Kyoto#

Food#

These are some of the places I’ve eaten at and liked.

• Nishiki Sushi Shin. It’s an omakase sushi shop, just inside Nishiki Market. We visited at opening time at lunch, and it was not crowded. It was definitely the apprentices working the lunch shift, but I’m not a sophisticated enough gourmand to appreciate the difference. I was sophisticated enough to enjoy it, though, and I’m not generally a fan of seafood (much less raw). Definitely recommend.
• En. It’s a charcoal-grilled eel restaurant. When they ask “what size?”, it’s measured in “eels”. Just go with “1” for a good-sized meal.
• Fukuchian. It’s a ramen shop near Nijo Castle. You order at the vending machine just inside the door, and give your ticket to the staff.

Small Sands#

These are some individual shops that don’t warrant a slot on an itinerary, but you can work in when you have some down time. Most of these are in the area of Nishiki Market, as that’s the part of town I stayed in.

• Pokemon Center Kyoto. It’s got pokemon merch, obviously, but a real fan will notice that each store has some item that’s only sold in that store only, and possibly changed out seasonally. Japan’s big on FOMO.
• Nintendo Kyoto. It’s a Nintendo store. Depending on your other plans, hitting this might save you a trip to Shibuya when you’re in Tokyo.
• Antiques Kimono Lily. It’s a used kimono shop inside Nishiki Market. The owner doesn’t seem to speak much English, but she was very helpful. Nishiki is choked with foreign tourists, so they’re used to it. When I was visiting, one of the workers did speak English, so good luck! I bought a nice yukata to wear at home for a pretty good price.