The best books about Kyoto: my favourites

This blog is very Japan-biased right now, and Kyoto is by far the place I spent the most of my holiday time in the past year. Since I love to read, I have been looking for books about Kyoto, both fiction and non-fiction, and was surprised there wasn’t that much around. So, in a year, I have built up a little library on Kyoto themed books, and here are the ones I recommend, and a few I would skip.

I have not found the book yet that struck me right away the way “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” struck me, many years ago. I have wanted to visit Nagasaki ever since, and in 2023, I finally did – spent six weeks there, actually!

So… I went on a quest to find great books on Kyoto: guide books, biographies, fiction – anything, as long as there was a connection to Kyoto. I bought most of them second hand or requested them as a gift, so you won’t find links to book stores here, but rather, where possible, I included the author’s web sites and some of their other works.

I very rarely shop on Amazon, so I have not included Amazon or any affiliate links here. I don’t do e-readers and prefer my books in hard copy. So I buy them second-hand from various online dealers. So, click any link freely, and if you want to support his blog, please feel free to visit my other posts on Kyoto or book your accommodation using my (affiliate) links on another post. Rather than gathering all the books and taking photographs of them at home, I have inserted some of my own Kyoto photographs here but I have purchased all these books and if I have a lot of time and find a way to photograph these books in an interesting manner, I will.

As this list grows slowly, I think I will never quite finish this post, so I intend to publish it in its half-baked incomplete state, and update when I read a new book. I also haven’t gotten round to taking some pleasing shots of the books yet, so you may have to do with random Kyoto views.

These reviews are subjective, and fairly direct, so please see this as a trigger warning and take no offense. Also, I have much less interest in any ancient literature, the Greek Myths being an exception, and get on much better with anything past 1900, so there is a bias towards modern classics here. I should perhaps change the title to pay respects to the not-so-favourite books, but I don’t want long convoluted titles, this post is wordy as it is. Also, I am not good at posting literary reviews – I am a scientist and fact and evidence are more my thing, but I try and will return periodically to revise and add new books. Please consider this as a work in progress that finally escaped from the Drafts folder.

Also… last not least… I have written the authors name in the way they are normally written – so, for Japanese authors, surname first, for Western authors, first name first. I still get confused by the Japanese authors names. And I am no scholar of Japanese culture but merely enjoy it and try to learn about it, so, if you spot anything that isn’t correct, please let me know!

Guidebooks and travel-related books

I have gotten all my practical information from a ten-year old Rough Guide, so I am not up to date with any guide books right now. The following are focused on Kyoto, and I would consider them guide books, but they are not classical guidebooks in terms of telling you where to stay, where to eat etc. For this, I personally use an older copy of the Rough Guide, and having seen the most recent edition of the Rough Guide to Japan (1.2.2024) , this might be a good one to purchase. Just feeling somewhat irritated that they also sell trips now. Good book as far as the Japan guide is concerned.

Exploring Kyoto: On Foot in the ancient Capital by Judith Clancy

When this book was first published in the 1990s, Japan and Kyoto did not suffer the overtourism of today, and Japan was entering a period of marked economic stagnation, meaning that the boom days of the 1960-1980s were coming to an end, and Kyoto might have still been the No.1 touristic destination of Japan, but it was mostly Japanese visiting. As for me, I was a budget-conscious student then, and my first trip to Japan did not happen until seven years after that. So, I don’t know how full the sights of Kyoto were back then, but the routes Clancy suggests are great, mixing the popular with the semi-hidden, making bold use of the city’s train and bus routes but basically diversifying any trickle of foreign tourists in all directions.

So what you get in this book is a very nice overview of history, and then some great walking routes to Kyoto’s sights, interspersed with temples and places to eat and shop – of which, amazingly, quite a few still exist. It was this book that brought me to Imamiya Shrine last year, and although I may have cycled instead of walking, this is the kind of Kyoto I love – plenty of sights, but lovely routes to get there well away from high traffic routes and masses of other tourists.

First published 1997, 2nd Edition 2008, Revised Edition 2018 on Stone Bridge Press. Information about the author on this site from Stone Bridge Press.

