Kyoto Entertainment

  1. A-Bar

    This is a raucous student izakaya with a log-cabin interior located in the Kiyamachi area. There's a big menu to choose from and everything's cheap. The best part comes when they add up the bill - you'll swear they've undercharged you by half. It's a little tough to find - look for the small black-and-white sign at the top of a flight of concrete steps above a place called Reims.

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  2. ALTI

    ALTI holds regular performances of classical music and dance (traditional and contemporary). Check with the TIC for current schedules.

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  3. Atlantis

    This is one of the few bars on Pontochō that foreigners can walk into without a Japanese friend. It's a slick, trendy place that draws a fair smattering of Kyoto's beautiful people, and wannabe beautiful people. In summer you can sit outside on a platform looking over the Kamo-gawa. It's often crowded here so you may have to wait a bit to get in, especially if you want to sit outside.

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  4. Backgammon

    On a little alley north of Sanjō-dōri, this is a late-night Kyoto institution. Small, dark and loud, it's a place for serious drinking. Check out the crow's nest drinking area at the top of the ladder - if you don't want to climb down for the next round, staff will send it up to you in a special drinks lift.

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  5. Café Bon Appétit

    Not exactly a bar, not exactly a café, this is a fine spot to sip a drink and watch the characters of Gion stroll by. It's near the Shira-kawa canal and right alongside some of Kyoto's best cherry trees.

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  7. Gael Irish Pub

    The Gael is a welcoming and convivial Irish pub on the edge of Gion. It's got table and counter seats, a good menu with a variety of pub food and excellent beer on tap. It's a good place to go if you're travelling solo - you'll soon find yourself involved in a conversation. It's on the 2nd floor of the Kamo Higashi building; take the steps on your right just after you enter.

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  8. Gion Corner

    Gion Corner presents regularly scheduled shows that include a bit of tea ceremony, koto (Japanese zither) music, ikebana (flower arrangement), gagaku (court music), kyōgen (ancient comic plays), kyōmai (Kyoto-style dance) and bunraku (classical puppet theatre). It's geared to a tourist market and is fairly pricey for what you get.

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  9. Gion Odori

    Annually in spring and autumn, geisha and their maiko (apprentice geisha) from Kyoto's five schools dress elaborately to perform traditional dances in praise of the seasons. Gion Odori perform at the Gion Kaikan Theatre, near Yasaka-jinja.

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  10. Ing

    This bar/ izakaya on Kiyamachi is one of our favourite spots for a drink in Kyoto. It offers cheap bar snacks and drinks, good music and friendly staff. It's in the Royal building on the 2nd floor; you'll know you're getting close when you see all the hostesses out trawling for customers on the streets nearby.

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  11. Jumbo Karaoke Hiroba

    Expats love this place as it's in the same building as the Pig & Whistle - and more than one drunken evening has started at the Pig and moved on to this place! There's a decent selection of English songs and the price includes all drinks. There's also a Sanjō Kawaramachi branch (075 231 6777, Kawaramachi-dōri-Sanjō, northwest, a 3min walk from Sanjō Station, Keihan line) in Downtown Kyoto.

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  13. Juttoku

    Juttoku is located in an atmospheric old sakagura (sake warehouse). It plays host to a variety of shows - check Kansai Time Out to see what's on.

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  14. Kamogawa Odori

    Kamogawa Odori entertains with daily geisha performances at Pontochō-Sanjō kudaru, and from 1 to 24 May at Pontochō Kaburen-jō Theatre, Pontochō.

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  15. Kanze Kaikan Nō Theatre

    For traditional Japanese nō performances, the main venue is the Kanze Kaikan Nō Theatre.

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  16. Kitano Odori

    Kitano Odori has two traditional geisha performances daily and from 15 to 25 April appears at the Kamishichiken Kaburen-jō Theatre, east of Kitano-Tenman-gū.

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  17. Kyō Odori

    Kyō Odori entertains with three traditional geisha performances daily. From the first to the third Sunday in April, you can see them at the Miyagawa-chō Kaburen-jō Theatre, east of the Kamo-gawa between Shijō-dōri and Gojō-dōri.

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  19. Kyoto Cinema

    This new art-house theatre right downtown is a tremendously welcome addition to the Kyoto cultural scene. It rivals Kyoto Minami Kaikan as Kyoto's best place for arty films. It's directly connected to Shijō Station; take exit 2.

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  20. Kyoto Concert Hall

    The Kyoto Concert Hall holds regular performances of classical music and dance (traditional and contemporary). Check with the TIC for current schedules.

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  21. Kyoto Minami Kaikan

    Try this theatre for lesser-known imports and eclectic Japanese films, including Japanese anime (animation). It's on Kujō-dōri.

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  22. Marble Room

    The Marble Room is what a lot of people in the 1950s imagined the year 2000 would look like. It's a mod space that draws Kyoto's fashionable young set for decent drinks and snacks. If you're over 30 here, you'll probably feel like an antique. It's on the 4th floor of the Pontochō Building, which has a white front.

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  23. MataMata

    MataMata is a cool bar with an Indonesian theme. They also serve good Indonesian food, if you have a craving. The interior is pleasantly bohemian and you might easily forget you're in Kyoto while drinking here.

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  25. Mcloughlin's Irish Bar & Restaurant

    This is our favourite expat bar in town. It has ripping views over the Higashiyama mountains, great beer on tap, good food and a nice, open feeling. It also hosts some excellent music events and is an ideal spot to meet some local folks, both expat and Japanese. There is wi-fi internet access in case you want to do some surfing while drinking your beer.

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  26. Metro

    Metro is part disco, part 'live house' (small concert hall) and it even hosts the occasional art exhibition. It attracts an eclectic mix of creative types and has a different theme every night, so check ahead in Kansai Time Out to see what's going on. Some of the best gigs are Latin night and the popular Non-Hetero-at-the-Metro night, which draws gay and lesbian clubbers and everyone in-between. Metro is inside exit 2 of the Marutamachi Station. Admission varies by event.

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  27. Minami-Za

    The oldest kabuki theatre in Japan is the Minami-za theatre in Gion. The major event of the year is the Kaomise festival (1 to 26 December), which features Japan's finest kabuki actors. Other performances take place on an irregular basis. Those interested should check with the TIC. The most likely months for performances are May, June and September.

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  28. Miyako Odori

    Miyako Odori traditional geisha performances are held three times a day while throughout April, performances are given at the Gion Kōbu Kaburen-jō Theatre, on Hanami-kōji, just south of Shijō-dōri.

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  29. Pig & Whistle

    The Pig is a British-style pub with darts, pint glasses and fish and chips. While many of the Pig's patrons have moved on to other venues, we still like this place for its relaxed layout and homey interior. The pub's two main drawcards are Guinness on tap and its friendly bilingual staff. It's on the 2nd floor of the Shobi building near the Sanjō-Kawabata crossing.

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