Originally Posted by
Mark McCracken
Well, yes and no. It's not direct, but you can transfer at Tofukuji, which is south of Kyoto station, then take JR back up. The hassle of transferring in Tofukuji is offset by not having to drag your stuff deep into the heart of Kyoto Station. You arrive and you are right in the middle of it.
While not a direct connection, this would be very useful to anyone not wanting to take a taxi to Kyoto Station. Either Keihan station should be no more than a 15-minute walk from PH Kyoto.
FWIW, I've only found it a pain to be in the "heart of Kyoto Station" when connecting from the metro or otherwise using the underground passages, A taxi to either side of the station is extremely easy (although the traffic lights always make the taxi more expensive than expected).