Furukawacho Shopping Street
Gion, Kyoto
Furukawacho is a covered shopping street of about 40 shops over 220 metres, running south from Sanjo-dori on the line of the old Wakasa road, the route that brought mackerel from the Sea of Japan. It's known as the Nishiki of the east, and it was once called eastern Kyoto's kitchen. The arcade went up in 1972, and about 1,000 pastel paper lanterns hang from it now.
Insider tip
Exit 2 of Higashiyama Station on the Tozai Line comes out right beside it. The autumn lantern festival on 24 October 2026 runs 11:00 to 17:00, with a Halloween parade, a bread fair and a handmade market.
What's on near Furukawacho Shopping Street
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Furukawacho Shopping Street, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Gion Odori
第67回 祇園をどり
Time 13:30 and 16:00, about 1 hour Station Gion-Shijo (Keihan), exit 7, 5 min walk
Gion Higashi's is the only one of the geisha districts' odori dance shows held in autumn, a medley of nagauta and kiyomoto pieces that ends with the whole district on stage for Gion Higashi Kouta. Tickets are ¥6,000, or ¥7,000 with a tea ceremony seat, and children under 3 aren't admitted.
Shoren-in Autumn Night Viewing
青蓮院 夜の特別拝観（秋季）
Time 18:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30) Station Jingu-michi bus stop (City Bus 5), 5 min walk
Shoren-in's main image is a Buddha wrapped in light, so the whole temple is lit as an artwork, from inside the halls to the pond garden, the bamboo grove and the giant camphor trees. Its hilltop sister site, Shogunzuka Seiryuden, isn't holding a night viewing in 2026.
nichols-villa, CC BY-SA 2.0 Chion-in Sanmon Gate Special Opening
京都非公開文化財特別公開 知恩院 三門
Time 9:00 to 16:00 (entry) Station Chion-in-mae bus stop (City Bus 206), 5 min walk
Chion-in's Sanmon, the giant gate built in 1621 on the orders of the second Tokugawa shogun, opens to visitors as part of the Kyoto Non-public Cultural Properties Special Opening, which this autumn covers 32 sites across Kyoto Prefecture. Each site costs ¥1,000.
Christian Kadluba, CC BY-SA 2.0 Okera Mairi at Yasaka Shrine
をけら詣り
Time Purification rite 15:00, New Year's Eve rite 19:00, the fire burns through the night Station Gion bus stop (City Bus 206), 1 min walk
After the New Year's Eve rite, the sacred okera fire burns in lanterns all night, and you light a rope from it and swing it in circles all the way home so it stays lit. People use the flame for the household altar lamp and to cook New Year zoni soup, and the burnt rope is kept in the kitchen as a charm against fire.
underutilized, CC BY-SA 2.0 Karuta Hajime at Yasaka Shrine
かるた始め式
Station Gion bus stop (City Bus 206), 1 min walk
The first karuta card game of the year is played as an offering on the Noh stage at Yasaka Shrine, followed by a show of Heian court costume.
underutilized, CC BY-SA 2.0 Nearby
Around Gion
The teahouse streets below Yasaka Shrine, best early or at dusk
Gion grew up as the town at the gate of Yasaka Shrine, and it's still where Kyoto's geiko and maiko live and work. Gion Kobu, the largest of the city's five geiko districts, keeps its teahouses along Hanamikoji-dori, and the Shirakawa canal runs through Gion Shinbashi to the north. Go early for the shrine and the temples behind it. Come back at dusk for the streets.
Gion has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 6 shrines and temples, 4 shops, 4 neighbourhoods, 3 cafes, 2 landmarks, 2 restaurants, 1 bar, 1 museum, 1 park or garden and 1 bathhouse. Read the Gion guide.
Good to know
- How do I get to Furukawacho Shopping Street?
- The nearest station is Higashiyama (Tozai Line). Furukawacho Shopping Street is in Gion, Kyoto.
- How much does Furukawacho Shopping Street cost?
- Nothing. Furukawacho Shopping Street is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Furukawacho Shopping Street?
- Plan for 30 min.
- When is the best time to visit Furukawacho Shopping Street?
- Late morning.
Stay near Furukawacho Shopping Street
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