No trip is complete without delicious food. In Kyoto, you can find everything at the local Nishiki Market. And it all started with fish. The first store opened on this site in around 1310. Wells were used then instead of refrigerators, and the cold water in them allowed to keep seafood fresh for a long time. Over time, the area and assortment of the market grew.

Today, the market is a covered shopping street about 400 meters long. There are more than 130 shops and stores on both sides of it. Many have been handed down in local families from generation to generation for hundreds of years. The market is very popular with residents, so there are always a lot of people even without tourists.

The name of the market translates as «brocade market», but the assortment here is much wider. The products and prepared foods will suit the taste of even the most sophisticated gourmet. Some chefs of expensive restaurants shop at Nishiki. Stalls are bursting with an abundance of vegetables, fruits, spices, cereals, and Japanese sweets. And it's all sold separately, for example, if the store deals in rice, you won't find anything else there.

Tourists, of course, prefer ready-to-eat meals. Travelers often do not have time or opportunity to cook. You will not have to buy unknown exotic food like a «pig in a poke», friendly merchants will gladly give you everything you want to try. Because of the wide variety of food Nishiki is also known as «Kyoto Kitchen». And this name comes in handy. The shopping street is so clean that it would pass any test.

The market is usually open from 9 am to 5 pm. Wednesdays and Sundays are days off. The market is not open every day, but not all stores have such a schedule; you better find out the details on the spot. It is also worth visiting Nishiki because the shopping arcades of Teramachi and Shikegoku are located next to the market. After the gastronomic one, you can go to the usual shopping and buy interesting jewelry and souvenirs. And then visit a cafe or restaurant.

There are several ways to get to the Nishiki Market. In particular, you need to take the metro line Karasuma to Shijo Station, then 5 minutes on foot and you are there. It takes about the same amount of time to walk from Karasuma Station, which can be reached by taking the Hankyu Kyoto line.