Enjoy Every Highlight to the Full! A Sightseeing Guide to Kyoto’s Kamo River

Kamogawa Delta is located at the confluence of the Kamo River and Takano River in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City.
It is a triangular sandbar named after its shape, which resembles the Greek letter delta.
Filled with rich nature, it is beloved as a place where locals come to relax.
Kamogawa Delta is also well known as a filming location for movies and TV dramas, and many people visit for commemorative photos.
It is a perfect place to rest after walking and enjoy the scenery.

Several sets of stepping stones are placed along Kamo River, and they are one of its well-known features.
The most famous stepping stones are at the Kamogawa Delta mentioned above.
A little north of Nijo Ohashi Bridge, you will find stepping stones shaped like plovers and small boats, while near Kojin Bridge there are stepping stones modeled after turtles.
They are more than just a way to cross the river, and reflect a playful spirit that turns them into unique attractions.
The stepping stones of Kamo River have also appeared in movie locations and anime works produced by Kyoto Animation, making them a kind of pilgrimage spot for fans.
They are one of Kamo River’s famous sights, so it is worth taking a commemorative photo.

Kamo River Noryo-yuka, open from May to the end of October, is a seasonal tradition of summer along the Kamo River.
During this period, the riverbanks take on a charming atmosphere and become one of Kyoto’s representative seasonal sights.
Noryo-yuka are dining platforms built out over the river, where you can enjoy the breeze and views close to the water while dining. Depending on the area, they are also called kawadoko.
In the past, it was common to eat traditional kaiseki cuisine on tatami seating, but today more places offer table seating and a wide variety of food including Italian cuisine.
It is a one-of-a-kind experience, so be sure to try noryo-yuka for yourself.

Because it is located downstream along the Kamo River that flows through Kyoto City, it is affectionately known as “Shimogamo-san” or “Shimogamo Shrine.”
The main hall, made up of two buildings standing east and west, is designated a National Treasure, and the shrine is one of the oldest in Kyoto. It was also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
It is Approx. 1 km from the entrance to the main hall. Before reaching it, you will pass through the lush Tadasu no Mori forest, where nearly 600 trees estimated to be 200 to 600 years old create a sacred atmosphere.

Nishiki Market is located on Nishikikoji Street, just north of Shijo Street, Kyoto’s main street.
Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” this arcade street stretches for Approx. 390 m from east to west and is lined with about 130 shops on both sides.
Inside, you will find so many Kyoto specialties that it is hard to choose, including soy milk donuts, fresh fu manju, tempura fish cakes, and yuba cream croquettes.

This is the head shrine of Approx. 2,300 related shrines across Japan, including Yasaka shrines and shrines that enshrine Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
Its origins are said to date back to 656, when the deity of Mt. Gozu in the ancient kingdom of Silla was enshrined here.
It was long revered under the names Gion Kanshin-in and Gion-sha, and locals still affectionately call it “Gion-san.”
The spacious grounds are dotted with auxiliary shrines and highlights.
Standing at the eastern end of Shijo Street, one of Kyoto City’s most prominent avenues, the West Gate is an iconic structure of the Higashiyama area and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Pontocho Street runs north to south between the Kamo River and Takase River, and was originally a sandbank in the Kamo River.
When the Takase River was dug in the early Edo period and connected to Fushimi, the area began to prosper as a logistics hub. By the late Edo period it had become an entertainment district, and in the Meiji era, performances of “Kamogawa Odori” were held to promote it outwardly, firmly establishing its status as a geisha district.
The street is lined with restaurants set in former okiya and ochaya buildings, and with many kinds of dining options, it is easy to choose a place that suits the occasion.
Held every year from May 1 to 24, “Kamogawa Odori” takes place at the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theater, where you can watch elegant dances by maiko up close.

Hanamikoji Street is Gion’s main street, running north to south from Sanjo to Kennin-ji Temple.
Despite the word “koji,” meaning alley, it is a fairly wide street lined with shops and lively with many visitors.
The area south of Shijo Street in particular retains the traditional atmosphere of an old tea-house district.
At the corner of Shijo Street and Hanamikoji Street stands Ichiriki-tei, a prestigious tea house used by many notable figures and also appearing in the kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura.
From here to Kennin-ji Temple, the street is lined with tea houses, traditional restaurants, cafes, and restaurants, and farther on stands the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater, where the Miyako Odori is performed.

Kyoto National Museum, located in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, preserves and passes on traditional culture.
The Heisei Chishinkan Wing displays a wide range of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, Buddhist paintings, lacquerware, metalwork, and picture scrolls.
There is also a sukiya-style tea house, where you can get a glimpse of aristocratic culture from the Edo period.
The museum also hosts lectures on cultural property restoration, archaeology, rituals, and sutra copying, allowing visitors to learn about Japan’s traditional culture while having fun.

This temple was built together with Saiji Temple two years after the capital was moved to Heian-kyo in 794.
Saiji fell into ruin by the end of the Heian period, but Toji’s buildings, though destroyed by fire many times, were repeatedly rebuilt.
Its Kondo Hall, rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori, and its five-story pagoda, rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu, still remain, and both are designated National Treasures.
This central area, centered on the Kondo and Kodo halls, requires an admission fee. The Kodo Hall directly ahead of the entrance was rebuilt in the Muromachi period, and inside are 21 Buddhist statues, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties made from the Heian through Edo periods, arranged to form a mandala.