Old Kyoto: The Updated Guide to Traditional Shops, ... (ISBN 4770029942)

This book is good if you are a millionaire (or close to one):
The book itself is exquisite, from its cover to its size, its binding, and pages. The text is well-written, witty, and quaint. The recommendations for accommodations are out-of-this-world beautiful! However, to our utter dismay, we could not even come close to affording the least expensive option - I am talking about hotel rooms which cost $500 and above per night. Granted, there were a few for $200 and above a night, but still.... I recommend this book for someone (lucky) who wants the time of their life in the most astonishing of places to live and eat; without strings attached to money. For those of you out there who are middle class, just forget about getting this guide. It's a big tease.

Like getting a private tour:
At first when I received this book, I was bummed that there were no colored pictures, but after I started reading it, I could not put it down. I really felt like the author was giving me a private tour of the shops, restaurants and inns featured in this book. I also bought Kyoto Seven Paths to the Heart of the City, which has beautiful and artistic photographs. I would recommend getting both books, one for the detailed information and one for the visual gratification of Kyoto. This book will go to Japan with us on our trip.

Excellent guide:
Great to have a guide that is focused specifically to Old Kyoto. It offers information beyond that of other travel guides and is perfect if you are interested in finding special places that may otherwise be missed. The author's personal knowledge and experiences there add to the quality of the book.

Lovely book by someone who loves Kyoto and its quirks:
This is a lovely book. The author lived in Kyoto for many years before moving back to the US. It has a listing of all the nice little shops and restaurants that you want to go to. These are (fortunately) not in most of the tourist guides. Note that this book does not include tourist attractions, so get something else for that.

A great little book!:
We have been to Kyoto many times, but just discovered this little gem last year. It was great at taking us to small, traditional shops and restaurants, almost always without other Western tourists present. Also, many of the recommendations for restaurants are not terribly expensive, which is very useful in Japan.