen Suite No. 1” by Georges Bizet (performed by Kyoto Symphony Orchestra)
“Eine kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“Sing, Sing, Sing” by Louis Prima
*Christmas songs will also be performed during the Christmas season.
Looking at Kyoto Station from here, the illuminated Kyoto Tower is reflected beautifully!
I can’t help but stop and take a look!
It’s amazing that this is all free!
Summary: Kyoto Station Building
So that’s it for our introduction to the free spots in Kyoto Station!
We’ve introduced the times and locations of the illuminations, as well as how to get there and what they look like during the day. What did you think?
To sum up this itinerary…
Take the escalator in front of Mister Donut and head down the large staircase (Muromachi-koji Square)
→ Stop by South Square (Wood Square)
→ Take the escalator next to the large staircase further up to Sky Square
→ Go down the large staircase a little and head to the sky route
→ Take the escalator at the end of the sky route down to East Square
→ On the way back, go down the escalator and pass through Karasuma-koji Square
→ Go down the escalator again and head outside to the music fountain
Don’t be fooled just because it’s free!
It’s a lovely, spacious space during the day, but the illuminations at night are especially spectacular, so if you have the time, be sure to visit both during the day and at night!
There are surprisingly few people so it’s easy to get around!
The rooftop is especially cold in winter, so be sure to dress warmly!
| Access | Directly connected to Kyoto Station |
|---|---|
| Illumination times | March, April, September → 16:00-22:00 May-August → 17:00-22:00 October-December → 15:00-22:00 |
| Fee | Free |