Kyoto

Window Shopping on Teramachi Street

Traditional area of Kyoto with shabby appeal

Cathy Cawood Nov 18, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>I would love to get my hands on this enormous calligraphy brush!</p>

<p>A very beautiful umbrella in a shop window.</p>

<p>These are soba-boro, a classic Kyoto cookie made from buckwheat and often bought as souvenirs. They are hard and flavored with a spice which tastes like cinnamon.</p>

<p>A store selling traditional hard candies</p>

<p>Book store in a beautiful old Kyoto machiya style building</p>

<p>This area is a mixture of old and even older</p>

<p>Gorgeous large vases at the door, and a traditional scroll hung in the window</p>

<p>Hand painted postcards on a rack outside the door. I love the handkerchief-sized door curtains with Japanese writing on them.  </p>

<p>Modern interior with beautiful lighting</p>

<p>Wonderful artwork on this nabe restaurant's sign  </p>

Kyoto's streets are laid out in a grid, and many of the streets are very long, stretching from one side of the city to the other. This article focuses on a short section of Teramachi street between Marutamachi and Oike Streets. Teramachi means 'temple town', and many temples are situated along its length. Pretty Kodoji, as well as lovely old Shimogoryo Shrine are in this section. The rest is a delightful mix of antique stores, book stores, small restaurants, and souvenir shops. There are many very old Kyoto machiya style buildings, and the overall atmosphere is traditional and appealingly shabby.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...