What it is
A roofed shopping street a few metres wide running five blocks through the centre of the city, trading as a market for centuries and known as Kyō no daidokoro — Kyoto's kitchen.
The things to look for are the ones the city is actually known for: kyō-tsukemono, the pickles — senmaizuke, shibazuke, suguki — sold by the tub from shops that make nothing else; tofu and yuba; dried fish; and knives.
⚠️ What has changed
A large share of the stalls now sell skewered food to eat as you walk. Some of the old grocers have gone and some have converted, and the market is noticeably more of a street-food arcade than a place the city shops.
⭐ That is worth knowing rather than complaining about. Go early in the day if you want the market, later if you want the snacks, and look above the counters — the shops that have been there longest tend to sell one thing and nothing else.
Where it goes
The eastern end runs out into the covered shopping arcades near Teramachi, so it connects straight into the middle of town rather than being a detour.
More on what is worth eating in the city on the eating and drinking page.