Another Kyoto by Alex Kerr with Kathy Arlyn Sokol

This was the book that started it all. My copy has a picture of Honen-in on it, a smaller temple originally of the Jodo-Shinshu (Pure Land School) but independent since the 1950’s. I stumbled upon it one May morning and returned several times and always found it peaceful, easy to reach and somewhat off the beaten track, so I bought the book.

Alex Kerr, though American, was raised in Japan and has lived in Japan for about fifty years.

First published in 2016 in Japanese by 世界文化社 (Sekai Bunkasha) and in 2018 in English by Penguin/Random House . Now here is some cool author web site, clear, concise, really nicely written.

Kyoto: A Cultural History by John Dougill

I immensely enjoyed this book, which I read after it was recommended in Alex Kerr’s “Another Kyoto” as a book on the history of Kyoto. It is a medium sized book written for non scholars, and in a rather non-systematic fashion, dealing with several parts of the Imperial and Cultural history of Kyoto, so this stops some time in the Edo Period when political life shifted to Edo/Tokyo.

It’s very well and concisely written, and an easy read even for someone whose first language isn’t English. The author comes from an academic background and so while the book’s chapters are on certain themes that Imperial Kyoto is associated with, like the City’s foundation and early emperors, the introduction of Buddhism, Heian Court Life and The Tale of Genji, Tea Ceremony… it gives a nice chronological history of Kyoto, boiled down to what tourists are most likely to be interested in, and sadly, it stops in the Edo Period.

First published in 2006 by Oxford University Press, the most recent edition is from 2015 and published by Signal Books. John Dougill, who teaches at Ryokoku University in Kyoto, appears to have no author web site, so here is an interview on the Writers in Kyoto website.

Kyoto: A Contemplative Guide by Gouverneur Mosher

This book came out in 1964 and was last edited in the 1970’s, and a lot of practical info is antiquated, but this small handy book is focused in periods in history and actual places, so makes a good travel companion if you can live with the somewhat strange theses that plop up her and there.

It is most reminiscent of John Dougill’s book in that it concentrates on certain topics and sites. Whereas John Dougill will write a concise history of tea ceremony, Zen, Murasaki Shikibu and the lady authors of the Heian Court and then tie in places and sights, Gouverneur Mosher will pick an temple and draw from it periods in history. Both books may look quite similar but actually complement each other.

I think this book is more like a bit of bedtime reading, and it is very poetic in sections. The chapter on Uji’s Byodo-in and the Fujiwara is poetic, and great reading -as is the whole book.

First published in 1964 by Tuttle. No author website. I have no idea who the author was because pretty much nothing is written about him online, and I believe he arrived in Japan with the US Military and that he is no longer alive, so this, sadly, is his only Kyoto book.

Old Kyoto: A Guide to Traditional Shops, Restaurants and Inns by Diane Durston

Another cheapo antiquarian find, first published in 1985, but thankfully, I got my hand on a 2005 edition, so whatever is written in there, may just be 20 years out of date! But I hope that with many traditional Kyoto businesses existing since Edo Period, that nothing much has changed!

Again, this book is not a classic guide book. It introduces venerated commercial Kyoto institutions, not sights. And, I am sad to say, when I looked up a few places recently, they appear to have closed, but there are plenty in there, often with a tradition of several generations and centuries, that did not make it into our standard guide books and that don’t see big crowds.

Zen Gardens and Temples of Kyoto by John Dougill

I am going to add this here, a recent acquisition that I received as a Christmas present due to my interest in Japanese gardens. I know Dougill from his previous book on Kyoto, which I loved, and his entertaining yet informative writing style continues in this relatively new publication.

It is fairly specialized, showcasing Zen Gardens and temples only. So you find the famous ones – Nanzen-ji, Tenryu-ji, Tofuku-ji, Ginkaku-ji. Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, to name just a few, but also some that I.as a person fairly interested in gardens, have never heard of. The accompanying photographs are large, pleasant, but not terribly innovative in their 1980’s layout but Tuttle, the publisher, printed this on reasonably good paper, and it’s a very pleasant book containing a lot of information, but few practical tips, but I am okay with that, the book will probably age better that way.

