Working Remotely in Kyoto, Japan
Strolling through the Kyoto Gyoen National Gardens at sunset — my favorite hobby.
This is part of my remote work travel series where I review places I visit as a digital nomad. Check out the rest of my posts and follow me on Instagram, YouTube, Substack, or on TikTok for more travel content!
Are you in need of a self-created writing retreat in a place that blends city life with nature? Look no further.
Kyoto is a stunning city stuck in time. The buildings feel ripped from the ‘80s as salarymen in bulky suits run in and out of them, the Gion district its own magical experience as stone bridges cross over lush greenery and roaring rivers. The old meets new in some aspects of this city, too: 100-year-old townhomes host Blue Bottle coffeeshops. The sprawling gardens by the Imperial Palace land at the feet of new Michelin-recognized ramen spots and art exhibits.
As a digital nomad and a well-traveled writer, I have to admit that everyone overhyped Japan to me. Most of the country didn’t live up to the endless stream of travel vlogs that have battered all corners of the Internet before I touched down in Tokyo. But Kyoto grew on me, and is now among my top favorite cities in the world (and one I’d happily go back to!)
If you’re going to work remotely in Japan, Kyoto is definitely the place to do so. From the peaceful streets to the welcoming people, Kyoto feels steeped in tradition — sometimes to a fault — but there is a lot to do in this city, and plenty of day trips and weekend trips nearby that are accessible by train.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that previously, Japan was inaccessible to most travelers. The cost of traveling here in previous years was an arm and a leg (and maybe a kidney, depending on how much of a foodie you are) but when I arrived the unfortunate economic situation has made Japan more affordable for travelers from countries with stronger currencies. While I hope the Japanese economy recovers, it was also nice to be able to stay for a longer period of time than I probably would have done in the past.
If you’re a remote worker or digital nomad looking for some nature and peace in your work/life balance, look no further than Kyoto Japan:
Where to Stay in Kyoto, Japan for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
Hiking the legendary Fushimi Inari Shrine!
If you want to be within walking distance of all of the cool stuff in the city, I recommend staying south of the Imperial Palace and East of Nijo Castle:
Everything is in this area: co-working spaces, coffeeshops, brunch places, dinner places, and more. Plus, it’s so lovely to walk alongside the river or through the gardens, so if you stay here you’ll have easy access to those things every day.
We did not stay near this area, and it was not the best set-up because I was commuting to this red square every day. If you’re a little outside of this square — maybe just west of the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden, or further east near Gion — then that’s okay, too. But we ended up being a 30-minute bus away from this square and it added a lot of time to our days — nearly an hour roundtrip in our daily “commute.” The buses are very cheap, though: it was only about $3 roundtrip for a daily bus trip, and some days I’d skip the bus home and just walk an hour up through the park to get back to where we’re staying.
As a digital nomad, I much prefer staying in the center of the city, which is why I’m always recommending you stay in the best areas. If you’re a budget traveler, you can always look further outside the city if you don’t mind the commute. But in Kyoto especially I think you’re better served getting a smaller space closer to the city center and all of the natural beauty of the parks and the river. Some of my friends chose capsule hotels in order to stay close to the city center but remain on a budget. If I were to do it over again I’d stay at The Millenials Kyoto since they are central and have a co-work or Piece Hostel Sanjo. They’re both affordable, and well-decorated, and you can meet other travelers there.
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What to Do in Kyoto, Japan for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
Samurai training in a real dojo in Kyoto, Japan!
Honestly? The best thing to do in Kyoto is to just… live life. Write in cute coffeeshops. Do yoga. Wander around the carefully curated shops. Eat good food. Walk through the gardens. And repeat.
We did a bunch of day trips while we were here: we visited Nara, Universal Studios Japan, and saw the monkeys and the bamboo forest — but all of those things felt pretty touristy and I’m probably not the right person to share info about those things as I feel like the real draw of Kyoto is just immersing yourself in the city.
But in the city itself, I can recommend these 3 must-do things for anyone visiting Kyoto:
Fushimi Inari Shrine. This is the shrine you see in everybody’s photos of Kyoto, but I have a huge travel hack for you. My partner Kyle took me the secret way through a hike that winds behind the shrine, so you can see family shrines and a bamboo forest along the climb up — but still catch all the gates on the walk down. The path is marked with signs, but it’s a quiet, non-touristy way to climb Mount Inari and see the shrine. Here’s how you get there: you’ll pass through the main square, then climb through the first set of gates and when you reach a second square. From there, you’ll start heading up the second set of gates. Keep an eye out to your right, and when you see a signpost to your right. Take a right at the signpost and start climbing Mount Inari. The path winds back up to the shrine. Feel free to Google around to get more info on this path, but it’s a must if you’re visiting the shrine. I also recommend visiting at sunset, as you get the best views, and I imagine it’s less crazy then the morning when everybody is trying to knock out the shrine as their first activity of the day.
