Nishiki Market (錦市場, Nishiki Ichiba, literally "brocade market") is a marketplace in downtown Kyoto, located on the east end of Nishikikōji Street, one block north and parallel to Shijō Street (四条通, Shijō-dōri) and west of Teramachi Street (寺町通, Teramachi-dōri). Rich with history and tradition, the market is renowned as the place to obtain many of Kyoto's famous foods and goods.
As early as the year 782 the sale of fish started in the area, thanks to the cold groundwater available at the site, which made possible to keep fish and other meats fresh in a location close to the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Monday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Wednesday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Thursday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Friday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Saturday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Sunday | 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM |
Jay Lin | Feb 4, 2018
A fantastic covered open-air shopping street in Kyoto. It stretches quite a few blocks with a lot of different vendors selling all sorts of things. It looks like an unassuming foodie spot but you can find gems as you slowly stroll through the street. Need to practice patience because the street will be crowded and it will be a slow pace from end-to-end. My favourite street meat was the fresh tuna and salmon skewers that this on seafood market stall was selling. You can find similar market stalls big and small offering samples or freshly cooked food.
C-y Kwong | Feb 21, 2018
It is pretty touristy - but which market isn't? I don't know why people seem to think this is not a good market, I enjoyed walking around it. It's not massive but it feels unique. Traditional treats, cheap eats, even a temple in the middle of it. Could easily spend 3 hours there.
Bini Toffefee | Feb 17, 2018
Amazing japanese bazaar. Many cool shops many cool eateries. A lot of tourists. Endless streets also good of it is raining.
Justin Lim | Jan 4, 2018
Awesome ambiance and great food! Whilst there are lots of tourists, it isn't a tourist trap as food is priced fairly and the quality is excellent It's a 45min - 1 hour jaunt. Shops tend to start closing about 1700 onwards. There's a small, easy to miss shrine at the end of the the market (the side that leads into the retail high street) Very worthwhile going
Henry Lam | Feb 9, 2018
Night market with a variety of foodstuff and items. Not super big but still pleasant. Be sure to get there before it closes as items can run out quite quickly.
Azim Hulaimi | Mar 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this market! Plenty of food and fresh seafood with affordable prices. So many things they offer that it’s hard to control how much you want to spend there. I guess you just have to be selective of what food you want to eat, don’t overspend and just enjoy yourself walking around the place. Worth visiting. ;)
Daniel Stancombe | Mar 16, 2018
Great market to visit and sample many different Japanese foods and drinks and to look for souvenirs of your trip. There were many free tasters to get you interested and we had a lovely time there. As you can imagine it is quite busy due to its popularity so if you don't like crowds this isn't for you. We loved it though!!
Mersini Ana | Mar 22, 2018
Definitely a place to check out if you’re in Kyoto! We had a lot of fun exploring all of the little food stalls, and managed to enjoy a lot of tasty food. However, be warned: If you go around midday, you will encounter a lot of tourists who will test your patience. Still, we had a good time. :-)
Jamie Palliser | Apr 15, 2018
Must visit market with a wide variety of stalls at reasonable prices. Good food options to snack on as well as places to get souvenirs to take home. Goes on for quite a while and is pretty narrow - best to get there around half 10am, any earlier and stalls won't be open, much later and it gets very crowded.
Meric De Silva | May 18, 2018
This is a great place to visit as a tourist. There are lots of foods to try out, and things to see which most westerners will not have experienced before. Many of the stall holders will give you free samples to try before you buy. It does get very busy though, so I would suggest not taking luggage or large back packs with you. However it does open up after a while and you have more space in the non-food areas. But really the food area is really what you should visit, most other parts are like normal western shops.
Or Glazer | May 12, 2018
Colorful market in Kyoto. A must visit for authentic and pretty cheap local food. The market is pretty clean and shops are tidy and organized. Some shops are really hiddem gem so walk and look around for cool things you won't see anywhere else.
Jason Ferdinand | Jun 13, 2018
If you look around, you can find some pretty decent food to eat (however, their prices are inflated) and it does get crowded, but that's to be expected of any market which has become a tourist spot. Rant: The only complaint I have is directed at one stall owner. He was selling these ball-shaped donuts at three for 300 yen. (back where I live, I could get three for less than 100 yen but that's besides the point) I was craving some donuts so I went ahead and paid for them. He gave me cold donuts that were probably sitting there for a long time. (even when new, fresh from the oven donuts just came!) As a customer who had already paid for the donuts, I requested to exchange the cold donuts with the new and hot ones. He refused. I was shocked so I asked once more. He refused yet again. I was appalled by this. He clearly didn't care for what the customers wanted. I was a customer who paid for what I wanted, yet he didn't give a damn about my satisfaction with his products. He cared more about profit. No sense of respect whatsoever. So, I asked a third time, and when I heard the third "No", I threw the bag of donuts back at him and said "You can keep it." I don't personally think I was in the wrong here. I paid for what I wanted. I didn't get what I wanted. So, I just threw the cold donuts back at him and walked away. Tl;dr: Donut guy doesn't care about his customers. Feel free to buy food items from him, but do know that he couldn't care less about your enjoyment.
Marie Weeks | Jun 9, 2018
This is a really great place for tourists to check out. It's a huge market with lots of stalls. Vendors sell fresh food, street snacks, handmade items, and more. We had a lot of fun just wandering up and down the market trying new things. It's also a good place to find souvenirs. I highly recommend going here for the experience!
Daniel Tan | Jun 14, 2018
Great place to walk around and shop and look at the different varieties of food available. There is a wide selection and popular ones include soft-serve ice cream, all sorts of seafood, octopus, clams, prawns, sotong. Other things sold include Japanese crafts, like chopsticks, bowls. Prices here can be slightly higher as it is quite a touristy area and can be rather crowded too as a lot of people tend to visit. Good thing is that it is sheltered so come shine or rain, you can visit this place.
Nikki Lee | Jun 5, 2018
It's a foodie heaven! Bring some friends and share the food so you can try more! There are a lot of stalls that sold skewers with seafood and meat. A lot of specialty items like a black seasame bun that's been deep-fried and a tofu skin croquette. Kyoto is known for their green tea, so do try those items! A lot of places do have areas to eat their food so you don't walk and eat.
Eugene Tan | Jul 25, 2018
A lovely alley of stalls selling authentic Japanese foodstuff. Stalls start to open between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning. It’s a narrow alleyway that gets very crowded later in the day so go early if you can. There’s also a Nishiki shopping district next to the market that has a lot of stores and restaurants. The shopping district is made up of several pedestrian-only streets. Highly recommended!
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