Shijo Street in Kyoto’s Gion district (Gion Shopping Street) connects Yasaka Shrine with the Kamo River and is filled with the historic charm of the ancient capital and long-established shops.
1. Century-old and classic shops on Gion Shopping Street
* Shogoin Yatsuhashi Sohonten (Gion location)
Founded in 1689 (Genroku 2), this shop has a history of more than 300 years and is one of Kyoto’s most iconic traditional makers of yatsuhashi sweets.
* Kyo Tsukimachi-an (Gion location):
A specialty shop for Kyoto dagashi candy and hand-grilled rice crackers with a tradition dating back to the first year of the Meiji era.
* Highlights: The shop specializes in freshly grilled, handmade bean crackers (teyaki senbei). Artisans can often be seen turning the crackers over the grill at the storefront, filling the air with the aroma of charcoal and beans. The shop’s signature Fukudaruma mini cookies are also very popular and make nostalgic gifts for friends and family.
* Tsuruha Yakushido (Tsuruha Drug Gion location)
* Highlights: This store blends the modern Tsuruha Drug pharmacy chain into Gion’s traditional streetscape. A sign reading “Tsuruha Yakushido,” featuring the traditional crane logo and a noren curtain, hangs at the entrance, giving it a distinctly old-fashioned feel among Kyoto’s many drugstores.
* miffy à la maison Miffy Oyatsu-do (Gion location)
* Highlights: A Miffy-themed shop offering Kyoto wagashi and selected goods, with a cute, large Miffy figure welcoming visitors at the entrance. The shop sells a variety of exclusive Miffy products incorporating traditional Kyoto crafts, Japanese-style patterns, and wagashi-inspired packaging.
2. BEAMS JAPAN in Kyoto’s Gion district
* BEAMS JAPAN Gion
* Location: On the first floor of the Kanji Museum along Shijo Street in Gion (551 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto).
* What makes it distinctly Kyoto and Gion:
* Traditional noren curtains and historic Kyoto atmosphere: Unlike a typical modern fashion store, the Gion location has a strongly Japanese-style entrance and wooden facade that blend into Gion’s traditional streetscape.
* Japanese crafts and locally exclusive selections: Centered on the “BEAMS JAPAN” concept, it promotes traditional Japanese crafts, renowned products, and subcultures. The Gion location offers many exclusive collaborations, souvenirs, and limited-edition clothing created with traditional Kyoto artisans and inspired by the local culture of Kyoto and Gion.
* A combination of culture and sightseeing: Located along the main approach to Yasaka Shrine, it seamlessly connects visits to historic sites with contemporary fashion trends.
While strolling through Gion Shopping Street, you can enjoy freshly grilled rice crackers and traditional yatsuhashi while visiting BEAMS JAPAN, which incorporates the character of the ancient capital. It’s a great way to deeply experience Kyoto’s unique blend of tradition and modernity!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highly recommended
You have to visit BEAMS JAPAN Gion
to admire this masterpiece
The dazzling gold artwork inside BEAMS—Taizo Minagawa’s “Venice”
: This imposing and brilliantly golden hanging decoration displayed inside the store is the renowned work “Venice,” created in 1979 (Showa 54) by the late, celebrated Kyoto textile artist Taizo Minagawa.
Bullet point Deep ties to the Gion Festival: This work actually has great historical significance—it was originally used as the miokuri, a large decorative textile hung at the back of a festival float, on Iwatoyama, one of the yamahoko floats in the early procession of Kyoto’s famous Gion Festival.
Bullet point Artistic features:
Bullet point Technique: It uses the exquisite traditional roketsuzome wax-resist dyeing technique, combining linen fabric with brilliant, gold-leaf-like colors to create a distinctive sense of coolness and depth.
Bullet point Imagery: With the classical architecture and waterways of Venice as the background, the foreground depicts elegant white birds (swans) standing and spreading their wings, perfectly blending European exoticism with traditional Japanese textile craftsmanship.
Bullet point Display at BEAMS: Through its product selections and interior design, BEAMS JAPAN frequently introduces the public to top-quality crafts and local cultures from across Japan. Displaying this valuable textile artwork, which originally belonged to a Gion Festival float, not only reflects Kyoto’s deep historical heritage but also allows visitors to experience up close the powerful blend of traditional and modern aesthetics.
