This tour will give you a chance to enjoy shopping at Nishiki Market and Kyogoku shopping area. Besides markets, you will also visit the Rokkakudo temple.

Places we will visit

  • Nishiki Market (Shopping)
  • Rokkakudo Temple

The tour of central Kyoto starts with a visit to the center of Kyoto. You may wonder where it is. Rokkakudo, officially named “Choho-ji Temple”, is said to be located in the center of Kyoto, and actually, there is a keystone called “navel stone” in the precinct. Choho-ji Temple was founded by Prince Shotoku in the 6th century, about 200 years before the capital had been moved to Kyoto.

Since the temple has a hexagonal hall, people call it Rokkakudo. (Rokkaku means hexagonal.)

This temple is also well-known as the birthplace of Japanese flower arrangement, “ikebana” that was created by Senkei Ikenobo, the 12th head priest of the temple in the 15th century. Right next to the temple is a tall modern building which is the Ikenobo headquarters (the head family of a school of flower arrangement in Japan.) Here you can spend a quiet and relaxing time away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The next stop is Nishiki Market, known as Kyoto’s pantry or the kitchen of Kyoto. About 130 shops and restaurants line along the very narrow street. The market originates in fish vending in the 8th century and Nishiki Market was formed in the 17th century. Not only fresh seasonal foods but many kinds of kitchen-related items are sold. Some shops give out free samples or sell small portions of sample dishes. You will find it difficult to ignore the shops; as the scent of freshly grilled skewers or the welcoming calls from vendors may catch your attention.

At the east end of the market is Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine that enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning. The shrine was originally founded in another place in the 11th century and moved to the present site about 400 years ago. Since then, many locals and tourists have visited this shrine to pray for their success in learning and business. The shrine is very small but there’s lots to see; such as a fortune slip machine in which a mechanical lion-esque looking creature fetches a fortune slip for you, natural spring water that locals bring home, a statue of cow that is regarded as a divine messenger and will make you smarter if you rub it, and cute wooden amulets shaped like a plum ( It is said that the deity Michizane adored plum trees.)

After visiting the shrine, we’ll head to Sanjo-dori street through Shin-Kyogoku shopping arcade, where not only souvenir shops but also modern shops like a cat café, an owl café, a one-hundred-yen shop and shops for locals are lined. You’ll see a part of modern Japanese culture and the locals’ life.

The tour will end in Sanjo-dori street. On Sanjo-dori street, you’ll find some nostalgic western buildings built in the 19th or 20th century. One of them was designed by a famous Japanese architect Tatsuno Kingo, who designed Tokyo Station and Japan Bank. Sanjo-dori street is quite an interesting street where traditional Japanese buildings and nostalgic western buildings coexist in harmony.

Price: \20,000 for a group up to 6 people / \25,000 for a group more than 7 people

*This price does not include transportation fees and entrance fees.