Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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9am-5pm
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Shijō Station, Karasuma subway line; Kawaramachi or Karasuma stations, Hankyū line
Nishiki Market is right smack in the centre of town, one block north of Shijō-dōri, run-
ning from Teramachi
shōtengai
to Takakura-dōri (ending almost behind Daimaru depart-
ment store). Covered for its entire length, this pedestrian-only market is home to 126
shops (at last count). It's said that there were stores here as early as the 14th century, and
it's known for sure that the street was a wholesale fish market in the Edo Period
(1600-1868). After the end of Edo, as Japan entered the modern era, the market became a
retail market, which it remains today.
The emphasis is on locally produced Japanese food items like
tsukemono
(Japanese
pickles), tea, beans, rice, seaweed and fish (if you know how to read Japanese or know
what to look for, you'll even see the odd bit of whale meat). In recent years, the market
has been evolving from a strictly local food market into a tourist attraction, and you'll
now find several souvenir shops selling Kyoto-style souvenirs mixed in among the food
stalls.
earth. Take some time to pick the perfect one for your needs, then watch as the craftsmen
carefully put a final edge on the knife with the giant round sharpening stone - the final
product will be so sharp it will scare you.
