Is This the Greatest Food Market in Kyoto? The Ins and Outs of Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market, also known as “Kyoto's kitchen,” is located in the city center of Kyoto.

With more than 130 stores lining a 390-meter-long street from east to west, visitors can buy all kinds of ingredients, including fresh seafood, produce, processed foods, and various ingredients used in Kyoto cuisine.

It is a well-known spot in Kyoto, familiar not only to local chefs, but also to Kyoto residents and tourists alike.

In this article, we will guide you through general info like the opening hours, location, and attractions of the Nishiki Market, along with its popular stores and foods.

*Eating while walking is prohibited at Nishiki Market. Purchased items can be eaten or consumed at eat-in spaces in the stores, etc. Please enjoy yourself while observing the rules and manners.

Fairs and Flea Markets in Kyoto You Can’t Miss 《3 Selections》

What exactly is Nishiki Market? Opening hours and location

Nishiki Market is a shopping street located in the center of Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.

It is located about 7 minutes by cab from JR Kyoto Station, a 3-minute walk from Shijo Station on the subway Karasuma Line, and a 3-minute walk from Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line, making it an easy place to visit.

The 390-meter long street is lined with approximately 130 stores selling fresh seafood, sweets, and other items.

Many of the stores sell their products at reasonable price ranges, making it a great place to taste delicious Kyoto gourmet food at a low cost.

What are the business hours of Nishiki Market?

Opening hours vary from store to store, but the market opens around 9 am and closes around 5 to 6 pm.

Stores that are open for dinner and serve alcohol are usually open until around 10 pm.

Since hours vary from store to store, please check the store introduction page on the official Nishiki Market Shopping Arcade website (kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/en).

Start walking from Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine

Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine is the starting point on the east side of Nishiki Market, about a 4-minute walk from Kyoto Kawaramachi Station.

The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, known as the Japanese god of academics, and is popular among locals and tourists alike as the only god in the downtown area. Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine is a good place to start your shopping journey.

Nishiki Market is home to many of Kyoto's long-established stores.

Although the number of stores selling food on skewers has been increasing recently, Nishiki Market was originally a place for cooks and locals to do their daily shopping outside of the tourist season.

The numerous long-established shops in Nishiki Market are the beating heart of the market.

They include stores specializing in tofu, yuba (bean curd), and fu (wheat gluten), all of which are well-known Kyoto ingredients. Also famous are the stores specializing in pickles, an essential Kyoto souvenir.

Stores selling high quality and reliable products are gathered here, so be sure to check them out.

One of the most popular stores among foreign tourists is Aritsugu, a long-established cookware shop established in 1560.

Its artisan kitchen knives and pots and pans are popular among a wide range of people, from top chefs to the general public.

In particular, many people buy kitchen knives for cooking at home or as gifts.

Lots of fresh seafood

Seafood stores are a common sight at Nishiki Market.

Of course, fresh seafood can be purchased, but what you will find in the stores are seafood skewers arranged in an ready-to-eat manner.

This is great for travelers because they are easy to devour.

Above is a picture of a popular food called “takotamago,” which is octopus with a quail egg inside.

It looks cute, too.

There are many other skewers such as marinated tuna cutlet, butter fried scallops, and fried oysters.

Chicken restaurant Torisei has a wide variety of chicken dishes, such as juicy crispy chicken and spicy yangnyeom chicken sticks, Torisei offers a wide variety of poultry delicacies.

Nishiki Hirano, a delicatessen, also offers an extravagant beef sirloin tempura skewers.

For lunch, a few skewers may be enough to fill you up.

Egg specialty restaurants also offer Kyoto's popular “dashimaki tamago” (rolled eggs with broth).

Some restaurants also offer a variety of dishes such as dashimaki tamago sandwiches.

Seafood, chicken, eggs, and other ingredients are all made by specialty stores, so you can be assured of their high quality.

Legendary matcha and tofu sweets

Nishiki Market is also home to many sweets stores.

Nishiki Ichiha is a store that sells drinks and sweets using Uji tea.

The most popular items are the an-butter taiyaki and the matcha soft serve ice cream.

Sawawa is a store specializing in matcha sweets using matcha produced in Uji.

The first floor is a store where you can buy sweets, and the second floor is a café where you can enjoy warabimochi (rice cakes), parfaits, an-mitsu (sweet bean paste with fruits), and more.

Restaurants for lunch and dinner

Nishiki Market also has several restaurants where you can enjoy lunch, a few drinks, or a good dinner.

The greengrocer/restaurant Ikemasatei offers lunch menus during the day and izakaya style dining at night.

You can enjoy Kyoto's home-style cooking using Kyoto native vegetables, yuba (bean curd) and abura-age (deep-fried tofu) at reasonable prices.

The restaurant is also recommended for vegetarians, as it offers healthy dishes that only a greengrocer can provide.

Fumiya has been in business for over 70 years and is a beloved local udon shop.

Udon is a traditional Japanese noodle food. food.

Fumiya's udon noodles are made with natural ingredients and their carefully prepared broth.

The Kyoto-style dish with kujo leeks, fu, yuba, and other ingredients will warm you up both physically and mentally, and is highly recommended.

Nishiki Daiyasu has been specializing in raw oysters for nearly 100 years.

You can enjoy oyster dishes to your heart's content, including raw oysters, fried oysters, oyster gratin, and more.

A wide selection of Kyoto's local sake and Japanese sake is also available to go with the dishes.

It is also recommended to enjoy a light drink with oysters, like a bar.

In addition to the restaurants introduced above, there are many other restaurants such as "sushi," "gyoza," "eel," "Japanese food," etc. If you want to enjoy delicious food in Kyoto, please visit Nishiki Market.

Let's enjoy Kyoto's gourmet food at Nishiki Market to the fullest!

Nishiki Market” is a must-visit place when you visit Kyoto.

It is a spot that can be called “Kyoto's treasure house of food.

You can buy ingredients, souvenirs, and other food items you are interested in, or just relax and enjoy a cup of tea or a meal.

Please enjoy the place however you'd like!

Nishiki Market Shopping Street
Address: 609 Nishidaimonji-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Phone:075-211-3882(Kyoto Nishiki Market Shopping Street Promotion Association)
Access: [Train] Approx. 3 min. walk from Shijo station on Subway Karasuma line / Approx. 3 min. walk from Karasuma station on Hankyu Kyoto line
[Bus] About 2 min. walk from Shijo-Takakura (Daimaru Hyakkaten-mae) bus stop by Kyoto City Bus.
Official website:https://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/