Nishiki Market is a narrow, five-block covered shopping street in downtown Kyoto that has served as the city’s culinary heart for centuries, earning the nickname “Kyoto’s Kitchen.”
The market traces back to a fish-selling district near the Kyoto Imperial Palace as early as 782, and was officially recognized as a fish market by the Bakufu government in 1615. Today its more than 130 stalls sell fresh seafood, pickles, matcha sweets, knives, and other local specialties.
Most stalls open between 9 and 11am and close between 5 and 7pm, though each vendor sets its own days off, commonly Wednesday or Sunday. Visitors typically spend 1 to 2 hours browsing and sampling food along the market’s length.