Samurai Training in a real dojo. Is this a touristy thing to do? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. I’ve been fascinated by samurai and to be able to take this training class in a working dojo — where you learn how to wield a real katana! — was super fun. The samurai master here was so sweet and you even got a demonstration from him and his students that was awesome. This experience is the real deal, so don’t book with any other groups as they don’t teach from working dojos and aren’t as authentic as this experience with Shogo.
Blue Bottle Coffee Tasting. There’s a Blue Bottle Coffeeshop built in a 100-year-old townhouse in Kyoto that runs coffee tastings. It’s a magical experience that you have to book at least a month in advance, and it’s only available seasonally. It’s so intentional and cool: my tasting began with trying tea made from coffee flowers, and slowly took us through different country’s coffee beans while also sharing traditional Japanese coffeemaking techniques. It’s paired with pastries and small bites, and ends with either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic final course that leaves a sweet taste in your mouth. Really cool — highly recommend this. It’s worth the cost.
Ramen Cooking Class. This was such a fun experience — and one of my favorite cooking classes I’ve done on my travels! I’ve tried (and failed) to make great ramen at home, and this cooking class really breaks down how to make a delicious bowl of this popular dish — plus, this was easily one of the best ramen I had in Kyoto. You leave with a full stomach and a free souvenir as well. We did this with a big group of friends and loved how friendly and helpful our cooking instructors were. As a bonus, this cooking class is vegan/vegetarian friendly as well!
If the Takashi Murakami exhibit is still running by the time you visit, I’d recommend checking that out as well.
Best Coffeeshops in Kyoto, Japan — and My Daily Writing Schedule Recommendation
Trying all of the matcha at the Ippodo Main Store cafe!
Kyoto isn’t as remote work-friendly as cities like Seoul are — my nomad friends and I had to put in some work to find coffeeshops that were cool with laptops. In Seoul, I would show up at my favorite cafe Grain Seoul, order brunch, and be there most of the day writing and drinking coffee.
However, I was determined to find a nice daily writing routine for my self-created writing retreat here, and settled on this daily schedule:
7am: Client calls. Every so often, I hop on calls with my coaching clients or freelancing clients. So, I opted to wake up early to schedule in 1-2 calls every so often during the workweek at my home in Japan. I batch my calls to 1-2 days per week so most of my mornings before yoga were free and I could sleep in.
9am: Yoga class at Tamisa Yoga. More on this later in my blog :) Once you finish your yoga class, you can walk 10 minutes to…
10:30am: Get breakfast at Sentido. This cafe is amazing — and a great place to start your day after your morning yoga class or workout. Once you eat breakfast, you can walk 5 minutes down the street to…
11:00am: Writing at the Blue Bottle down the street from Sentido. This is the best Blue Bottle to whip out your laptop and do some writing in the city! The other locations are too small or not good for working. But this location almost always had seats open on its second floor, and the coffee is great.
3pm: Lunch at the Tofu Place. More on this place in the next section :)
3:30pm: Afternoon stroll through the gardens or by the river. The weather in Kyoto during April/May is perfect for warm afternoon strolls through the nearby nature. This is a perfect opportunity to break up your workday with some relaxing
5pm: Wrap-up last bits of work before dinner. After my nature walk, I usually wrap-up emails and any last bit of work I need to do. Then, it’s time to unwind and decide where to go for dinner and do some reading.
If you need another coffeeshop rec, School Bus Coffeeshop is also solid, but gets crowded and they have a 90-minute limit for people if their cafe is busy. Their avocado toast was great here.
If you need a place to take calls, there are some co-working spaces around the city, but I never visited them so I can’t attest to their quality.
When you’re planning your trip, I recommend finding a place with a nice desk and work set-up so you can spend most of your time working from home.
What to Eat in Kyoto, Japan for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
a cool drink on a warm day at Choya Ume Specialty Shop
Listen, there is a lot of good food in Kyoto. In Japan, I’d argue that you’ll never eat anything bad: but the food can sometimes fail to reach higher heights of other cities. It’s not necessarily a criticism: there’s something to be said for a consistent quality level from 7/11 to Michelin-star restaurants.
