Porta

The basement shopping mall, Porta has greatly changed since my college days. More fashionable and sophisticated.
However, I got slightly matured to stride along Porta. The fashion-​related shops mainly target young people, and there are few shops for a middle-​aged woman like me. However, I think that it was good for me to come here. I found a Star Festival decoration in an open space. The event that is started on August 9 until 24^th. Speaking of the Star Festival, July 7 is conventional every year, but is Kyoto special? I watched a Star Festival decoration at Shinkyogoku mall the other day.
Here everybody wrote some wishes on the strips of paper which are sent to Nonomiya Shrine in Kyoto. I got a thin pink strip of paper from a female staff of yukata clad and wrote my wish. «I hope there will be no war and people will live peaceful and happy lives.» I heartily tied up my strip of paper to bamboo grass with the wishes of many people.
August 15. Today is the anniversary of the end of the war. I NEVER forget our ancestors shed much blood, sweat and tear in the catastrophic past.
How is Japan changing from now on? I hope everyone will be happy with smile. I hope that my wish will somehow reach God.

Porta is great! It’s basically an underground mall with a variety of shops ranging from clothing to souvenirs to coffee shops. During rush hour, it can be quite crowded, but then again, this is Japan. I’m in the north-​east of Kyoto so I’m not too close to Porta, but the next time I’m by Kyoto Station, I will visit.
Good for: souvenir shopping

It’s a underground shopping mall that consists of clothing stores, restaurants, cafés, and other shops.
Good location
You can connect easily to the Japan Rail, subway as well as many buses bound for several tourist spots from the Porta Shopping Mall. I absolutely recommend going to this shopping mall if you want some time to kill the time somehow.
They don’t have food courts but they have some variety of restaurants from Kentucky Fried Chicken to a bit pricy Japanese restaurant along with several other restaurants and cafes.
Now they have been having their clearance sale up to 80% off since today! (until the end of this month) Although I often drop in Kawaramachi area but this shopping mall, I have been drawn by this sale a lot!