Kyoto, Japan
Best places to shop in Kyoto
5 markets, malls and shopping districts in Kyoto — what to buy, when to go, and the tourist traps to avoid at each one.
Last updated 2026-08-09
1. Nishiki Market
Photo: Sergiy Galyonkin from Raleigh, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
The five-block covered food street known as Kyoto's kitchen — pickles, tofu, knives, dashi, sweets and tsukemono, traded here for four centuries.
- Where: Market
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Daily 09:30–18:00; go before 11:00
- Cost: Budget–Mid
- Tip: Aritsugu at the east end has made knives since 1560 and will engrave your name in the blade while you wait.
Watch outEating while walking is discouraged and several shops now prohibit it outright. Buy and eat at the stall, or you will be asked to stop.
2. Gion and Hanamikoji
Photo: Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The geisha district's traditional merchants — silk, fans, incense, lacquer and confectionery, in machiya townhouses along Hanamikoji and Shinbashi.
- Where: Street Shopping
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Daily 10:00–18:00
- Cost: Mid–Luxury
- Tip: Photography is banned on the private lanes off Hanamikoji and fines are enforced. Stick to the main streets with your camera.
3. Teramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades
Photo: Aiwa Hu 艾蛙媽 VS. 達樂哥 · Pexels License · source
Two parallel covered arcades running north from Shijo — a mix of long-established Kyoto shops, bookshops, tea merchants and modern chains.
- Where: Mall
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Daily 10:00–20:00
- Cost: Budget–Mid
- Tip: Ippodo Tea on Teramachi has sold Kyoto matcha since 1717 and has a tasting room attached.
4. Kiyomizu-zaka and Sannenzaka
Photo: Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The stepped approach streets to Kiyomizu-dera — Kyoto ceramics (kiyomizu-yaki), pickles, sweets and craft in preserved wooden shopfronts.
- Where: Street Shopping
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Daily 09:00–18:00; extremely crowded 11:00–16:00
- Cost: Mid-range
5. Toji Temple Flea Market
Photo: Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands · CC BY 2.0 · source
The monthly market in the temple grounds — antiques, kimono, ceramics, tools and genuine junk, several hundred stalls strong.
- Where: Flea Market
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: The 21st of each month, dawn to about 16:00
- Cost: Budget–Mid
- Tip: The best-value secondhand kimono and obi in Kyoto, at a fraction of the shop price. Cash only, and go early.
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