Kyoto Shops, Crafts & Neighborhoods 🇯🇵

百万遍さんの手づくり市 On the 15th of each month (except August), local makers sell pottery, textiles and baked goods in the grounds of Chion-ji temple. Craft market · Chion-ji, Sakyo · $

天神市 (北野天満宮) On the 25th of every month, stalls of antiques, vintage kimono, pottery and snacks surround Kitano Tenmangu from early morning. Flea market · Kitano Tenmangu, Kamigyo · $ Good to know: Monthly on the 25th.

弘法市 (東寺) On the 21st of each month around a thousand stalls fill To-ji with antiques, old kimono, ceramics and street food. Arrive early. Flea market · To-ji, Minami-ku · $ Good to know: Monthly on the 21st, ~7:00-15:30.

かづら清老舗 Gion shop, around since 1865, selling pure camellia oil for hair and skin plus traditional accessories. Closed Wednesdays. Camellia oil · Gion, Higashiyama · $$

西陣織会館 Free kimono shows and live hand-loom weaving in the old weaving district, plus a shop of silk goods. Closed Mondays. Textiles · Nishijin, Kamigyo · Free

HOSOO Elegant showroom of an old Nishijin weaving house, with a free upstairs gallery exploring Japanese weaving and dyeing. Textiles · Karasuma Oike, Nakagyo · $$$ Good to know: Gallery closed on public holidays.

薫玉堂 Centuries-old incense maker opposite Nishi Hongan-ji, with blends to sample and buy. Pair it with a visit to the temple. Incense · Horikawa, Shimogyo · $$ Good to know: Closed 1st & 3rd Sundays.

鳩居堂 Historic shop for incense, washi, cards and calligraphy brushes on Teramachi, perfect for light, lovely gifts. Incense & paper · Teramachi, Nakagyo · $$

一澤信三郎帆布 Sturdy, simple canvas bags sewn by hand in Kyoto and sold from a single shop. Usually closed Tuesdays; check its calendar. Canvas bags · Higashioji, Higashiyama · $$

金網つじ Hand-woven wire tea strainers, tofu scoops and lantern covers in a quiet townhouse near Kodai-ji; workshops available. Closed Wednesdays. Wire crafts · Kodai-ji, Higashiyama · $$

開化堂 Family workshop making hand-crafted metal tea caddies with lids that glide shut, made by hand since 1875. Closed Sundays and holidays. Tea caddies · Kawaramachi Rokujo · $$$

有次 Knife and cookware maker in Nishiki Market, where they can engrave your name on a new knife on the spot. Closed Wednesdays. Knives & cookware · Nishiki Market · $$$

出町桝形商店街 Old-fashioned local arcade by the Kamo river delta, with greengrocers, cafés and cheap eats; pair it with mame-mochi from Demachi Futaba. Local shopping street · Demachi, Kamigyo · $

宮川町 Peaceful geisha quarter south of Gion near the Kamo River, with teahouses and lattice-fronted houses; you may glimpse maiko in the early evening. Geisha district · Higashiyama · Free

上七軒 Thought to be Kyoto's oldest geisha district: a quiet lane of teahouses near Kitano Tenmangu, with none of Gion's crowds. Geisha district · Kitano, Kamigyo · Free

伏見 酒蔵街 Lanes of white-walled breweries and willow-lined canals in Kyoto's historic sake-brewing town, with tasting rooms and brewery restaurants. Neighborhood · Fushimi · $$ Good to know: Pin in the brewery district centre (Minamihama-cho); approximate.

寺町・新京極 Two parallel covered arcades mixing old stationers, tea and incense shops with souvenir stores, linked to Nishiki Market. Shopping arcades · Downtown, Nakagyo · $$

新門前通 Quiet Gion street of antique, art and craft dealers near the Shirakawa canal, ideal for browsing ceramics, scrolls and woodblock prints. Antiques street · Gion, Higashiyama · $$$

三年坂・二年坂 Stone-stepped lanes of old wooden shops and teahouses climbing toward Kiyomizu-dera. Go before 9am for empty streets. Historic lanes · Higashiyama · Free

朝日焼 Pottery family making tea bowls in Uji for centuries, with a riverside shop and wheel-throwing classes; pieces are fired and shipped later. Pottery · Uji · $$ · Booking recommended Good to know: Workshops by reservation.