Nishiki Market Travel Guide

In a narrow undercover arcade lining the heart of Downtown Kyoto, Nishiki Ichiba or Nishiki Market is Kyoto’s enormous indoor market that has been feeding the city for well over 400 years. Fondly nicknamed the “Kitchen of Kyoto” or “Kyoto’s Pantry,” over 130 shops and restaurants span across 5 blocks lined with vendors retailing everything that’s locally-grown and produced. Specializing in seasonal foods and Kyoto’s culinary specialties, condiments and curious pickles color this lively market, while the freshest seafood and vegetables are sold alongside samples of locally-brewed Fushimi sake, Kyoto-style wagashi sweets, and tempting traditional street food. To the eastern exit, Nishiki Tenmagu Shrine watches over Nishiki Market, intersected by Teramachi and Shinkyogoku, the grand shopping arcades. Running parallel to the main street department stores and shopfronts of Shijo Dori, Nishiki Market is just a stone’s throw away from the old town alleyways of Pontocho beside the Kamogawa River and the geisha-filled Gion district.