[2024] Let's Reap the Blessings of Kyoto's Gion Festival - Yamahoko-...
Gion Matsuri, Kyoto's big event, is making a complete comeback after a four-year absence.
During the Yoiyama period of the Gion Festival, which is one of the most popular summer festivals in Kyoto, Karasuma-dori and Shijo-dori streets become pedestrian zones at night, filled with a variety of food stalls and limited-time-only gourmet specialties. Here, we have selected some of the best food stalls and limited-time-only gourmet specialties recommended by our editorial department. Despite the intense heat, enjoy the summer in Kyoto while watching the gorgeous floats.
Gion Festival Yoiyama period/
July 14-16 *Pedestrian paradise on the night of July 15 and 16
July 21-23
AWOMB] offers hand-woven sushi designed based on the culture rooted in Kyoto and Japanese food. The goldfish cider will appear at the Gion Festival. The cider and brightly colored jelly are a perfect representation of the plastic bags in which goldfish are scooped at summer festivals and brought back home. [Quench your thirst while reminiscing about your childhood summer memories with this drink idea from AWOMB.
Menu / Goldfish cider (variations: tonic water, apple juice, lemon sour) 500 yen
Sales period / July 14 (Fri.)~16 (Sun.), 21 (Fri.)~23 (Sun.) 15:00~21:00 *Sales end when all items are sold out
Sales location / AWOMB Karasuma main store
Ise Genroku Hachibana-ya, a long-established Japanese confectionery established in 1708, produces edible zongzi (dough dumplings) to ward off bad luck, which are awarded by the Takayama Preservation Society. The Uiro (sweet dough wrapped in bamboo leaves with a talisman to ward off bad luck) is pure white and chewy. This whiteness and chewiness are achieved by using domestically produced rice flour and steaming the dough while carefully monitoring the finished product. The Yoiyama Warabimochi sold at the festival is eaten cold and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Mae Festival: Yoiyama Warabimochi 378 yen
Sales period: July 14 (Fri.) - 16 (Sun.) 9:30 - 18:00 *Sales will end as soon as everything is sold out.
Sales location / Ise Genroku Tachibanaya stores
After Festival: Takayama's edible fresh zongzi (3 pieces) to ward off bad luck, 1,200 yen *Takayama's zongzi for decoration to ward off bad luck, 1,000 yen
Sales period/July 21 (Fri.) to 23 (Sun.), 10:00 to 21:00 (until around 20:00 on 23rd) *Sales end when all items are sold out.
Place of sale / Takayama Preservation Society (advance reservation at Ise Genroku Tachibanaya store andonline store(Also available at)
Kohzuki, which produces wagashi with flexible ideas such as Senju Senbei (rice crackers with cream sandwiched between wave-shaped cookie dough), will again offer freshly baked Mitarashi dumplings, which were so popular that they were sold out before the end of the Gion Festival in 2022. The dumplings are made by artisans on the spot, who carefully check the baking conditions of each dumpling to ensure that they are soft and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Enjoy the reputed taste of the rich sauce made with Okinawan brown sugar.
Menu/Freshly baked Mitarashi dumplings 200 yen per dumpling, 5-packs 1,000 yen
Sales period: July 15 (Sat.) & 16 (Sun.) 13:00 - 21:00 *Sales end when all items are sold out
Sales location / Kozuki Shijo-Karasuma Store
KAMEYA RYOCHO is bringing a new style of Japanese confectionery to Kyoto, such as sliced yokan (Japanese sweet made from sliced gourd) that can be made into Ogura Butter Toast just by placing it on bread and baking it. During the Gion Festival, customers can enjoy the customary Uji kintoki shaved ice and Karasuwatamadamashi ice. The Karasuwadama ice is a product that was perfected after many prototypes to adjust the sweetness. It is made with brown sugar from Hateruma Island, topped with a white bean paste and Karasuwadama red bean paste specially cooked for shaved ice. Feel the cool air with this shaved ice that is filled with the specialties of a long-established Japanese confectionery.
