Landmark

Pontocho Kaburenjo

Kawaramachi, Kyoto

Address
Pontocho-dori Sanjo-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 〒604-8003 京都市中京区先斗町通三条下ル

Source: kamogawa-odori.com, checked 11 Oct 2026.

The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path
Photo: Mariemon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Pontocho Kaburenjo is the geisha district's own theatre at the Sanjo end of Pontocho, finished in 1927 and praised then as a modern building with an Eastern touch. Look up at the roof for the onigawara tile modelled on the Ranryo-o bugaku mask. Every spring the geiko and maiko stage the Kamogawa Odori here, a dance first performed in 1872.

Nearest station Sanjo (Keihan)
Cost ¥¥
Time needed 1-2 hours
Best time May, for the Kamogawa Odori

Insider tip

The 2026 Kamogawa Odori ran from 5 to 22 May, with seats at ¥4,000 and ¥6,000, or ¥7,000 with tea made by a geiko before the show. The autumn Suimeikai recital runs from 15 to 20 October 2026. Tickets are sold online and by phone.

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What's on at Pontocho Kaburenjo

Upcoming events at Pontocho Kaburenjo and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.

Performance ¥4,000 to ¥7,000

Kamogawa Odori

鴨川をどり

5 to 22 May (dates to be confirmed) Pontocho Kaburenjo, Kawaramachi

Time 12:30, 14:20 and 16:10 Station Sanjo (Keihan Line), 5 min walk from exit 6

Pontocho's geiko and maiko in a dance drama and then a set of pure dance, in the 1927 Pontocho Kaburenjo by the river. First staged in 1872, it's been performed more times than any other Kyoto geisha show.

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The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Performance ¥¥¥

Suimei-kai Recital of Pontocho

水明会（先斗町）

15 to 20 Oct (dates to be confirmed) Pontocho Kaburenjo, Kawaramachi

Time 15:30 (doors 15:00) Station Sanjo (Keihan), 5 min walk

Pontocho's geiko recital, held since 1930 and named after the clear water of the Kamo River. Reserved seats were ¥10,000 and ¥8,000 and unreserved ones ¥5,000 in 2026.

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The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Exhibition ¥1,000 (junior and senior high school students ¥500)

Hozo-ji Hidden Cultural Properties Opening

宝蔵寺 京都非公開文化財特別公開

20 to 29 Nov Hozo-ji, Kawaramachi

Time 9:00 to 16:00 (reception hours) Station Kyoto Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu) about 7 min walk

Hozo-ji opens its main hall with Ito Jakuchu's paintings of a rooster among bamboo and of a skull, as part of the 62nd Kyoto Hidden Cultural Properties programme.

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Festival ¥3,000

Kanikakuni-sai Tea Gathering in Gion

かにかくに祭

8 Nov Kanikakuni stone, Gion Shirakawa, Gion

Time 11:00 to 15:30, seatings every 30 minutes (last entry 15:00) Station Gion-Shijo (Keihan), 10 min walk

Gion Kobu remembers the poet Yoshii Isamu at his stone by the Shirakawa stream, where white chrysanthemums are laid each year, and you can book a seat at the tea served by geiko and maiko. Each group gets one photo with them, and it goes ahead in rain.

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A weeping cherry in bloom in front of a wooden teahouse along the Shirakawa in Gion mrhayata, CC BY-SA 2.0

Smaller local events nearby

  • bright green vol.3: a family concert and a Wakakusa Moeka concert Performance

    Sun 25 Oct · Hulic Hall Kyoto, Kawaramachi

    Two concerts at Hulic Hall Kyoto the same day, a family concert from 11:00 open to ages 0 and up, then a Wakakusa Moeka concert at 13:00.

    Part 1 ¥3,500 adult, ¥500 ages 3 to 18, under 3 free; Part 2 ¥6,500 or ¥12,000 VIP; both ¥9,000 · 11:00 and 13:00 · Map · Source: Hulic Hall Kyoto · bright green vol.3 めぐる愛 ~Love Comes Full Circle

  • Mitsuhiro Ikeda: emergence Exhibition

    6 Nov to 5 Dec · CANDYBAR Gallery, Gion

    A solo exhibition by Mitsuhiro Ikeda at CANDYBAR Gallery near Sanjo.

    Map · Source: CANDYBAR Gallery exhibitions · 池田光弘 個展 「emergence」

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Nearby

Sanjo Ohashi Landmark · 2 min walk Sanjo Ohashi carries Sanjo-dori over the Kamo River, and in the Edo period it was the western end of the Tokaido road from Edo. Kamo River Park · 2 min walk The Kamo River runs about 27 km through Kyoto, and between the Sanjo and Shijo bridges the low Pontocho houses on the west bank face the water. Rokuyosha Coffee Cafe · 2 min walk Rokuyosha is two separate coffee rooms on Kawaramachi-dori just south of Sanjo. Kiyamachi-dori Neighbourhood · 3 min walk Kiyamachi-dori follows the Takase canal, which Suminokura Ryoi dug in the 1610s so flat-bottomed boats could carry freight between central Kyoto and... Kaneyo Food · 4 min walk Kaneyo has grilled eel on Rokkaku-dori, just east of Shinkyogoku, since 1912, in a building from the early Taisho years that lost its third floor to... Katsukura Sanjo Food · 4 min walk Katsukura is the Kyoto-born tonkatsu chain, and this is its main store on Sanjo-dori just east of Teramachi, set back down a long entrance passage.

Around Kawaramachi

Downtown Kyoto, between Nishiki Market and the Kamo River

Kawaramachi is downtown Kyoto, the shopping streets round the Shijo-Kawaramachi crossing. The Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Arcades run north from Shijo-dori, Nishiki Market runs west from them, and east of Kawaramachi-dori the Takase canal and Pontocho squeeze in before the Kamo River. You'll come here to eat, mostly. Some of the tea, incense and paper shops date from the Edo period.

Kawaramachi has 26 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 5 shops, 4 cafes, 4 restaurants, 3 shrines and temples, 3 landmarks, 2 bars, 2 neighbourhoods, 1 park or garden, 1 market and 1 bathhouse. Read the Kawaramachi guide.

Good to know

What is the address of Pontocho Kaburenjo?
Pontocho-dori Sanjo-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市中京区先斗町通三条下ル).
How do I get to Pontocho Kaburenjo?
The nearest station is Sanjo (Keihan). Pontocho Kaburenjo is in Kawaramachi, Kyoto.
How much does Pontocho Kaburenjo cost?
Pontocho Kaburenjo is mid-range, marked ¥¥ on the site's price scale.
How long do you need at Pontocho Kaburenjo?
Plan for 1-2 hours.
When is the best time to visit Pontocho Kaburenjo?
May, for the Kamogawa Odori.

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