Baby Octopus with Quail Egg inside... Not my favorite, though...
People in Kyoto love Nishiki Market - so do I. It was originally founded more than 1000 years ago, when local fishmongers got together in the area where abundant clean natural spring water was available from underground. There were no electrical refrigeration systems then, so the water from the wells which was cold enough in summer and relatively warmer in winter was essential for fishmongers - clean and temperature stabled water was perfect for handling fresh fishes. The Imperial Palace was close (only about 20 - 30 min. walk from the market), so they began delivering fresh fishes to the Imperial Palace.
Dried Bonito. Essential ingredient for Dashi Broth.
The market experienced a hard time when the Central Wholesale Market was founded in the west of the town (the wholesale market is the first one in Japan, before Tsukiji Central Market was open in Tokyo). Many of the clients such as high-end Japanese restaurants switched the supply source to the Central Wholesale Market, and so Nishiki Market fell into a decline. But they started changing their business model from wholesale to retail to revive the market. That shift brought a success and now there are always 100+ shops and restaurants enjoying stable businesses targeting local people and tourists from other parts of Japan and from abroad.
Under Covid-19 pandemic, people tend to stay away from crowded spots, so right now not so many tourists come to the market. Very few inbound tourists, too.
I took videos from the east entrance to the end of the market (west entrance). I hope you will enjoy viewing them.
Also, at the beginning of the walk-through, I stopped at Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine (shrine of the God of learning). There are a couple of 360 degree images which can be seen below.
For more details about Nishki Market, take a look at this page.
Below is a 360 degree image gallery of Nishiki Tenman-gu Shrine.
Videos showing Nishiki Market from the east-end to the west-end...
