One Day When

One Day When

Life in Kyoto

Kyoto with Kids

This is an emerging collection of websites and documents relevant to life for parents in Kyoto specifically and the Kansai region of Japan generally. I've asked other parents I know to contribute to this page and would like to extend the invitation to others. If you know of kid friendly places (parks, restaurants, shops, schools, play gyms and centres etc.,), festivals and events, or can think of other stuff that might be of interest other parents living here, please send me an email: emailcleo#gmail.com (replace # with @).

I've set the page up with site links as often as possible, so in most instances you should be able to click on the name of the resource you're interested and be taken directly to it.

General Living Information

Prefectural Government Websites

All of these websites are translated into English, plus a number of other languages in nearly all cases, most often Chinese and Korean.

• Hyogo Prefecture
• Kyoto Prefecture
• Mie Prefecture
• Nara Prefecture
• Osaka Prefecture
• Shiga Prefecture
• Wakayama Prefecture

General Kansai Information: Networks and Sites

• Kansai Connect
• Kansai Time Out Magazine
• Kansai Scene Magazine

General Kyoto Information: Networks and Sites

• Kyoto Prefectural International Centre
• Kyoto City International Foundation

Things to Do, Places to Go

As well as individually listing family and kid friendly things to do and places to go, there are sites listed here which recommend a range of activities and places, and offer up to date information on events.

Events & Activites

• Chionji Market, at Chionji Temple, Hyakumanben, Sakyo-ku, opposite Kyoto University, 15th of every month

  A fantastic market, filled goods produced by local crafts people, artisans and small food vendors. Best apple pies I've found in Kyoto for sale by the bakers who set up right near the front of the temple. Always a festive atmosphere, the market can be pretty crowded on the weekends, however, weekdays are pleasant. Take the Keihan line to Demachiyanagi station and walk east up Imadegawa-dori to the Hyakumanben intersection.

• Karasu-Zumo at Kamigamo Jinja, Early-September

  This festival begins in the morning with prayers followed by an unusal ritual in which two Shinto priests, dressed in ceremonial robes, sit before mounds of sand and caw like crows! Afterwards, bouts of sumo wrestling are held among boys from local schools.

  Apparently, Karasu-zumo originates from the amalgamation of sumo wrestling (once performed as a religious ceremony to drive away evil spirits) with a legend about an ancestor of the shrine's deity who transformed himself into a crow and acted as guide for Emperor Jinmu.

  Kamigamo Shrine (north of the Kyoto Botanical Gardens), Tel: 781-0011.

Places

• Children's Art Museum & Park (CAMP)
• Kodomo Mirai-kan A great indoor play centre and children's library in the downtown area. Also houses a cafe specialising in meals for little people, and offering a number of child welfare services. Playcentre and library are free.
• Takaragaike Children's Park: a park just for kids... and their parents :) A short walk from Takaragaike Station on the Eizan line, this a great kid's park. There are a number of big playgrounds, including some enormous slides, sandpits and climbing frames. There's also a big wading pool and a covered area for picnics. Change tables and little people toilets are provided, but you'll need to take your rubbish home with you. Once you leave the station, cross Kawabata-dori and the river and you're there.
• Maruyama Koen: a large public park next to Yasaka Shrine in the Higashiyama district. In the first half of April, it's a popular place for hanami, especially around the tall shidarezakura (weeping cherry tree) at the centre of the park, which is lit at night. During the rest of the year, it's a nice place to relax, ride bikes and play.
• Indoor Play Centre and Toy Shop, Basement of the BAL Building, Kawaramachi-dori (where you'll also find Junkudo - 7th Floor). Suitable for older babies and toddlers.

Useful Websites

• Travel for Kids: Kyoto Guide
• Welcome to Kyoto: Kyoto Prefectural Govt Tourism Site

Mothers and Parents Groups

• Osaka Mothers
• Piqniq: Japan's Family Social Network

Maternal Health

Hospitals

Hospitals and maternal health clinics in Kyoto where foreign languages are spoken, and information for finding the same in other prefectures.

Kyoto Prefecture:

• Kyoto City Hospital (Kyoto Shiritsu Byoin)
• Kyoto First Red Cross Hospital (Kyoto Daiichi Sekijyuji Byoin)
• Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital (Kyoto Daini Sekijyuji Byoin)
• Japan Baptist Hospital
• Kyoto Prefectural Medical University Hospital (Kyoto Furitsu Idai Byoin)
• Takeda Hospital

Other Prefectures:

Most embassies and consulate generals offer Health Services Listings on their sites that cover hospitals, clinics and doctors in the region that either speak English or the language of the country they represent.