Kyoto’s Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, Walking Through Ancient Alleys

Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka are two ancient alleys located in Higashiyama Kyoto. You won’t have to look hard for these alleys as they both lead right up to Kiyomizu-dera, a famous temple in Kyoto.

These alleys are full of souvenir shops and most importantly street food, you’ll be able to find a popular street food snack here, pickles on a stick. I know it sounds arbitrary but it’s actually pretty good, I’ll explain more later in the blog post.

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Kyoto’s Historical Sloped Alleyways

ninenzaka alleyway — *Feels like I am in Blue Eye Samurai :)*

For the ease of reference I will be referring to both of these alleys as Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is the road that leads directly to Kiyomizu-dera while Ninenzaka is the one that connects to Sannenzaka.

Ninenzaka is just easier to remember and for you to search for on Google as Sannenzaka isn’t a popular search term.

Ninenzaka is a 150m long stone paved road that dates back to the Heian period and it retains the signature old Kyoto style architecture.

But one funny thing is that you can find a modern Starbucks built into a 2 storey traditional Japanese house here, the first of and maybe the only one of its kind.

Shopping and Eating at Ninenzaka

ninenzaka ice cream soft shop — *Soft cream? In this cold weather???*

Ninenzaka isn’t a long street but it does take a while to walk through especially when there are lots of tourists about.

The main things you’ll find at Ninenzaka is Kyoto street food, plenty of ice cream (known in Japan as soft cream), mochi, traditional Japanese candies, strawberries and so much more.

traditional japanese fox masks — *These are gimmicky tourist cash grabs more than anything, but they do look cool*

There was this one little stall selling these “traditional” fox masks, I don’t know how traditional they are since these are made from flimsy molded plastic and they are certainly overpriced, nevertheless they do look pretty cool.

japanese snack shop ovop kyoto — *Notice the Nama Yatsuhashi snacks being front and center, those are a Kyoto specialty!*

Along Ninenzaka you’ll find many of these snack shops which sell specialty Japanese snacks and candies unique to Kyoto. These shops participate in the OVOP (One Village, One Product) movement. which as the name implies, a movement that promotes vendors to come up with specialty products (known as Meibutsu) to be sold specifically in a certain region. Often times these products are snacks or desserts.

Some examples of Kyoto Meibutsu OVOP goods are:

Nama Yatsuhashi - Triangle shaped mochi-eqsue dough filled with red bean
Konpeito - Iconic Japanese sugar candies in the shape of tiny colorful “stars”
Maeda Seika Waffles - Thin crunchy waffles with a matcha and white chocolate cream filling

Also be on the lookout for anything Matcha, Kyoto is THE most famous place for Matcha in Japan and this city is known to produce some of the highest quality matcha tea leaves.

japanese souvenir shop — *One Katana please :)*

If you are looking to bring something more substantial back from Japan, many souvenir shops are dotted around Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka.

Shops like the one pictured above mostly sell models, trinkets, keychains, fridge magnets, etc…

If you are lucky, you might come across shops that straight up sell you a Katana, not kidding, but I am not sure how you’ll be able to get that past airport security…

My mom loves those creepy geisha models for some reason and our house is home to a collection of a few of them…

Kiyomizu’s Famous Pickles on a Stick!

kyoto pickled cucumber — *Imagine if supermarket pickles come pre-stabbed with wooden sticks*

A Feastography blog post wouldn’t be complete without me mentioning at least one thing about a must-eat Kyoto street food item.

These pickled cucumbers on a stick are famous in Higashiyama Kyoto, and are especially readily available at Ninenzaka alley.

There are a handful of shops dotted along the Ninenzaka stretch but they all pretty much sell the same thing, I went for the first shop I saw.

This shop had two varieties, a regular pickled one, and a chili and sesame oil one.

kyoto pickled cucumber on a stick — *Tasty and um… Floppy.*

I chose the sesame oil pickle. Taste wise it was a good pickle, sour with a hint of sesame oil flavoring, not much of the spice, in fact no spice at all whatsoever.

The texture was also nice and crunchy, It’s a really simple Kyoto street food item but one that you should definitely give a try.

These guys are especially refreshing if you happen to be in Kyoto during the summer.

Leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple

kiyomizu-dera temple kyoto — *Kiyomizu-dera in all her beauty*

I’ve mentioned in the beginning that Sannenzaka road leads directly to Kiyomizu-dera, a famous temple in Kyoto. More specifically, the road leads to the western entrance.

This is perfect since the ancient Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka roads are like a little glimpse into pre-modern Japanese architecture.

You can read more about Kiyomizu-dera at my blog post here, where I bring you to explore the ancient temple grounds as well as giving you some interesting tidbits like the fact that the whole terrace support structure was built without the use of any nails!

You’ll also find more details regarding Kiyomizu-dera’s entrance fees and tourism information.

Details About Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka

The Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka alleys are located in Higashiyama Kyoto, and are small tourist attractions which you can explore in about 30 minutes. If you are heading to Kiyomizu-dera, then might as well take a stroll at these alleys as well and check out some Kyoto street foods and souvenirs.

During peak tourism season, these alleys can be packed full of visitors, so it might be a bit uncomfortable to get through.

Location: 2 Chome-211 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0862, Japan

Opening Hours: 24 Hours | Everyday

How to get to Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka

Assuming you’re starting from within Kyoto city, take the Kyoto 206 bus or the 100 bus from Kyoto Station and get off at Kiyomizu-michi station or Gojo-zaka station. You’ll be dropped off right at the start of Ninenzaka or Sannenzaka alley.

Best Hotels in Kyoto

Nohga Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto - An exceptionally comfortable and clean hotel, located near Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari Taisha.
APA Hotel Kyoto Ekihigashi - A famous chain hotel located in the center of Kyoto city
Hotel The M's Kyoto - A comfortable and trendy 3 star hotel in Kyoto’s city center

Looking for Things to Do in Kyoto?

Perfect Kyoto 1 Day Bus Tour - Explore some of iconic Kyoto attractions with this guided tour
Kyoto Night Foodie Tour - Taste Kyoto’s delicious street food, sake also included ;)
Samurai Experience - Become a samurai, learn the way of the warrior, and practice the blade
Discounted Tours - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price