Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market is a 390-meter-long market running east–west along Nishikikoji-dori from Teramachi to Takakura. Its history goes back about 400 years: it flourished as a fish market in 1615, and after the Kyoto Central Wholesale Market opened in 1927 it evolved into its current form. Today, about 130 shops line the arcade, and it is affectionately known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen.” You can find fresh seafood, Kyoto vegetables, tofu, mochi, pickles, sweets, and many other items. Many stores offer samples. There are also plenty of easy street snacks—fish-paste tempura skewers, tofu donuts, croquettes, soft-serve ice cream—making it ideal for a casual stop, and there are restaurants for lunch. “Tango TABLE” and “Sake to Meshi Nishiki Shokudo” provide eat-in spaces; if you order a drink, you can bring in items you bought in the shopping street. At the eastern end is Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane and beloved as “Nishiki no Tenjin-san.” The shrine’s “Nishiki no Mizu” spring water is pumped from about 30 meters underground and stays cool at around 17–18°C year-round; visitors can take it home.