Non-Fiction

Most of these books are written by non-Japanese. I have also omitted more academic titles like “Kyoto: An Urban History of Japan’s Premodern Capital” by Matthew Stavros, although I am definitely interested in reading them.

Geisha by Liz Dalby

I really enjoyed this book. It’s probably one of the books I lived most, along with “Geisha of Gion”, and this may well be because I am quite biased by “The Makanai” drama on Netflix which offers a semi-authentic glimpse into the world of geiko in Kyoto.

This book, part autobiography, part study on the evolution and culture of Geisha in Japan, this book follows an American anthropologist studying the hanamachi of Kyoto and beyond, and training to work as a geiko for a limited time in the 1970’s. At least she appeared to make a real go of it, speaking fluent Japanese and playing the shamisen, and in this period before video and social media, words were her only way to document her findings, which she did in quite a expert yet easy to read manner. She also published a book on Kimono, which is on my wish list.

First published by University of California Press in 1983, there are several editions, since it sold pretty well – mine is a UK edition from Vintage. The authors web site is here.

Geisha of Gion by Iwasaki Mineko with Rande Brown

Hot on the heels of enjoying “Geisha” ( and re-watching “The Makanai”) for the fifteenth time, I read this an actual , now retired Geiko’s autobiography. Also quite good – and fairly plainly written or rather translated, this was a very easy read, written from the perspective of a geiko in Kyoto’s Gion Kobu in the 1960’s. She was the most famous geiko of Japan for nearly a decade before retiring suddenly at the age of 29 in 1979, becoming frustrated with the rigid social and economical constraints of the geiko system in Kyoto. She was basically groomed into being a geisha since a very young age, and although there is an overlap in when Liza Dalby was a geisha for a year or so in neighbouring Pontocho, this reads as much more personal and authentic.

Iwasaki apparently served as the inspirations for Arthur Golden’s fictional “Memoirs of a Geisha” and apparently she felt so misrepresented by his novel and her anonymity violated, that she felt the need to sue Golden – and to publish her own story. Which, I must say, is pretty good. And a very easy read.

First published in 2003 by Simon and Schuster in the UK and as “Geisha: A Life” by Atria in the US.

The Lady and the Monk by Pico Iyer

Well… it is kind of marketed as a novel, but I would really consider this semi-autobiographical semi-fiction. What happens in this book is allegedly true, and for me, it’s purely autobiographical, with nice side notes about other foreigners living in Kyoto and the author’s relationship with a Japanese woman. It’s more written about people than learning about Japanese or Kyoto culture.

I gave it a good try but gave up after fifty pages when I came across another gathering and more foreigner-centric discussions. If I had to compare it to anything I’d say the author is trying but to be Paul Theroux, so a lot ios written from a tourist perspective, but I find Paul Theroux a heck of a lot more entertaining.

Untangling my Chopsticks by Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Another nice autobiographical tale, this time by an advertising agency creative turned aspiring chef. After reading a few chapters, I noted there is very little talk of Kyoto being super busy, so I turned to the copyright page to see it was actually published in 2004 but reflects the author’s year of living in Kyoto from well before. It’s well written with a tourists perspective, but very detailed on food and its preparation, which I love, and I found it an super easy entertaining read.

First published in 2004 by Broadway (Crown Publishing Group/Random House). You can find the authors website here – I think this was her only book and she is ow an artist.

 Fiction

Again, I could not find a lot on Kyoto-based fiction at first! I was ordering my usual Christmas gift of second-hand books to myself and wanted a lot of Kyoto literature, but did not find much.

Only gradually do I get to know Japanese authors, so I believe there is more, but I just have not gotten around to read it yet. Please forgive my oversight if I have not included as any Japanese authors as I should. Usually, after work, my brain is fried right now, so I tend to read fiction that is on the lighter side.

In general, I would like to divide the Kyoto fiction into two big categories – this is my personal choice, so no highly literary reason here.

