Nishiki Market

For centuries, the restaurants, temples and households of Kyoto have shopped in Nishiki Market, and the locals' nickname for it — Kyoto no Daidokoro, "Kyoto's Kitchen" — still fits. The market is a single narrow lane, some 400 meters long, running east to west between Teramachi and Takakura streets one block north of Shijo-dori in the downtown core, roofed with a colorful glass canopy and lined on both sides with tiny shopfronts, many of them run by the same families for generations. What is sold here is the essence of Kyoto cuisine: kyo-tsukemono pickles in barrels and every color, fresh yuba tofu skin and soy milk doughnuts, dashi-maki rolled omelets cut from long golden logs, wagashi sweets, dried bonito and kelp for stock, sansho pepper, black sesame and matcha in every possible form. Fishmongers grill skewers of baby octopus with a quail egg in the head, eel and scallops; tea shops roast hojicha so the lane smells of toasted leaves; and Aritsugu, the venerable knife maker, sells blades to professional chefs and visitors who queue to have their names engraved. The market is free, and grazing is the joy of it — but it has its rules, and it gets very crowded. Most shops open from mid-morning until early evening, some close on Wednesdays or Sundays, and by late afternoon many stalls are winding down.

The cardinal rule of Nishiki Market is simple: do not eat while walking. Kyoto's official tourism body states that walking around the market while eating or drinking what you have bought is strictly prohibited; instead, eat in front of the shop, or in the small seating areas many stalls provide, and use that shop's bin for the stick or cup. The lane is narrow, and with crowds shuffling in both directions, a skewer of grilled octopus carried at shoulder height is a hazard. Many shops display signs about this and about photography, so ask before photographing products or staff. Cash is still useful for small purchases, though cards and IC cards are increasingly accepted.

To enjoy Nishiki rather than endure it, come early. By about ten, as the shops open, the lane is pleasant; from late morning through mid-afternoon, especially on weekends and holidays, it is packed with visitors and moves slowly. Graze deliberately: a soy milk doughnut, a slice of dashi-maki, a tasting of pickles, a skewer of grilled seafood, a cup of matcha or a matcha soft-serve, and you have eaten lunch. If you want context — what the pickles are, why yuba matters, how dashi is made — a guided food tour adds a great deal; Tiqets sells a guided Nishiki Market food tour, and several cooking schools in Kyoto start their classes with a market walk. Buy durable souvenirs: high-quality sansho, shichimi spice blends, tea, dried kelp and good knives travel well.

Nishiki sits in the middle of downtown Kyoto, so it slots into any day. At its eastern end it meets the covered shopping arcades of Teramachi and Shinkyogoku, and the small Nishiki Tenmangu shrine, dedicated to the god of learning, stands right at the market's entrance — stroke the bronze bull's head for luck. Shijo-dori's department stores, whose basement food halls are another great Kyoto food experience, are a block south, and Gion and Pontocho are a ten-minute walk east across the Kamo River. Shijo Station on the Karasuma subway line and Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu line are each a few minutes' walk from the market.