Kyoto doesn't have its own airport, but its main train station is a darn impressive gateway. When Kyoto Station was being renovated in the 1990s to commemorate the city's 1200th anniversary as the imperial capital, officials had a choice: traditional or modern. They broke all the rules. The station is a striking edifice in gray and black, topped with a steel-and-glass canopy above the main concourse – sort of a futuristic cathedral for the transport age that's worth exploring.
Accessed via the north Karasuma exit, a series of outdoor escalators takes you most of the way up. On the 11th floor, a glass corridor called Skyway runs high above the main concourse, offering panoramas across town. You can also access the 15th-floor Sky Garden terrace, but views are not as impressive due to tinted-glass windows. About the only problem with the building is that if you're arriving by shinkansen, you have to walk through the concourse to the north side of the station (aka Karasuma Exit) to get there.