Firstly, a few books of the “feel-good” literature that has been popular in Japan several decades, often featuring cats, cosy cafes, quirky characters. A similar style has been popular here in Europe for a long time – I would count Joanne Harris’ 1999 “Chocolat” a classic representative of that genre. Examples in Kyoto-themed literature are the “Kamogawa Food Detectives” by Hisashi Kashiwai – there are four books in the series by now. I’ve not read any of them yet but I read “Days at the Morisaki Book Shop” so while this genre in general is okay, it’s not my favourite.

Roll up something a bit more substantial. Here, I started with the modern classics – Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio, Tanizaki Yunichiro. So, far, I made it through two novels by Kawabata Yasunari – so stay put for more.

“A Single Rose” by Muriel Barbery

I got two thirds through it through it and a got a bit bored and bit puzzled. Is it a novella? An essay on aestheticism? Although quite short, and written elegantly, it will convey a lot of the elegant Kyoto spirit I love. But the story looks contrived to me. Like, did the author do some really fancy restaurants visits, tea ceremony or ikebana class, had half a bottle of wine and then decided to write something beautiful?

I picked it up again and finished it, and it got a bit better until the end which was too Mills and Boon-ish, but still I just don’t get it. And I did not gel with the main protagonist at all. I read “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” which was published prior to this and made the author famous (it is set in Paris, not Japan) which was okay and quite funny and altogether to different. Also, the title of the first edition (hardback) looks like a proper Mills &. Boon novel. It’s an okay book but not one I rush to read again. Nice description of Kyoto landmarks and interiors but to me it feels like the author had to write something about Kyoto at any price to process a ton of sightseeing and aesthetic experiences and this is what came out of it. It gets really good reviews, though, but it is definitely no match to “Elegance of the Hedgehog”.

This book was first published in 2021 by Europa Editions. No author website, so the author site from Europa Editions will have to do.

“The Tale of Murasaki” by Liza Dalby

Another Liza Dalby, cecause, I admit, “Geisha” was a great read. I think “Geisha”, though flawed, is by far her best book, and I loved it and swiftly purchased “Tale of Murasaki” and “Kimono”. I am reading “Kimono” right now and well, this would have benefitted from a good editor. It is very convoluted, and feels like a bad thesis in passages.

While “Kimono” is non-fiction and not Kyoto specific, “The Tale of Murasaki” is a fictionalized biography of Murasaki Shikibu, the Author of “The Tale of Genji” , with her life reconstructed from diaries and poems, and written from the perspective of her daughter. Again, I have not read it fully, but I started and got tangled in the same convoluted English of “Kimono” and thought “no, thanks” but there is a German translation so perhaps I try that one day, or I might pick it up if and when I make any progress with Genji.

“The Kamogawa Food Detectives” Series by Kashiway Hisashi

Well. I have added this since I purchased it, and kept it… but my mum has it. it appears to be much in the line of books like “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” or “Before the Coffee gets cold” which are a nice easy read and quite earnest but simple. The author was born and raised in Kyoto and continues to live and practice in Kyoto – as a dentist is a dentist in real life. He’s in his 70’s now, so I am not sure if he is still a practicing dentist, but he continues to write novels, and there is a second volume out now.

 Last not least: Bring on the Classics

I was a little wrong wondering why Kyoto, a City of over thousand years with a rich cultural tradition, has very few literature set here or written about it. In fact, I just didn’t search properly. There are loads, but some… may be a bit scary to the casual reader. An epic Heian-era tale of well over a thousand pages, authors killing themselves at a young age – there is some heavy stuff here which may not go down well with your matcha latte.

I also hasten to add that as a speaker of very basic Japanese, I have read none of these in their Japanese original but rather an English or German translation.

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

This may well the the largest book I am going to tackle. Oh, wait, “Ulysses”, which I actually read, has double the word count btu still, a long way to go. At over one-thousand pages, this early 11th Century Heian-period novel was written by court lady Murasaki Shikibu while attending her courtly duties, too.

