Kyoto changes at around six in the evening. The coaches pull out, the temple gates close, and the streets return to the people who live and work on them.
Start on the river
Begin on the west bank of the Kamo as the light goes. In warm months the restaurants along Pontochō open their terraces over the water; in winter the riverside is quiet and the walk is better for it.
Through Gion
Cross east and walk the lanes behind Hanamikōji. The wooden facades, the lattice screens and the sound from behind them are the point. This is a working district, not a set.
Up into Higashiyama
The stone lanes below Kiyomizu-dera empty completely after the shops close. Walk up slowly, find the view back over the city, and come down the other way through Nene-no-Michi.
Where to finish
A small counter in the backstreets near Shijō, or a standing bar under the railway. Kyoto's late-night scene is discreet by design — the good places do not announce themselves.
