How to Navigate a Bustling Japanese Market Like a Pro
From key phrases to bargaining etiquette, here are seven tips to navigating Kyoto’s Nishiki Ichiba, which is filled with food, clothing and other great finds
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From key phrases to bargaining etiquette, here are seven tips to navigating Kyoto’s Nishiki Ichiba, which is filled with food, clothing and other great finds
Discover Kyoto's Nishiki Ichiba market.
Although Kyoto has its share of tourists, and some vendors will know English, it’s always good to have a few phrases in your back pocket. Try these:
How much is it?: Ikura desu ka? いくらですか?
What do you recommend?: Osusume wa nan desu ka? おすすめはなんですか?
Which is most popular?: Ichiban ninki mono wa dore desu ka? 一番人気はどれですか?
Although it’s ubiquitous in other parts of Asia, bargaining is not really done in Japan, except for a few select instances (see: flea markets and Akihabara’s electronics market). Prices are usually clearly marked, and samples are freely offered at Nishiki, so you should have ample chance to decide if it’s worth it. Quality is generally very high here.
The market, unlike some in Japan, is fairly quiet in the early morning, but gets into full swing by mid-morning. Some vendors open at 9 a.m., but many don’t open until 10 a.m. Most stay open until 6 p.m., but a few close earlier, especially those that sell fresh food. You can easily spend a couple of hours here sampling and picking up snacks for a picnic or as souvenirs.
There are over a hundred stalls to peruse at the market, but a few gems include Ocha no Ujiya, which specializes in locally grown Uji green tea and tea sweets, and Kyo Tsukimachian, which sells senbei, crunchy rice crackers with various seasonings that are especially addictive!
The market has several places to take a load off and have a more leisurely meal. Try homestyle Kyoto cooking at Ikemasa-tei, or organic vegetable-based cuisine with a focus on yuba, delicate paper-thin tofu skin, at Hale.
If you get to the end of Nishiki Market and still have some pep in your step, head on around the corner to Teramachi—meaning Temple Town—an adjacent covered market which continues almost seamlessly from Nishiki. Teramachi has a mix of modern stores, fashion shops, cool cafés, and old-style temple supplies such as juzu beads, home altars and other prayer accessories.
With so many tempting tidbits, it’s going to be extremely difficult to leave empty-handed. We warned you!
Image credit: Alfie Goodrich