Sales Menu/
Uji kintoki shaved ice 800 yen
Crow's-feather ball ice 800 yen
Sales period / July 15 (Sat.) & 16 (Sun.) from around 17:00 to 22:00 *Sales end when sold out
Sales location/Kamenya Ryoucho Kyoto main store
Kyoto Tsuboyaki Imo Beniko specializes in tsuboyaki imo (potatoes baked in a small pot and baked at a low temperature over a charcoal fire). The skin does not burn as it is baked in hot air, and the sweetness comes from nature. The chilled tsuboyaki imo (sweet potatoes baked in a small pot) is made with a special cooling method that gives it a soft, bean-jam-like texture. Enjoy this Japanese sweet that is carefully baked for a long time without using sugar or sweeteners.
Menu/ Chilled tsubo yakiimo 500 yen
Sales period / July 15 (Sat.) & 16 (Sun.) 17:00 - 21:30 *Sales end when sold out
Location: In front of Griddle Force Itsuraku (298-2 Ichirensha-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto)
Shimidare pork buns from the Beijing restaurant "Zenjo Hanpochi" in Shijo, Kyoto, are so popular that people line up every year to get a piece of their famous Gion Festival delicacy. Each one is carefully handmade with the hope of eliminating bad luck, and is approximately 13 cm in diameter and filled with large ingredients such as pork, shiitake mushrooms, mountain jellyfish, and bamboo shoots. The buns are served with a generous amount of the special sauce, which is served separately.
Menu/Shimidare pork buns 500 yen
Sales period: Thursday, July 13 - Sunday, July 16, 11:30 - ends when sold out
Sales location / Over-the-counter sales
SOU SOU is located in a corner of Mentarizamacho, one of the float towns of the Gion Festival. SOU SOU offers creative Japanese cuisine created with a refined taste and the hospitality of a chef with a proven technique. Enjoy the fried chicken and taro in the hot Kyoto town!
Sales Menu/
Fried taro 500 yen, fried young chicken 600 yen
Date of Sale / July 15 (Sat.) & 16 (Sun.) 17:00 - 21:00
Sales location / In front of the store
Eirakuya, established in 1946, is a long-established shop that deals in karaimono (tsukudani) and amaimono (confectionery). The Muromachi branch offers "mizuazuki" only during the Gion Festival. The "mizu-azuki" is popular every year and is a drinkable mizu-yokan with a refreshing sweetness that goes down your throat smoothly. It is recommended as an accompaniment to the Gion Festival, which is expected to be scorching hot.
Menu/Mizuazuki adzuki beans 500 yen
Sales dates/July 13 (Thu.) to 17 (Mon.) and 19 (Wed.) to 24 (Mon.), 10:00 - close when sold out
Sales location: In front of the store and inside the store
Ailes Shinmachi offers authentic French cuisine in an at-home atmosphere. Ailes' special curry is a dish that will stimulate your appetite in the hot summer. Enjoy the quiche and escargot, which are staples of French cuisine, with a glass of wine. Red, white, and sparkling wines are all priced at 500 yen each.
Sales Menu/
Lamb (1 piece) 900 yen
Cured ham 800 yen
Yale Special Curry 600 yen
Fried chicken and quiche 500 yen each
Vichyssoise 400 yen
Escargot (1 piece) 200 yen
Drinks (draft beer, wine, sangria) 500 yen each
High ball 400 yen
Sales period: July 14 (Fri.) - 16 (Sun.) 17:30 - 21:30
Sales location: In front of the store (store is open for normal business)
The restaurant, which is a reproduction of a Thai restaurant in a renovated machiya (traditional Kyoto townhouse), is an attractive space full of exotic atmosphere. The popular menu item at Shijo Pakuchi is "Thai fried noodle Pad Thai," prepared by a chef who has experience at a local Thai hotel. The sweet and sour sauce is addictive and popular. You will surely feel the authentic atmosphere when you try this classic street food.
