Kyoto Station Building
Kyoto Station, Kyoto
- Daily
- 6:00 to 23:00
Hours are for the grand staircase and rooftop garden. The Skyway opens 10:00 to 22:00.
Source: kyoto-station-building.co.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Kyoto's station is a sight in its own right. Hiroshi Hara won the 1991 design competition, and the building opened in 1997. A 171-step staircase climbs 35 m to a rooftop garden 59.8 m up, and the Skyway, a 185 m corridor on the 10th floor, looks north over the city.
More photos of Kyoto Station Building
Insider tip
Come after dark, when 15,000 LEDs play seasonal designs across the staircase. The Skyway's open 10:00 to 22:00 and lit from 17:00. The rooftop garden closes for building work from around late November 2026. Luggage storage (Crosta Kyoto) is in the basement.
What's on at Kyoto Station Building
Upcoming events at Kyoto Station Building, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Kyoto Station Grand Staircase Illumination: Autumn Leaves
大階段グラフィカルイルミネーションPlus 紅葉
Time 15:00 to 22:00 (hours shift with the season) Station Kyoto Station (JR, Karasuma Line), connected
About 15,000 LEDs on the 125 steps of the station's grand staircase switch to an autumn leaves design.
Sjaak Kempe, CC BY 2.0 Junior High School Band Festival at Kyoto Station
中学生バンドフェスティバル
Time 11:00 to 16:00 (end time depends on the number of schools) Station Kyoto Station (JR, Kintetsu, Karasuma Line), directly connected
Wind-band concerts by junior high schools belonging to the Kyoto Prefecture junior high wind band federation, on the Muromachi Koji Plaza.
Sjaak Kempe, CC BY 2.0 Ryoma Yosakoi 26
龍馬よさこい26
Time 15:00 to 20:00 Station Kyoto Station (JR, Kintetsu, Karasuma Line), directly connected
Yosakoi Naruko dance from Kochi and Kyoto's Kyoen Sode-fure! dance performed by teams on the Muromachi Koji Plaza at Kyoto Station Building, hosted by the Ryoma Yosakoi committee, Ryozan Shachu and Kyoto City.
Sjaak Kempe, CC BY 2.0 Kyoto Racecourse Happy Paddock at Kyoto Station
京都競馬場 HAPPY・PADDOCK
Time 11:00 to 20:00 Station Kyoto Station (JR, Karasuma Line), connected
A photo-spot and fortune-card display about Kyoto Racecourse and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Mile Championship, on the second floor of the station building.
Sjaak Kempe, CC BY 2.0 Little Shimogyo
りとる下京
Time 10:00 to 15:00 Station Kyoto Station (JR, Karasuma Line), connected
Shimogyo businesses and individuals hold exhibitions, talks and workshops on the station building's second floor, organised by the Shimogyo citizen activity centre.
Sjaak Kempe, CC BY 2.0 Smaller local events nearby
Shintaro Music Festival Performance
Sat 7 Nov · Kyoto Station Muromachi Koji Plaza and Zest Oike Kawaramachi Plaza
Bands and a cappella groups play in memory of Nakaoka Shintaro at Kyoto Station's Muromachi Koji Plaza and the Zest Oike plaza. In rain the station forecourt replaces the plaza. Severe weather cancels it.
Free to watch · Map · Source: Shintaro Music Festival · 慎太郎音楽祭
Kyoto Station Grand Staircase Illumination: Winter Season Illumination
26 to 31 Dec · Kyoto Station Building (Grand Staircase)
The lit 125 of the grand staircase's 171 steps switch to a winter design built on snow and snowflake motifs from 26 to 31 December 2026, from 15:00 to 22:00.
15:00 to 22:00 · Map · Source: Kyoto Station Building · 大階段グラフィカルイルミネーションPlus Winter season
Nearby
Around Kyoto Station
Free temples and late ramen a few minutes from the platforms
Most visitors only see Kyoto Station on the way in or out, which is a shame. Higashi Hongan-ji is 7 minutes north on foot and free, To-ji's pagoda is 15 minutes south, and at the railway museum to the west a working steam engine will pull you along. After dark, 15,000 LEDs light the station's 171-step staircase.
Kyoto Station has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 4 shrines and temples, 4 museums, 3 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 cafes, 2 parks and gardens, 2 bathhouses, 1 bar, 1 landmark, 1 viewpoint and 1 market. Read the Kyoto Station guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Kyoto Station Building?
- Karasuma-dori Shiokoji-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市下京区烏丸通塩小路下ル).
- What are the opening hours of Kyoto Station Building?
- Daily 6:00 to 23:00. Hours are for the grand staircase and rooftop garden. The Skyway opens 10:00 to 22:00.
- How do I get to Kyoto Station Building?
- The nearest station is Kyoto (JR, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu). Kyoto Station Building is in Kyoto Station, Kyoto.
- How much does Kyoto Station Building cost?
- Nothing. Kyoto Station Building is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Kyoto Station Building?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Kyoto Station Building?
- After dark.
Stay near Kyoto Station Building
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