Here are all of my favorite places to grab a bite to eat in Kyoto, Japan:
For Anytime, Anywhere: 7/11 smoothies. Listen, I’m a smoothie fiend. When I have access to a blender, my DNA becomes 100% kale. While in Japan, my hyperfixation meal was the 7/11 smoothies: you pick them up from the freezer section, pay at the front, and then scan and remove the seal at the smoothie machine and drop it in. The machine adds water and blends and — voila! You have a smoothie ready for you to pretend to not drink it as you walk down the street (it’s considered rude to drink or eat while you walk, which I mostly obeyed but some days I couldn’t help myself.) These smoothies were like $2 and are a great way to get rid of any coins you’re carrying around, as 7/11 has a change machine when you’re checking out where you can just toss in all your coins and it counts it for you. 7/11 also has great onigiri (rice balls) and I recommend the pickled plum and seaweed flavors.
For Breakfast: Knot Cafe. This cafe is amazing, but way outside of the downtown area (and closer to where I was staying). They have incredible bowls of matcha and great red bean sandwiches and egg sandwiches with soy sauce that make for a great breakfast. This is also a place where you can whip out your laptop and book for an afternoon as they’re usually not busy. They also have great jazz music playing, and the door to their garden is always open, making for a peaceful place to rest your feet before visiting more shrines. Bring cash as it is cash only.
For Breakfast/Lunch: Sentido. Looking for a healthy breakfast? Look no further: Sentido has the best coffee in all of Kyoto, and their hummus plate and yogurt and granola is excellent. The people here are super nice, and they have free coffee samples you can try by the register. This place can get busy, and while they do allow co-working I always felt guilty taking up space here so I just came here for breakfast and walked down the street for coffee and my writing session.
For Lunch: The Tofu Shop. You can’t really discover The Tofu Shop on Google Maps, so it’s something you have to be recommended (by someone like me!) or a place you stumble on after seeing the “Tofu” sign on a quaint street in a quieter section of Downtown Kyoto. This shop sells tofu and also has a little cafe, where you must order the salt-flavored fried tofu sandwich — it’s absolutely to die for. The honey tofu sandwich is also amazing. The women who work here are the sweetest, and were always pressing tofu candies in our hands after we ate here or bringing out other types of tofu for us to try when we became regulars.
For an Afternoon Matcha: Ippodo Main Store. Ippodo is a legendary matcha store. Whenever I’m back in the United States, I’m always ordering Ippodo matcha for my morning lattes. Most high-end matcha spots in California and NYC also use Ippodo, and for good reason: this Kyoto-based matcha company tastes the best. Stop by the Ippodo Main Store to drink amazing matcha in the teahouse’s cafe, and enjoy unique pastries and sweets with your drinks.
For a Refreshing Afternoon Drink: Choya Uma Shop. This tiny little drink spot serves plum-flavored drinks of all kinds. Plum is a big deal here in Japan, and this shop has a nice little sparkling plum drink (non-alcoholic, but I think they also do alcoholic plum drink tastings here if that’s your thing!) It’s a good stop if you need something refreshing on a hot day.
For Dinner: Kichi Kichi. Omurice is a blend of an omelet and fried rice, and Chef Motokichi Yukimura puts on quite a show while making them. You’ve likely seen clips of him on social media, and because this experience is so special the tickets are T-Swift-level hard to get and often sell out within 30 seconds after they go live. It’s worth the effort, though: I recommend logging on shortly before 1pm and making sure you have things like your phone number and email address on “autofill” for your browser. Once the reservations go live, just try and get 1-3 spots at the bar. Any larger of a group and you’ll really struggle: the spots at the bar are also the best because you’ll have a front-row seat to the performance unfolding in front of you. It’s a bit pricy for what is simply eggs and fried rice, but it’s worth it for the experience.
For Dinner: Kyoto Engine Ramen. This ramen joint has the creamiest, heartiest vegan ramen I’ve ever tried. We went to some high-end ramen places while in Japan, but somehow the cheaper places always won out against the fancy spots. It just goes to show that the more expensive restaurants sometimes just can’t compete on taste. Kyoto Engine Ramen can get busy, so if you can try and show up early to grab a spot.
For Dinner: Bikash Mahal. What a wonderful hidden gem! This was easily the best Indian food I've had in all my travels across dozens of countries. Do yourself a favor and get the naan combo with vegetable curry -- the naan here is huge and so good. The guys who run the place are so nice and they brightened my day when I came in to say hi and get some great food. As a vegetarian I loved their vegetable curry and the salad that comes with it was amazing with a unique sauce. The hot chai is also great. My partner Kyle would come here post-workout for an afternoon lunch. This place is also located further outside of downtown, but is worth the trip. Bring cash because occasionally they are cash only.
For Dessert: Sawa. This cute family-run shaved ice place is further outside of downtown, but it’s worth the trek and easily the best shaved ice dessert in Kyoto as they do a great job of incorporating mochi, red bean, and fresh fruit into their desserts unlike the other places in town. Just remember to bring cash as it is cash only. It also closes at 7pm — sometimes earlier — so try and get here earlier in the evening.