Sales Menu/
Thai fried noodle pad thai 825 yen at lunch time, 847 yen at dinner time
Vietnamese Bahn Mee 649 yen
Sales period: Year-round
Sales location / In the store
Enjoy Obanzai and creative Japanese dishes made with seasonal ingredients in a renovated Meiji-era kimono shop in a traditional Kyoto townhouse. During the Gion Festival, croquettes with pork cubes will be served. Slowly simmered tender pork kakuni is a specialty of Manzaratei NISHIKI. The flavor-soaked kakuni has a strong presence even when made into croquettes. Stop by if you are hungry.
Product sold: Kakuni croquettes (250 yen per croquette)
Sales Date/Time/July 13 (Thu) to 16 (Sun), 14:00 to 22:00
Sales location / Over-the-counter sales
Established in 1971, Maeda Coffee has long been a favorite coffee shop in Kyoto. In addition to its home-roasted coffee, it offers a wide variety of morning coffee, hearty lunches, and a wide selection of sweets. The Muromachi main store offers cappuccino shaved ice only in summer. The shaved ice made with their special coffee will make you forget the heat.
Menu / Coffee shop cappuccino shaved ice: 800 yen at a stall, 900 yen in the store
Sales period / July 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.) *Sold in the store until around September
Sales hours: 14:00- in the store, 17:00- at food stalls
Sales location / In the store and at food stalls
Located in Shijo-Karasuma, the heart of Kyoto, the hotel has excellent access to Nishiki Market and the Gion area, all within walking distance. During the Gion Festival, a food stall will be set up in front of the hotel. Visitors can casually enjoy the hotel's delicacies at the stall, such as beef steaks grilled in front of their eyes by a chef and spicy Szechuan-style mapo doufu (bean curd).
Sales Menu/
Steak bowl
Szechuan-style mabo-tofu rice bowl
Edamame and Draft Beer Set
Cocktail
(Price TBD)
Date and time of sale / July 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.) 18:00-22:00
Sales location / In front of Karasuma Kyoto Hotel
Since its establishment, its signature dish has been sui-gyoza, which is popular for its soft and chewy skin and the gentle flavor of the bean paste. In 2021, they opened a take-out shop, "Hand Wrapping Studio Rakuzenro," near the main store. During the Gion Festival, both restaurants will sell a variety of food items for 500 yen each. Enjoy Chinese dishes such as dumplings, shrimp yaki-sai, and xiaolongbao that are perfect for eating on the go.
Sales Menu/
Dumplings, Steamed Dumplings, Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Shrimp Steamed Dumplings, Shrimp Baozi, Shark's Fin
Draft beer, Taiwan beer (mango, lychee) 500 yen each
HI-RIKI 500 yen
Soft drinks 200 yen
Date & Time / July 15 (Sat.) & 16 (Sun.) 18:00-23:00
Sales location / Store terrace
A Japanese restaurant where you can enjoy seasonal ingredients with a menu that changes daily. During the Gion Festival, the restaurant will sell the "Hamo Katsu Burger," a sumptuous burger made with hamo (Japanese conger eel) from the Seto Inland Sea, which is in season in summer. Be sure to try this unique Kyoto hamburger topped with Shibazuke tartar sauce. The limited menu of homemade shaved ice (two kinds: strawberry milk and green tea strawbime cake) is also popular every time.
