Kyukyodo
Kawaramachi, Kyoto
- Daily
- 10:00 to 18:00
Closed 1 to 4 January. Closes at 17:00 on 31 December.
Source: kyukyodo.co.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Kyukyodo opened in 1663 as a herbal medicine shop in front of Honno-ji's gate, under a name chosen by the Confucian scholar Muro Kyuso. Medicine and incense share raw materials, so by about 1700 it was making incense, and in the late 1700s it took up brushes and ink for the painters and writers it served. The Teramachi main store sells incense, calligraphy brushes, washi, letter paper, postcards and gift envelopes.
Insider tip
Honno-ji is a few doors away, so see the two together. The store closes from 1 to 4 January.
What's on near Kyukyodo
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Kyukyodo, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Kan'ei: Beauty Nurtured by Peace
特別展「寛永 太平がはぐくむ美」
Time 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 19:30 (last entry 30 minutes before) Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 3 min walk
Marking 400 years since Emperor Go-Mizunoo's visit to Nijo Castle, the museum shows the Kan'ei culture of Hon'ami Koetsu, Tawaraya Sotatsu and Nonomura Ninsei, with scrolls and screens of the imperial procession and a Kano Sanraku hawk painting from Nijo Castle. It's closed on Mondays (open 12 Oct) and 13 Oct, and the ticket covers the permanent galleries too.
Photograph by Mike Peel www.mikepeel.net., CC BY-SA 4.0 The Indomitable Power of Go Nagai
令和6年能登半島地震復興祈念 不滅の力 永井豪 -永井豪記念館リバイバル-
Time 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 19:30 (last entry 30 minutes before) Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 3 min walk
When the 2024 Noto earthquake burned the Go Nagai Memorial Museum in Wajima, 108 original drawings and figures by the creator of Mazinger Z, Devilman and Cutie Honey were found intact inside. They're shown here with original manuscripts and a new manga he drew for the show, and the museum is closed on Mondays (open 11 Jan) and from 28 Dec to 4 Jan.
Photograph by Mike Peel www.mikepeel.net., CC BY-SA 4.0 Medalist Exhibition
メダリスト展
Time 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 19:30 (last entry 30 min before) Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 3 min walk from exit 5
An exhibition on Tsurumaikada's figure skating manga Medalist, with new illustrations drawn for it, famous scenes from the manga, sets that recreate its world and picks from the TV anime. It fills the museum's third and fourth floor galleries.
Photograph by Mike Peel www.mikepeel.net., CC BY-SA 4.0 KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival 2027
KYOTOGRAPHIE 京都国際写真祭 2027
Time Hours and closing days vary by venue Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line)
A month of photography shows in machiya, galleries, museums and temples around the city, in exhibition spaces designed with architects and craftspeople. The 2027 theme, artists and venues are still to be announced.
Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital
第111回 水明会
Time 15:30 (doors 15:00) Station Sanjo (Keihan), 5 min walk
Pontocho's geiko have staged this dance recital since 1930, named after the clear water of the Kamo River, with tokiwazu, kiyomoto and nagauta pieces. Reserved seats are ¥10,000 or ¥8,000 and unreserved ones ¥5,000.
Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Nearby
Around Kawaramachi
Downtown Kyoto, between Nishiki Market and the Kamo River
Kawaramachi is downtown Kyoto, the shopping streets round the Shijo-Kawaramachi crossing. The Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Arcades run north from Shijo-dori, Nishiki Market runs west from them, and east of Kawaramachi-dori the Takase canal and Pontocho squeeze in before the Kamo River. You'll come here to eat, mostly. Some of the tea, incense and paper shops date from the Edo period.
Kawaramachi has 26 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 5 shops, 4 cafes, 4 restaurants, 3 shrines and temples, 3 landmarks, 2 bars, 2 neighbourhoods, 1 park or garden, 1 market and 1 bathhouse. Read the Kawaramachi guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Kyukyodo?
- 520 Shimo-Honnojimae-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市中京区寺町姉小路上ル下本能寺前町520).
- What are the opening hours of Kyukyodo?
- Daily 10:00 to 18:00. Closed 1 to 4 January. Closes at 17:00 on 31 December.
- How do I get to Kyukyodo?
- The nearest station is Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae (Tozai Line). Kyukyodo is in Kawaramachi, Kyoto.
- How much does Kyukyodo cost?
- Kyukyodo is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Kyukyodo?
- Plan for 30 min.
- When is the best time to visit Kyukyodo?
- Daytime.
Stay near Kyukyodo
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