Pontocho Alley — Riverside Dining Corridor

Pontocho (先斗町) is a narrow 500-meter alley running parallel to the Kamo River, lined with traditional wooden buildings housing over 100 restaurants, izakaya, and bars. The alley is so narrow (2–3 meters wide) that two people can barely pass, creating an intimate atmosphere as lanterns illuminate the wooden facades after dark.

Many restaurants feature noryo-yuka (川床, riverside dining platforms) in summer — wooden decks extending over the Kamo River where diners eat while watching the river flow below. Pontocho cuisine ranges from affordable yakitori to high-end kaiseki, with river views as the common thread.