Japan Railway (JR)'s Nijo Station is two stops from Kyoto Station on the Saiin Line, which heads west out of the city through some beautiful scenery towards rural Kyoto Prefecture and Fukuchiyama, continuing on to Fukui, Shimane and Yamaguchi.
It is a short walk from Nijo Station to nearby Nijo Castle.
Nijo Station was rebuilt in 1996 when the rail tracks were elevated. It now is best known for its distinctive hat-like roof, which evokes an ancient Japanese straw hat.
The former Nijo Station building is still intact and can be seen just down line at the Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum, which was opened in 1972 to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of railway operations in Japan. The former station house was built in 1904 and is a Meiji Period wooden structure that is warm and cozy.
Both the JR Line and the Tozai subway line stop here. The JR Line is convenient for Kyoto Station and points west, including Arashiyama. The subway runs under the northern edge of downtown, stopping in front of Nijo Castle, City Hall, and close to the museum district.
Local Kyoto buses which run past Nijo Station are the numbers #206, #201 and #46 which all run north.
Japan Train Stations: Nijo Station, Kyoto