Sales Menu/
Hamo Katsu Burger 600 yen
Homemade shaved ice with strawberry milk 500 yen
Homemade Green Tea Strawberry Mochi Shaved Ice 500 yen
Meyer Lemon Sour 500 yen
Sales period: July 14 (Fri.) from evening, July 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.) from noon to night, July 22 (Sat.) from evening
Sales location / Sold in front of the store (terrace seats also available)
A restaurant specializing in samgyeopsal is well-known for its copy of "Unwrapped pork is just pork. In addition to enjoying samgyeopsal with a variety of meats and toppings, the restaurant also offers authentic Korean cuisine and a wide variety of drinks such as makgeolli and chamisul (Korean rice wine). Kalbi samgyeopsal will be sold during the Gion Festival. Perfect for those who want to eat meat with gusto.
Sales Menu/
Yutobare Kalbi Samgyeopsal with kimchi 600 yen
Yangnyom Chicken 500 yen
Cheese ball 500 yen
Draft beer 400 yen
Sales period / July 14 (Fri.) - 16 (Sun.)
Sales hours / Food stalls from 12:00 (from 14:00 on the 14th) In the store from 16:00
Sales location: In front of the store and inside the store
An Italian restaurant where you can enjoy course meals that incorporate an abundance of seasonal ingredients. You can enjoy charcoal-grilled spare ribs, rare steaks, and seasonal vegetables along with a wide variety of drinks. For the Gion Festival, the roast beef burger with horseradish sour cream sauce will be served. The refreshing aroma of wasabi enhances the flavor of the red meat.
Sales Menu/
Homemade Roast Beef Burger 750 yen
Date and time of sale / July 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.) 14:00 - 21:00
Sales location / In front of the store
An authentic Chinese restaurant where carefully selected ingredients can be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere in a luxurious restaurant. A food stall will be set up in front of COCON Karasuma for the first two days of the festival, selling special dishes at reasonable prices. Recommended menu items are "rice with beef rib and starchy sauce" and "shark's fin pork buns. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy authentic Chinese food in a casual atmosphere.
Sales Menu/
Beef belly rice with starchy sauce, Hong Kong-style fried noodles with soy sauce, 600 yen each
Shark fin pork buns, spring rolls (2), Peking duck (500 yen each)
Mango pudding, coconut milk with tapioca, draft beer: 500 yen each
Coconut dumplings (2 pcs), sesame dumplings (2 pcs), 400 yen each
Egg tart 300 yen
Date and time of sale / July 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.) 18:00-22:00
Sales location / In front of the main entrance of COCON Karasuma
The homemade noodles, which are made every morning using a proprietary process, are characterized by their strong texture and wheat flavor. The chilled chilled ramen noodles, available only during the summer season, are a perfect combination of meat miso with a hint of sansho (Japanese pepper) and sweet sesame-based soup. Be sure to try this limited menu item from a popular ramen restaurant.
Menu/Cold noodle soup 1,000 yen
Date & Time / July 15 (Sat.) & 16 (Sun.) 17:30-22:00
Sales location / In front of the store
This is a bar where you can casually enjoy Italian cuisine using mainly vegetables grown in Kyoto and wines from around the world selected by a sommelier. At lunch time, enjoy the salad bar with a wide array of colorful vegetables. During the Gion Festival, an omelette with plenty of cheese is served. This luxurious dish is finished with a truffle-scented sauce.
Menu/Truffle omelet, Guru Sausage, 800 yen each
Sales period / July 14 (Fri.)-16 (Sun.) and July 21 (Fri.)-23 (Sun.)
Sales hours: 12:00 - 21:00
Sales location / Sold in the store
Passing through the noren curtain on the first floor of SUINA Muromachi in Karasuma, you will find a large U-shaped counter reminiscent of a popular bar. The stewed dishes stewed in a large pot and juicy bite-sized grilled gyoza are perfect for a quick drink. Gyoza and fried dumplings, the signature dishes, are sold at the Gion Festival. Enjoy the easy-to-eat bar food.
Sales Menu/
Gyoza (dumpling) 500 yen
Fried tofu 500 yen
Shaved ice 300 yen
Date and time of sale / July 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.) 11:00 - 21:30
Sales location: In front of the store and inside the store
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