i know its nice for sights and temples, but i was wondering if anyone knew of nice old bookstores or toy stores. ive got a family member headed there for a week or so and not sure if he will have a lot of time to go around, but he likes bookstores.

any help would be great- thanks!

The Teramachi and Shin Kyogoku Shopping Arcades have plenty of book shops and a few toy shops to be sure.

My favorite used book shops when i visited were called 'Book-Off' . . . . there's a few. The one i went to the most was just over the Sanjo-dori bridge on the east side of the river. They also stock other media and collectables. Loads of art books on the top floor if i remember correctly.

Seriously, its hard to walk anywhere in Kyoto without coming across a cool book shop you wanna look in.

Also, if he likes Manga the Kyoto International Manga Museum (Karasuma-Oike, Nakagyo-ku) is worth a look. They have vintage Manga downstairs in their basement vault that is mind blowing!