The Tale of Genji is a family epos centred around Prince Genji and his offspring and it is set in Kyoto and in Uji. Several translations into English exist, starting with the 19th Century Meiji-era Suematsu and ending with the most recent one published by Dennis Washburn in 2015. I have bought the Royall Tyler 2001 translation in a Penguin Softcover edition, a book of reasonable size and heft that lies nicely when opened and is a really nice crisp print on lovely paper – important when tacking a book of such length.

It is written in modern English (the translator is Australian) without omissions from previous editions, and with plenty of line illustrations, which I love. This is a book attempted to be read in sections, but if you want to read a true Japanese classic set in kyoto, this should be on your reading list.

Anyway, I stated reading, managed one chapter and, while it’s still on my night stand, I have put it on the back burner and started a modern classic… I found it just too far removed from a novel as I know it. It is a masterpiece, and a significant work of literature, but I am finding it quite a hard read.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon

Sei Shonagon was another court lady who probably completed her book a little before Murasaki Shikibu – and whereas the “Tale of Genji” is pure fiction, The Pillow Book” is not, apparently. This is the diary of a noble lady about court intrigues, pleasantries and not-so-pleasant things, containing a bit of everything – see it as a glorified diary of a very intelligent woman. Some people love it, some consider it much less interesting than the Tale of Genji – but it’s definitely a lot shorter, my edition only has 410 pages and it looks a lot easier to read than Genji, so I will return to this is I want to give Heian literature another try.

My translation is a 1960s translation by Ivan Morris, a British Japan scholar who taught at Harvard and was very active for Amnesty International. The translation looks concise, clean and easy to read. After the German Kawabata translation was such a flop for me, I pay more attention to who translated the book.

The Tale of Heike by Various

I cannot say much about this, so I am leaving this short paragraph here, as this take of the warring Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Genke) clans of the Genpei Wars of the 12th Century, first published in in the 14th Century, is considered a classic of Medieval Japanese literature, but I got confused with all the different clans and who’s fought whom in the John Dougill book, so this is really not my metier, and I have not ead it nor am I likely to read it any time soon. Just adding it to the list for completeness.

And now… there’s a big jump from “Middle Ages” to 20th Century. I did not find much Kyoto-based literature of the Edo era, or, Meiji and Taisho periods other than travel accounts of Isabella Bird (Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, 1880) or Lafcadio Hearn ( interesting author, huge body of work), so there will be this big gap for now.

The Temple of the Golden Pavillion by Mishima Yukio

This 1956 novel (Original: 金閣寺 Kinkakuji) is based on real events – the famous Golden Pavilion did indeed burn down in 1950 following an arson attack: I’ve shied away from Mishima Yukio doe quite some time because the writer, though genial, was also an ultra nationalist, which did not sit well with me, as a lot of his work contains historical context,and I wanted to learn more on Japanese history before attempting to read his works.

First published in 1956 in Japan, first published in English in 1959. The author, one of the more controversial figures in Japanese literature – he drifted towards the very right wing nationalist political spectrum, and was withdrawn from the 1968 Nobel Prize for Literature. So, I bought this with mixed emotions. Obviously Mishima is a significant writer, and his books are published both in Japan and internationally, but I am having problems with the person and his views. Like, in my own culture, I love the music of Richard Wagner but detest his and his offspring’s views and behaviour until post WW2. I just feel I can classify it a bit better in my own culture and the history of Germany and know where to draw the line.

The Old Capital by Kawabata Yasunari

So, let’s move on to a somewhat less problematic persona who, it turns out, was a mentor of Mishima. Both committed suicide. I started with this novel because it is set entirely in Kyoto, and I bought a German 1990s translation cheap – bad decision. The translator, Walter Donat, was a Japanologist in a fairly high-ranking position in the National Socialist Regime (Director of the German-Japanese Cultural Institute of Tokyo) and promoted national conservative and ethnic German literature, and appeared to be totally rehabilitated… anyway, I only researched this later, when I was wondering why this bloody novel was written in such stilted Biedermeier German.

The novel itself is great – centred around a young woman growing up traditionally in a wealthy Kyoto merchant family, accompanying her through four Kyoto seasons and their associated festivals. Very evocative of 1960’s postwar Kyoto, very poetic, just need to get another translation so I can re-read it properly.

