Landmark

Sanjo Ohashi

Kawaramachi, Kyoto

Sanjo Ohashi's wooden railings and piers crossing the Kamo River under a blue autumn sky
Photo: nobu3withfoxy / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had it rebuilt as a proper bridge in 1590, and some of the giboshi caps on its wooden railings still date from then. Today's bridge, 73 m long, is from 1950.

Nearest station Sanjo (Keihan)
Cost Free
Time needed 15 min
Best time Sunset
Free

Insider tip

On the north side of the west end, look for the stone pillars left from the 1590 rebuilding. The city's repair, due to finish in the 2023 financial year, swaps in wooden railings of city-grown timber and keeps the old giboshi.

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What's on near Sanjo Ohashi

Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Sanjo Ohashi, 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
Performance ¥22,000 to ¥24,000 including a course meal and one drink

Nakamura Hayato Talk Show at Hotel Okura Kyoto

中村隼人トークショー

18 Feb Hotel Okura Kyoto, banquet hall, Kawaramachi

Time Talk 18:30 to 19:30

Kabuki actor Nakamura Hayato talks about stage work and role preparation, 18:30 to 19:30, with a meal at the hotel. Booking opens 18 Nov 2026 at 10:00.

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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

Pumpkin Memorial Service at Kyoto Yada-dera

かぼちゃ供養

23 Dec Kyoto Yada-dera, Kawaramachi

Time From 10:00

Visitors stroke a pumpkin that has been blessed in the main hall to pray against illness, in a winter solstice tradition at the temple on Teramachi.

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Nearby

Pontocho Kaburenjo Landmark · 2 min walk 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... Rokuyosha Coffee Cafe · 3 min walk Rokuyosha is two separate coffee rooms on Kawaramachi-dori just south of Sanjo. Kamo River Park · 4 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. 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. Honno-ji Temple · 4 min walk Honno-ji is a head temple of the Hokke school, known around the world for the Honno-ji Incident of 1582, when Oda Nobunaga died after his general... Takase River Ichinofunairi Landmark · 5 min walk Ichinofunairi is the boat basin at the head of the Takase canal, where flat-bottomed takasebune unloaded goods brought up from Fushimi and Osaka.

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

How do I get to Sanjo Ohashi?
The nearest station is Sanjo (Keihan). Sanjo Ohashi is in Kawaramachi, Kyoto.
How much does Sanjo Ohashi cost?
Nothing. Sanjo Ohashi is free to visit.
How long do you need at Sanjo Ohashi?
Plan for 15 min.
When is the best time to visit Sanjo Ohashi?
Sunset.

Stay near Sanjo Ohashi

Browse live availability and compare prices around Kawaramachi.

See hotels near Sanjo Ohashi on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 24 October. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Kyoto earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.