Near Pontocho: Ten Places Within a 15-Minute Walk
By the Pontocho Park Guide team · Last reviewed · 7 min read
Pontocho sits in the middle of Kyoto's most walkable area. Within a quarter of an hour on foot there is a historic bridge, the city's best-known food market, several temples and the old streets of Gion across the river. These ten places pair well with a visit to Pontocho Park. Times are approximate walking times from the park.
North, around Sanjo
1. Sanjo Bridge · about 5 minutes
The bridge at the north end of Pontocho was the western end of the Tokaido, the main highway between Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). Travellers who had walked for weeks crossed here into the city. The bridge still has wooden railings topped with bronze ornaments called giboshi, and it is a good spot to look out over the river towards the Higashiyama hills.
2. Takase River and Ichi-no-Funairi · about 10 minutes
The old freight canal one street west of Pontocho, with its one surviving boat basin and a replica cargo boat just south of Nijo. We have a separate guide to the Takase River and Kiyamachi.
3. Honnoji Temple · about 12 minutes
Honnoji, on Teramachi-dori near Oike, is known as the temple where the warlord Oda Nobunaga died in 1582. Toyotomi Hideyoshi later moved it, so the present grounds are not the scene of the incident, but they are quiet and include a memorial to Nobunaga.
West: the covered shopping streets
4. Teramachi and Shinkyogoku · about 5–8 minutes
Two parallel covered arcades run north from Shijo-dori between Kawaramachi and Karasuma. Shinkyogoku is the busier and more casual of the two, all souvenirs and snacks. Teramachi is a little calmer, with shops selling tea, stationery, art supplies and antiques. Tera means temple, and there are still small temples squeezed in between the shops. Both have roofs, so they are useful on a rainy day.
5. Nishiki Market · about 10 minutes
Often called "Kyoto's kitchen", Nishiki is a narrow covered street running west from Teramachi, packed with stalls selling pickles, fish, tofu, sweets, knives and kitchenware. Many shops have been run by the same families for generations. Go in the morning, when it is less crowded; a lot of shops close in the early evening. The market asks visitors not to eat while walking, so eat at the stall where you bought something or in the spaces set aside for it. Closing days vary from shop to shop.
6. Rokkakudo · about 15 minutes
A small six-sided temple hall surrounded by office blocks near Karasuma, said to be one of the oldest temples in the city. It is linked to the Ikenobo school, the oldest school of ikebana. Look for the weeping willow and the "navel stone", which is said to mark the old centre of Kyoto.
East, across the river into Gion
7. Gion and Hanamikoji · about 10 minutes
Cross Shijo Bridge and walk east into Gion. Hanamikoji, the stone-paved street running south from Shijo-dori, is lined with teahouses and restaurants and leads down to the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo theatre. The same manners apply as in Pontocho, and some private lanes in Gion ban photography and can fine people who ignore the signs. Our etiquette guide covers the basics.
8. Gion Shirakawa · about 12 minutes
North of Shijo-dori, the Shirakawa canal runs past willows and wooden teahouses and under the little Tatsumi Bridge. It is one of the most photographed corners of Kyoto, especially in blossom season and after dark.
9. Yasaka Shrine · about 15 minutes
At the far east end of Shijo-dori, the vermilion gate of Yasaka Shrine marks the start of Higashiyama. The shrine is home to the Gion Matsuri festival in July. The grounds are open around the clock and lit at night, and Maruyama Park, Kyoto's best-known cherry blossom spot, is right behind it.
10. Kennin-ji · about 15 minutes
South of Hanamikoji, Kennin-ji is Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, founded in 1202. It is known for a huge ceiling painting of twin dragons and for a folding screen of the wind and thunder gods; the original screen is kept at the Kyoto National Museum and the temple shows a high-quality reproduction. There is an entry fee, and it closes in the late afternoon.
Three easy combinations
For a morning, start at Nishiki Market, wander up through Teramachi, rest in Pontocho Park and finish by the river. For an afternoon with some history, begin at Ichi-no-Funairi, follow Kiyamachi south, cut through Pontocho and end at Sanjo Bridge. For an evening, sit in the park at dusk, cross Shijo Bridge, take in Shirakawa and end at Yasaka Shrine with the lanterns lit. If you want the timings worked out, follow our 3-hour sunset route.
Opening hours and fees change, so check the official websites of temples and markets before you go.