Health and Fitness for Digital Nomads and Remote Workers in Kyoto, Japan
The gyms in Kyoto are not as great as other cities. Anytime Fitness has lots of locations and is foreigner-friendly, but overall most gyms are tiny and crowded and some require you to have separate indoor shoes. There were one or two gyms in downtown Kyoto that looked like they had more potential, but you may need to do some digging to find a gym that works for you.
Or, you can make the world your gym, as I did. There are plenty of nature walks around the city, and I highly recommend signing up for a month-long membership at Tamisa Yoga in downtown for around ~$100 USD. Hidemi was one of my favorite yoga instructors there (her classes were better than some of the top instructors I used to train with in Los Angeles!) and the other teachers were so friendly and welcoming. Plus, they have a cute little boutique of plant-dyed yogawear downstairs if you’re in need of some new yoga pants like I was.
My workout routine in Kyoto consisted of yoga classes as often as I could go and lots of walking and hiking. Japan is a super walkable country with plenty of pedestrian-friendly strolls from place to place.
You can even rent a bike in Kyoto if you want to bike everywhere, as that’s what all the locals do. Bike rentals for the month also looked very affordable — I think something like $12 USD for the month. I opted to just hop on the bus everywhere (bus trips cost $1.60 USD per trip) because I didn’t want to deal with parking the bike in the right area and wanted the ability to just hop on a bus for a faster ride to different parts of the city. Plus, I savored my afternoon garden walks — something you can’t do with a bike.
My Overall Thoughts on Kyoto, Japan as a Writer and Digital Nomad
Kyoto will always claim a piece of my heart: I had such a special self-created writing and yoga retreat here. Kyoto is where I softened more deeply into daily creative work. It’s where I unthawed a block of fatigue I’ve been carrying around and let myself rest in sweet simple moments of drinking matcha in the park, walking in the rain past the river, and evenings spent eating amazing Indian food with the biggest naan bread I’ve ever had in my life.
It’s a city where I encountered a lot of kindness from strangers: from a yoga teacher who gifted me tea and told me about her life, from a woman at a bus stop who shared her pastry with me as she talked about what brought her to Japan. From strangers on the subway helping my friends and I not get lost to the kind people at the tofu shop always sneaking us extra goodies whenever we visited.
Kyoto is special. It’s not going to be a modern hub of activity and innovation like other cities, but it will always be a place to pause and reset. A city that’s full of nature and quiet. Where you can eat good food but also lose yourself in a forest walk.
I’ll never forget my time here.
My Ratings of Kyoto, Japan as a Digital Nomad
hanging out with the bowing deer in Nara, Japan
Affordability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 — currently, Japan is more “affordable” due to the drop in the yen. Not a great thing for Japan, but if you’re a budget traveler who has previously been unable to enjoy Japan due to how expensive it is, it’s a good time to visit. I spent around $20-$40 per day on food, coffee, and tea, eating out for every meal. Accommodations are still a bit on the pricier side, though.)
Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 — there’s some really good food here, but nothing that really blows your mind. Nothing is bad though — the quality everywhere is good.)
Vegetarian Options: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 — lots of places had vegan menus or vegetarian options. It’s not the easiest place to be a vegetarian, but not the hardest, either.)
Adventures/Day Trips: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 — we did a day trip to Nara which was okay, Universal Studios Japan which was fun, Osaka which you should do once for an afternoon/evening and that’s it. There’s lots to do and it’s all accessible by train, so feel free to scope around what stands out to you. But even if you just stay in Kyoto for most of your trip you’ll have a good time.)
Cafes/Co-Working Space Availability: ⭐️ (1/5 — while the coffeeshops and cafes are nice, they get crowded quick and very few have patience for laptops and remote workers.)
Digital Nomad-Friendly City: ⭐️⭐️ (2/5 — Japan is generally foreigner-friendly, and I met a lot of nice locals here. For nomads, it’s easy to find a gym, book yoga classes, and go out to nice places to eat. But because it’s hard to find good cafes to work, I’m only giving this two stars out of five.)
Value of Accommodations for Remote Workers: ⭐️⭐️ (2/5 — It’s more affordable to stay in Japan than previous times, so the value is much higher. However, accommodations are still fairly pricey compared to other countries.)
Air Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 — the air quality was amazing for all of our stay. Definitely a big plus for Japan!)
Water Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 — our tap water was safe to drink and tasted great.)
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 — Kyoto is amazing. It’s such a special place to visit, and a month-long stay is perfect. However, it’s not as remote work friendly or as modern as other cities.)
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