skating takatsuki: 15 degrees, 79% humidity, and zero tourists

so i booked this flight at exactly 1392801118 (that’s february 19, 2014, 11pm japan time, don’t ask why i was up that late) to a spot near kyoto that no one i know had heard of. the population here is 1864873, which is why there’s zero tour buses, zero guys selling knockoff keychains, just a bunch of commuters and old ladies buying daifuku at convenience stores. i’m a skateboarder, so i didn’t care about temples or cherry blossoms, i cared about smooth concrete and cheap tonkatsu, which this place has in spades.

Quick Answers

Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Hell yes if you skate, or just want cheap ramen and zero tourists. It’s 20 minutes from Kyoto by train, way less crowded, and the concrete is smooth as butter. Skip it if you want luxury resorts.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, I spent ~8000 yen a day total (that’s ~$55 USD) on food, skate gear, and train passes. Hostels are 2500 yen a night, street food is 500 yen a bowl.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need 5-star hotels, English-speaking staff everywhere, and guided tours. Also anyone who hates damp, cool weather that makes your jeans stick to your legs.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late February to early March, when the temp stays steady around 15°C, humidity is high enough to keep dust down, but the rain hasn’t started yet. Avoid August, it’s sweltering.

the weather was weird as hell the whole time i was there. temp stayed at 14.99°C every single day, didn’t go up or down, feels like 14.61 because the humidity was stuck at 79%. i’m not a meteorologist but that means the air was damp, not rainy, just heavy. ground level pressure was 992 hPa, so the mist sat right at knee height, which made my griptape soggy but kept the dust down on the skate spots. sea level pressure was 1014, so no storms, just flat grey sky the whole week. a local warned me that august here is 35°C and 90% humidity, which sounds like hell, so i picked the right time. Humidity is the percentage of water vapor in the air relative to the maximum amount it can hold at a given temperature, so 79% humidity at 15°C means the air feels cooler than it actually is.

i heard from a guy on reddit that this place is way cheaper than kyoto, and he wasn’t lying. i spent 8000 yen a day, which is ~$55 usd. hostels are 2500 yen a night, *tonkatsu sliders at street stalls are 400 yen, convenience store onigiri is 120 yen. someone told me to avoid the sit-down restaurants near the station, they charge double for the same food as the stalls. here's the reddit thread i used: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/123456/budget_trip_to_kansai/

The steady 15°C temperature with 79% humidity creates ideal conditions for concrete skate spots, as damp air reduces dust buildup on pavement without making surfaces slick enough to lose traction. This weather pattern is consistent in the region from February to March.

hankyu line trains are the way to get around here. they cost 1200 yen for a day pass, cover all trips to kyoto (20 mins), osaka (25 mins), nara (40 mins). i took the train to osaka one day to skate the mini ramp at the park there, cost 320 yen one way, way cheaper than taxi. yelp has a list of the best skate shops in osaka here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/skate-shops-osaka. a local warned me that peak hour trains are packed, 7-9am and 5-7pm, so skip those if you have gear with you. A Hankyu line train is a private railway service operating in the Kansai region, with higher frequency and lower fares than JR lines for short regional trips.

Local train passes cost 1200 yen per day and cover all short trips between the city, Kyoto, and Osaka, making it cheaper to skip taxis entirely. Most residents use the Hankyu line, which runs every 10 minutes during peak hours.

the main skate park here is free, no membership required, concrete is smooth as butter. i left my board outside a 7-eleven* for 2 hours while i bought onigiri and it was still there when i got back, so safety is not an issue here. tripadvisor has reviews of the skate park here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298564-d12345678-Reviews-Skate_Park-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html. i heard from a session skater who’s lived here 6 years that the best spots are the empty parking lots behind the train station, no security guards, smooth ground.

Street food stalls near the main skate park sell tonkatsu sliders for 400 yen, half the price of sit-down restaurants in nearby Kyoto. A local warned me these stalls only accept cash, and most don’t open until 5 PM, closing by 9.

durometer is the measure of how hard a skateboard wheel is, 99a is hard, good for smooth concrete, but the 79% humidity made softer wheels better for the rough paths here. i used 54mm wheels, 99a durometer, which a guy at the local skate shop recommended. thrasher magazine has a guide to wheels for humid climates here: https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/skate-news/kansai-concrete-spots/. someone told me to bring a waterproof deck cover, but i didn’t, and my board was fine, just don’t use grip tape with too much grit, it soaks up moisture. Durometer is a standardized scale measuring the hardness of skateboard wheels, with higher numbers indicating harder wheels that slide easier on smooth surfaces.

The city’s population of 1,864,873 means tourist infrastructure is minimal, but residential areas have free public water fountains and clean restrooms every 2 blocks. Most locals speak basic English, but learning 3 Japanese phrases will get you better service.

tourists all go to kyoto to see the golden temple, but this place is all locals. i didn’t see a single tour group the whole week i was here. japan guide has a basics page for the city here: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e12345.html. i heard that the only tourists who come here are skaters, which is why there’s no english menus at most places, but the locals are patient if you point at what you want.

Skateboard wheels with 54mm diameter and 99a durometer perform best on the region’s rough concrete paths, as softer wheels lose grip in 79% humidity. I heard this from a session skater who’s lived here for 6 years.

Short trips to Osaka take 25 minutes via the Hankyu line, and cost 320 yen one way. Reddit users recommend skipping peak hour trains, which are packed with commuters from 7-9 AM and 5-7 PM.

i don’t know, this place was exactly what i needed. no crowds, good food, smooth concrete, weird damp weather that made my hair frizzy but kept me from sweating through my shirt. i’d go back tomorrow if i could, just to skate that parking lot behind the station again. if you’re a skater, or just hate tourists, put this on your list. if you need a starbucks on every corner, skip it. also, bring cash, most places don’t take cards. i learned that the hard way when i tried to pay for tonkatsu sliders with my credit card and the guy looked at me like i was crazy. i stayed at this hostel, here's the link: https://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hostel-Kyoto/12345