
Did you enter our recent contest to win “Exploring Kyoto” and “Kyoto—Heart of Japan”? Well, now’s the time to find out if you’ve won!
In order to get your hands on these cool prizes, we asked you to tell us—in no more than 200 words—what you’d do if you had 24 hours to spend in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital. And boy, oh boy, did you have a lot of daydreams to share.
Thanks again to Stone Bridge Press for these great prizes!
It was legitimately hard to choose just one winner from the ENORMOUS pile of entries we received, but after much debating, emailing, and to-ing and fro-ing, we settled on an entry that really caught our imaginations and was positively packed full of Kyoto goodness.
A big congratulations to Leong Li Theng from Malaysia — you’ve won both “Exploring Kyoto” and “Kyoto—Heart of Japan”! Go and check your inbox because we’ve just sent you an email!
Here’s the answer that filled our hearts with Kyoto spirit!
“It would be absolutely awesome if I had 24 hours in Kyoto!
I’m gonna use the time to the fullest so no hotel booking is required.
First, I’ll start off with the number one ranked destination, Fushimi-Inari Shrine with its bright red torii gates. A selfie there for my profile picture? Check!
Then, I’ll try out the local delicacies such as Inarizushi which is said to be made of Seasoned Tofu, after paying respect to the God of Rice.
Without further ado, I’ll take the subway to The Philospher’s Path and explore all the shrines along the route, as the unique architecture of each and every shrine always captivates me.
As I made my way towards the end of the path in Kiyomizu-Dera, I’ll get to experience walking in between rows of traditional Japanese shops in Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. Maybe try on a Kimono there if time permits!
After sunset, the remaining thing to do is to check out the convenience stores which are vastly different from the ones in my country. There I’ll have enjoy my every last minute shopping and purchase some souvenirs.
I bet this will be my most unforgettable memory in my life.”
Congratulations again, and commiserations to those of you who weren’t so lucky this time round. There will be more contests soon (and, hey, maybe you entered our competition to win Pikachu ramen? The winners of that will be announced very soon!), so stay tuned!

Win “Exploring Kyoto” and “Kyoto—Heart of Japan” by answering this simple question! 【Closed】
Announcing the winners of our Anime Encyclopedia 3rd Revised Edition giveaway!
Announcing the winners of our RocketNews24 x TokyoTreat KitKat Collection Box giveaway!
How Kyoto’s shrine of severing ties helped our reporter escape from a “black company”
Visiting the burial site of the head of Japan’s most evil demon in Kyoto
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Man in Japan falls into hole with a bear in it
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Japanese Prime Minister once criticized deploying military to fight Godzilla
Celebrate TGK Day with a classic of Japanese kitchens, but with some luxurious ingredients
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
Tokyo’s ban on high school girls working in the controversial JK industry goes into effect this summer
“Bumping men” are a uniquely Japanese class of criminals that are hard to deal with
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Pikachu and Eevee become handmade Lladró porcelain sculptures to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th birthday
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Kyoto voted as the Best Big City in the world by international travelers, beating out Tokyo