Neighbourhood in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
Pontocho
先斗町
A narrow lantern-lit alley of restaurants and teahouses beside the Kamo River, a few minutes from Nishiki Market and the Teramachi arcades.
- places to see
- 6
- walk past the highlights
- 0.9 km
- Kyoto
- Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto
Pontocho is built around a long, narrow alley running from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of the Kamo River. Lit by lanterns at night, it holds a mix of exclusive restaurants, many with outdoor riverside dining platforms in summer, geisha houses, teahouses, bars and cheap eateries.
At the Sanjo end stands the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theatre, where the geiko and maiko of Pontocho have staged the Kamogawa Odori dances since the 1870s. Cross Kawaramachi-dori to the west for the covered shopping streets of Teramachi and Shinkyogoku and the food stalls of Nishiki Market. More of the ward is in our Nakagyo guide.
Don't miss in Pontocho
Start with these, then wander the side streets.
1. Nishiki Market
錦市場Covered market street of food stalls, nicknamed Kyoto's kitchen. Go before 11 am.
2. Nishiki Tenmangu
錦天満宮Small shrine at the east end of Nishiki Market, with a spring of fresh water.
3. Honno-ji Temple
本能寺Temple linked to Oda Nobunaga's death in 1582, now on Teramachi street.
4. Seigan-ji Temple
誓願寺Temple on the Shinkyogoku arcade, linked to the performing arts.
Walk Pontocho in order
The highlights as one easy walk, about 0.9 km in all.
Stop 1
Nishiki Market
Start here
Stop 2
Nishiki Tenmangu
2 min walk
Stop 3
Seigan-ji Temple
5 min walk
Stop 4
Honno-ji Temple
6 min walk
More around Pontocho
Other places within walking distance. Each shows its Japanese name for maps and taxis.
Hiyoke Tenmangu
火除天満宮A Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan.
Kennin-ji Temple
建仁寺Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, founded in 1202, at the south end of Gion. Known for its twin dragon ceiling painting and dry gardens.
Pontocho on the map
Every place on this page. Tap a pin for directions.
Questions
When is Pontocho best?
In the evening, when the lanterns are lit. Summer adds the riverside dining platforms.
Is Pontocho expensive?
It has everything from cheap bars to costly kaiseki restaurants. Look at the menu boards outside before going in.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.
More areas in Kyoto
- GionKyoto's best-known geisha district, with wooden teahouses along Hanamikoji, the Shirakawa canal and Yasaka Shrine at the top of Shijo-dori.
- Kiyomizu and SannenzakaKyoto's most visited temple on its hillside stage, reached by stone-paved lanes of old wooden shops and the Yasaka Pagoda.
- OkazakiKyoto's cultural quarter around Heian Shrine's giant torii, with art museums, the zoo, villa gardens and the great Zen temple of Nanzen-ji.
- Fushimi InariThe head shrine of Inari at the foot of a sacred mountain, with thousands of red torii gates forming tunnels up the trails.
- ArashiyamaKyoto's western edge, where the bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji temple and the Togetsukyo Bridge sit below forested hills along the river.
