If the TIC's closed, the next best bet is the Kyoto City Information Office (daily 8.30am-7pm) on the station's second floor, near the entrance to Isetan department store. There's usually an English speaker on hand who can also help with accommodation, maps and city-wide information. Failing that, head for the JR Railway information office (daily 5.30am-11pm) on the ground floor, which also has English-speaking staff and can make hotel reservations (?525 commission) for that night only.

Closer to the city centre, near Nanzen-ji, Kyoto International Community House (Tues-Sun 9am-9pm; tel 075/752-3010, fax 752-3510) is aimed primarily at foreign students or longer-term residents, but will happily assist tourists where possible. They have a message board, foreign-language papers and magazines, and CNN or BBC World news playing in the first-floor lobby. There's also a fax machine, word processor and printer available for a small charge.

For most purposes the combined Kyoto-Nara maps , available free from the TIC, are perfectly adequate. If you feel in need of something more detailed, look out for the Kyoto Information Map (?300), a book of large-scale maps in English and Japanese, which you should find in major bookstores .

The monthly freesheet, Kyoto Visitor's Guide , is the best source of information regarding what's on in Kyoto. It includes details of festivals and cultural events, as well as area spotlights and selective listings of restaurants, bars and shops; you can usually pick it up in the TIC, major hotels and other tourist haunts. The monthly magazine, Kansai Time Out (?300), has good coverage of the Kyoto arts scene, from cinema, theatre and live music to museums and galleries. Keep an eye out in bars, shops and the information centres for the free, weekly Kansai Flea Market , which contains classified adverts for accommodation, employment, courses and so on.