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.