Nishiki Market

You can see, eat, and enjoy the city’s seasonal foods at Nishiki Market, also known as the kitchen of Kyoto

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Nishiki Market has 400 years of history. There is a festive atmosphere as you walk around the market. You can see foods that can only found in Kyoto.
Address
Nishiki Market, 596 Nishidaimonjicho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

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About

Nishiki Market with 126 shops

Located right in the center of Kyoto, Nishiki Market is a shopping area which measures 390m and has 126 shops. It has a long history of 400 years. In long-ago Kyoto which had no refrigeration, the people used underground water to keep their foods cold. In 1615, when the area received its title to be a fish wholesaler from the Edo shogunate, it progressed as a fish market, and then with the creation of the Kyoto Central Wholesale Market in 1927, Nishiki Market evolved into its current form.

At Nishiki Market, perishable items such as fish and Kyoto vegetables, famous Kyoto pickles and o-banzai (Kyoto jargon for side dishes) are sold. Food distinctive to Kyoto can all be brought together here at Nishiki Market, Kyoto’s kitchen. With the advent of supermarkets and department stores, Nishiki lost a bit of that energy for a while, but that guaranteed quality and the abundance of food has made it a place that is loved by tourists and locals alike.

Taste a bit of delicious Kyoto at Nishiki Market

With things like the registration of Japanese food as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the current topic of “wa-shoku” includes the famous sushi and tempura, but even within Japan, the brand of Kyoto cuisine stands out.

It’s a cuisine that makes good use of the tastiness of fresh ingredients such as tofu, fish and Kyoto vegetables. Kyoto cuisine regards appearance and atmosphere as important and it is something to be enjoyed with all five senses. At Nishiki Market which has shops dealing in Kyoto cuisine, there is a collection of all that is tasty in Kyoto. It is a market that can be enjoyed just on sight alone, but since tasting samples are richly provided, please sample the real food of Kyoto. Searching for interesting examples of wa-shoku such as famous Kyoto pickles and mellow-tasting Japanese-style omelettes is also fun. 

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Reviews

7 years ago
So many local foods
There is also a snoopy cafe that has opened here recently. Aside from that, you can enjoy lots of local street foods and traditional sweets such as mochi.
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8 years ago
Food and Souvenirs
A great selection of authentic traditional food e.g. snacks, sweets, pickled veggies and fresh fish, and chilled fruits! You can grab a bite on the go or stop by a cozy food stand with seats. Many local produces vary along with the seasonal change offering you the best of its time. Don't miss it. You have to give it a try. Also there are many boutique shops where you can find unique and artistic craft work for souvenirs. I like utensil stores the best. Everything is hand made and you can engrave your name on knives, scissors or graters. Very cool!
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8 years ago
This market sells everything!
Nishiki Market is an amazing place to sample some of the local foods of Kyoto. There are more than one hundred shops and restaurants here. They sell seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties; such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood, and sushi. I buy three different traditional Japanese snacks and try them for the first time. They are: Gobo Tamari Zuke, or pickled burdock root; marinated in sugar and soy sauce. A Matcha based snack that has the same texture as Turkish Delight, but is coated in a fine green tea flavoured powder instead of the usual icing sugar. And finally, some Japanese cake with soy beans that has been made for approximately 150 years using the same traditional manufacturing method. I am told by the packaging that, “One piece of one piece is the cracker which I baked carefully.” Amazing.
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