Kyoto station is a bad place to be in a snow storm, videos show

The building’s cool design is not best suited to freezing weather.

There are many cool things to see Kyotoand it starts as soon as you get off the train. Kyoto Station is a stylish and modern building, with the full range of restaurants and souvenir shops you would expect at major railway junctions in Japan. However, what makes it especially nice is the gigantic central hall that lets in fresh air and natural sunlight, making it feel like you are both inside and outside the station.

Unfortunately, Kyoto Station’s unique architectural design proves to be unsuitable for snow storms.

▼ This is inside the station.

#都駅 #琵琶湖線 #daily pic.twitter.com/knqFQ3ntQT

— 生前予約パーティー (@glasphiesleob) January 24, 2023

Japan is currently experiencing a cold snap and snow began falling in Kyoto around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. It subsided later in the afternoon but started again in the evening and conditions worsened as the night progressed.

▼ “It’s snowing in Kyoto station.”

京都駅に雪降ってるわ pic.twitter.com/DR6ckosmwa

— kamui.com (@djkamui_com) January 24, 2023

The amount of snow dumped on the city wasn’t the only shocking aspect of the weather, either. Fierce winds blew through Japan’s former capital, and sometimes the snow didn’t so much fall as blow sideways until it collided with some kind of standing object.

原広司さぁ…京都駅作るときにちょっとは雪のこと考えてくれても良かったんじゃないの？ pic.twitter.com/gO4jElK2Jt

— わかみー (@wakamie17) January 24, 2023

▼ The station’s Mister Donut branch got a luscious revamp, even as it served up those fancy new Toshi Yoroizuka collaboration donuts.

の ミ ス ド 、 こ こ ま で pic.twitter.com/HjU516lvOZ

— まろまろ (@maroojimarosan) January 24, 2023

At times when the storm cleared and the snowfall softened, it actually looked a bit picturesque, assuming you were observing the scene from a place where you were warm yourself, preferably with a nice hot cup of green tea or mug of cocoa in your hands.

京都駅の中雪降ってて笑う pic.twitter.com/nFDgPrrmUU

— かずま (@Kazuma1993FJR) January 24, 2023

But as surreal as it must have been to deal with the weather inside the station, it was still a lot better than braving the full force of the elements completely outside the building.

こんな京都駅は こんな京都駅は pic.twitter.com/RPanlqcHad

— あかいの (@akaroke_924) January 24, 2023

In defense of the station’s designers, such intense snowstorms are rare in Kyoto, so it’s understandable they weren’t a primary concern during the building’s planning. Still, we’re betting many rail travelers are happy there’s just one day of light, scattered snow in Kyoto’s forecast for the week ahead.

Source: Kyoto Shimbun via Jin
Top image ©SoraNews24
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