Embracing the Many Pleasures of Kyoto

Getting there: The best way to get to Kyoto from Tokyo is to take one of the many shinkansen , or bullet trains, that depart from Tokyo station. A one-way ticket with reserved seat for the three-hour trip costs about $85. (You can request nonsmoking compartments.) The train from Osaka, which also has an international airport, takes less than half an hour and costs between $5 and $8, depending on the type of train.

Where to stay: A ryokan can be found to suit any budget, but it is best to book in advance. Kyoto is crowded with Japanese tourists during the peak seasons of spring and fall.

Help in finding a ryokan is available from the Tourist Information Center in Tokyo, Kotani Building, 1-6-6 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100, Japan, phone 03-502-1461, or a reliable guidebook. Yachiyo, near Nanzenji, averages $150 per person per night, including dinner and breakfast.

The nearby Miyako Hotel, with both Western and Japanese-style rooms, is a bit worn around the edges but service remains quite good. A twin room costs about $110.

Reading: Two guidebooks are indispensable: “Kyoto, a Contemplative Guide,” written 26 years ago by Gouverneur Mosher, is stocked with historical information about 15 of Kyoto’s most famous sites. It’s published in paperback by Charles E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, Vt.

The recently published “Gateway to Japan,” by June Kinoshita and Nicholas Palevsky (published by Kodansha), is a more conventional guidebook with generally reliable listings of places to eat and stay and visit, including small towns and attractions not included in most guidebooks.

For more information: Contact the Japan National Tourist Organization, 624 S. Grand Ave., Suite 2640, Los Angeles 90017, (213) 623-1952.