From Nishiki Market to Honno-ji Temple, Sanjo Ohashi Bridge, and Pontocho

Browse seasonal ingredients at Nishiki Market, known as "Kyoto's Kitchen," and head to Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine at its eastern end. Walk north to visit Honno-ji Temple, the site of the Honno-ji Incident, stand on Sanjo Ohashi Bridge, the former western terminus of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, and stroll along Pontocho-dori Street in the evening. This is a half-day course for walking through central Kyoto.

History and Local Charm

Blessed with high-quality groundwater called "Nishiki-no-Mizu," Nishiki Market is believed to have had markets set up around here as early as the Heian period. In 1615, it became one of three wholesale fish markets officially recognized in Kyoto by the Edo shogunate, and in 1928 (Showa 3), it made a fresh start as "Kyoto's Kitchen," handling all kinds of foodstuffs. Along this route lie sites connected to the era of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1587 (Tensho 15), Kankikoji Temple was relocated to its current site under Hideyoshi's urban planning, and Tenmangu moved along with it, coming to be called Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine. Honno-ji Temple, which was burned down in the Honno-ji Incident in 1582 (Tensho 10), was rebuilt in 1592 and relocated to its current site by order of Hideyoshi. Sanjo Ohashi Bridge also became a full-scale bridge through a major renovation ordered by Hideyoshi in 1590 (Tensho 18). During the Edo period, what had been sandbars along the Kamo River were reclaimed through embankment work in 1670 (Kanbun 10), shaping the townscape, and Pontocho flourished as a geisha district (hanamachi).

Main Highlights

• ​Nishiki Market​​: Stretching about 390 meters from east to west between Teramachi and Takakura, over 130 shops line both sides of the street. It gathers seasonal ingredients used not only in traditional kaiseki restaurants but also in Kyoto home cooking known as obanzai, such as Kyoto vegetables, hamo (pike conger), yuba (tofu skin), and nama-fu (wheat gluten). It is marked by its red, yellow, and green stained-glass arcade, and the greengrocer wholesale shop where Edo-period painter Ito Jakuchu was born was also located here.
• ​Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine​​: A shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, affectionately known as "Nishiki no Tenjin-san." The stone torii gate standing along Nishikikoji Street is built so that its ends sink directly into the walls of the shop buildings on both sides. From beneath the shrine grounds flows "Nishiki-no-Mizu," one of Kyoto's famous waters.
• ​Honno-ji Temple​​: The head temple of the Hokke Sect Hommon-ryu, and the site of the "Honno-ji Incident" where Oda Nobunaga met his end in Tensho 10. Southeast of the main hall stands Lord Nobunaga's mausoleum, and the Daihoden Treasure House preserves the "Three-Legged Frog" censer, legendary for suddenly crying out to warn of danger on the night before the incident. The kanji character for "no" in the temple name uses "去" instead of the usual right-hand radical "ヒ," which was avoided because "ヒ" (hi) is associated with the character for fire ("火," also read hi).
• ​Sanjo Ohashi Bridge​​: Spanning the Kamo River, this was the western starting point of the historical Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido. The giboshi (ornamental rail tops) lining the railings include a mix of those from the Tensho era and the Showa era, and on the north side of the western approach, stone pillars used in the major Tensho renovation still remain today. From atop the bridge, you can view the mountain ridges of Mt. Hiei, Kitayama, and Higashiyama.
• ​Pontocho-dori Street​​: Extending about 500 meters along the Kamo River from one street south of Sanjo-dori to Shijo-dori, this is the main street of Pontocho, one of Kyoto's five geisha districts. Preserving its Edo-period lot divisions and narrow alleys, the latticed teahouse buildings, stone-paved paths, and red lanterns painted with white plovers form the unique atmosphere of the geisha quarter.

Suggested Itinerary and Travel Time

A rough guideline for the entire route is about 4 hours. Nishiki Market is about a 3-minute walk from Shijo Station on the Subway Karasuma Line or Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line. Please refrain from eating while walking, and instead enjoy food in front of or inside the shops where you purchase it. Walking all the way east through the market, you will find Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine at the eastern end on Shinkyogoku-dori Street. From Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, walk about 570 meters north to enter Honno-ji Temple through its main gate facing Teramachi-dori Street. Heading about 350 meters east from Honno-ji Temple brings you to Sanjo Ohashi Bridge across the Kamo River. After seeing the bridge, enter Pontocho-dori Street one block south of Sanjo-dori and take a leisurely walk south along the stone-paved street to Shijo-dori. Because Pontocho-dori Street is a narrow pedestrian path, please be considerate of passersby.

Walking along Pontocho-dori Street is recommended in the evening. From May 1 to 24, the "Kamogawa Odori" dance performances are held at Pontocho Kaburenjo Theater, and from May 1 to October 15, open-air dining platforms (noryoyuka) extend along the Kamo River. In winter, black-headed gulls fly over the Kamo River. At the end of the year, Nishiki Market becomes so crowded that it is difficult to move forward.

Summary of the Experience

The vibrant bustle of Kyoto's kitchen, paying respects at Tenjin-san, a temple tied to Nobunaga, a bridge marking the start of the Tokaido, and the stone-paved paths of the geisha district. Within walking distance in downtown Kyoto, the everyday life of the market overlaps with history stretching from the era of Hideyoshi through the Edo period.