Sanjo Arcade

Sanjo Shopping Arcade 三条会

Overview

Sanjo Dori (3rd Street) has two well known shotengai (shopping street). The first is located downtown, just off Kawaramachi Dori, and is always crowded with shoppers. Cycling is not permitted except from late at night until early in the morning. Otherwise, you have to get off and push. Even then, it can be slow going.

The Sanjo Arcade this page will introduce is on the same Sanjo - but farther west and not far from Nijo Castle.

Simply put, a shotengai is a Japanese high street that has many types of shops packed close together. Most were created before the advent of the automobile, in the days when shopping was both a daily event and a necessity. Thus, within walking distance of your home would be a shotengai with a supermarket, police box, clothing store, vegetable stand, fish market, barber shop, book store, cafe, post office, hardware store, and so on.

With the spread of automobile ownership and development into the suburbs, many shotengai have seen their fortunes wane. Sanjo-kai Shotengai, however, remains a lively - and very wide (i.e., good for cycling) - shopping street.

Sanjo-kai Shotengai has two good cycle shops, a tofu seller, a Kyoto sweet shop, shoe-repair shop, cafés - and the usual stores are also well represented.

Nijo Castle	Sanjo Arcade

Getting to the Starting Point

Sanjo Arcade runs between Horikawa and Senbon Streets just west of downtown. It is two blocks south of Nijo Castle and is about 800-meters long arcade and has about 180 shops. It is full of people, especially during morning rush hour and in the evening, but you can usually cycle comfortably if slowly.

Directions

From Horikawa Oike - just south of Nijo Castle - ride south on the west side of Horikawa. There is a bike lane painted on the sidewalk. After a few blocks, you will see the entrance on your right.

Total Riding Time

15 minutes.

Video

Sanjokai Shopping Arcade Video

To watch, click here.

More Information

Nijo Castle

541 Nijojo-cho, Horikawa-nishiiru, Nijo-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
075 841 0096

Entrance Fee: 600 yen

Hatsuon Yu Public Bath

At the corner of Takakura and Oshinokoji Dori.

Entrance Fee: 410 yen

Map

Sanjo Arcade Route

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