Beauty and Sadness by Kawabata Yasunari

After “The Old Capital” I wanted to read another Kawabata novel and picked up this slim volume – published in 1965 translated into English by Howard Hibbett, a US Harvard Scholar, shortly after. I have no issue with the translation, it’s easy to read, and it is just as beautiful and poetic, with a somewhat twisted story I could not relate to much, but beautiful and a great read nevertheless. .

Kawabata was a very prolific writer, essentially publishing stories and novels between the 1920’s and his death in 1972, but although he was born near Osaka, I think he lived and worked in Tokyo most of his life. He was the first Japanese author to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1968.

Books I tried then gave a miss

This is only a short paragraph! I probably omit a lot, rather than buy a book on the spec.

There is, to this date, only one I returned, because it seemed… stating the bleeding obvious. It felt was so biased, and a lot of the recommended places are either highly curated stores or cafes and restaurants that are Instagram phenomena and as such totally overrun. I think this book, called “Soul of Kyoto”, first published in 2021, has not aged well at all. I returned my copy.

I also recommend that you are very careful with any guidebooks you may find at online sellers – especially those that have the current year printed on them. A lot of these might be generated by AI, and represent poor value for money. Some of these mock-ups look incredibly professional, but when you start digging into the authors biographies, you may find that the same authors have written very similar books on worldwide tourist destinations, and when you search the net for more information on the authors, you usually find… nothing. Look for books from established publishers.

Where to stay in Kyoto

I searched high and low for places to stay with a literary connection for this post, but was unlucky. The ryokan where Kawabata Yasunari stayed sometimes – it is now an art museum in Arashiyama. He mentions the Miyako Hotel (now Westin Miyako), which is certainly in a great location but a rather large modern build.

So, I would rather recommend some atmospheric places I stayed at that may convey the literary flair and culture… while offering comfortable and stylish accommodation.

Starting with the cheapest, Kiraku Inn Kyoto. A tiny guesthouse in a Kyomachiya right in the centre of Gion, an easy walk to restaurants, Yasaka Shrine and Shirakawa Canal. Simple, with shared facilities, which is reflected in the price. Difficult to book online at present.

In a similar price range, you will find some Downtown Business hotels with excellent public transport connections. I really liked Hotel M’s Plus in Omiya – super comfy small rooms for under 6000JPY next to a train station – simple could not be faulted.

Sticking with the literary theme, Gion would obviously be the place to be, but a lot of options there can be pricey, or are new-ish hotels. I have also stayed at the Gion Shinmonso, a modern rebuild of a traditional ryokan, which is great value, with very large rooms in Japanese style and a large immaculately kept shared bath.

Next best, thing, how about a hotel in Pontocho, overlooking Gion and with easy pedestrian access to Gion? The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa is a large-ish hotel in a converted school, and I happened to come across a good deal by chance, about 120 Euro per room per night, so I booked it. I think for a five-star in shoulder season, this is fairly good. will duly report whether it was worth the spend, since I tend to stay in cheaper hotels, normally.

The real stylish bargains are to be had outside the touristic centres – I highly recommend looking at Gallery Nozawa Inn in the Shimabara area and Higurashi-Sou near Nijo Castle – both are in converted traditional townhouses and lovingly run by their owners, with heaps of character – but you will have to share a bathroom. I have more detailed reviews of both here and there.

The Small Print

This post is my personal favourites of Kyoto literature and does not claim to be exhaustive. I have omitted some famous books like “Memories of a Geisha” because I have not read them and I feel there are better alternatives around. If you have any recommendations for books on Kyoto, please let me know.

What you won’t find here, either, are Amazon links to purchase books. I stopped using Amazon and rarely use them privately. I buy most of my books second hand, or from a German online bookshop called Thalia if I cannot find the book I want second hand. I won’t recommend shops I do not use myself.

All books were bought by me, as usual, no freebies. My opinions are unbiased by gifts and freebies because there simply aren’t any.

This post does contain some affiliate links to Booking.com, which is the only way I monetize my blog – and I use them myself. I have stayed or booked future stays in all accommodation mentioned.