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There is a very Kyoto-style Starbucks Coffee at the foot of Sanjo-ohashi Bridge, Kyoto.
In Kyoto City, there are a couple of so-called Kyoto-style Starbucks but nothing compared to this shop.
Because this shop has a breeze-enjoying floor, which is a summer feature in Kyoto.
Even in the humid summer evenings in Kyoto, if you go out to the breeze-enjoying floor,
it would be pretty nice to feel the breeze through the Kamo-gawa River.
Although Kyoto cuisine restaurants’ breeze-enjoying floor might be hard for tourists,
here you only need to order coffee.
However, it is very crowded so you should go on weekdays or right after the floor opens.
How about spending the time of “The Kyoto summer = The Japanese summer”
while looking the flow of the Kamo-gawar River?

You can see the Kamo-gawa River right in front of you.
When the breeze-enjoying floor is full, I recommend its basement floor.

There is a bronze statue of “Yaji Kita” nearby.
※”Yaji Kita” is famous main characters, Yaji-san and Kita-san from a humorous adventure story in the Edo Period.

It’s also good to stroll the riverside.
You may find couples sitting at equal spaces.

Traditional Kyoto-style rice craker shop in front of the Starbucks.
You can feel their long history.

In the evening, it goes like this. It’s pretty crowded.
(From Starbucks official website)

Starbucks Coffee Kyoto-sanjo-ohashi shop
Breeze-enjoying floor is open :

May and September 11:30 - 22:00
June to August 16:00 - 22:00

※ Closed on rainy days

（H.S)

A little bit to the north of Ginkakuji Temple, near Shisendo,
there is the small temple “Konpukuji”.
Long ago, Basho MATSUO visited the temple and discussed with the priest
about elegance and taste at a tea hut in its garden.
Time passed and Buson YOSA visited the temple but the tea hut had fallen into ruin.
However, the village people still called it “Basho hut”.
As Buson admired Basho, he rebuilt the tea hut and made some haikus at the temple.

“Basho hut” in the middle of the temple’s hill　

One more person that you should not forget is Takajo Murayama.
She is known as the heroine of the first one of NHK historical drama series.
She was a mistress of Naosuke Ii., the chief minister to the Tokugawa Shogunate.
She was put on public display alive beside the Sanjo riverside in Kyoto
for three days and three nights by the loyalists to the Emperor because she supported
Naosuke Ii who conducted Ansei no Taigoku ［suppression of extremists by the Shogunate］.
After all, her life was saved due to that she was a woman.
Afterwards, she became a Buddhist nun and passed away at the age of 67 at the temple.

Even if you don’t know history like this,
you can enjoy the tasteful tea hut and the beautiful garden especially in autumn.
Also, it is a world apart from crowded major sightseeing spots in Kyoto,
which you can spend a peaceful moment of quietness. (H.S)

The main hall of the temple from the garden using natural landscape.
It looks a nice rustic mountain temple which is off the beaten path.