Hidden Wonders | Sake and Stories of Kyoto's Backstreets

Kyoto is often associated with an air of exclusivity, refined traditional cuisine and tatami-mat dining rooms that can feel unwelcoming to first-time visitors. Yet tucked away in the heart of the city is a lesser-known haven of casual, down-to-earth drinking spots. Known as the Uradera, the area invites visitors to enjoy izakaya hopping from as early as midday, with a mix of sake, culinary delights, old-school taverns and stylish hidden alley bars.

Just a one-minute walk from Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station, the terminus of the Hankyu Kyoto Line, stands Shinobu Kaikan, a three-story building housing multiple eateries and discreetly located behind the Kawaramachi OPA fashion complex. On the ground floor is Tatsumi, a classic izakaya that regulars reverently regard as a sacred destination for daytime drinking.

Changing Clientele

Counters line all four sides of the space, some standing-room only, with table seating toward the back. Overhead, yellow and white paper strips display an extensive lineup of snacks and drinks. Tatsumi has been open from daytime hours since its founding in 1968.

*The casual izakaya Tatsumi, lively from midday through the evening.*

"When I was a child, this area felt unsafe for women to walk alone," recalls Midori Ueda, 50, the owner's daughter who now oversees the kitchen. Because the site of today's OPA complex was once temple land, the neighborhood came to be known as Uradera, meaning "Back Temple," and it developed into a dim, somewhat rough-edged entertainment district.

Ueda's grandfather originally ran a public bathhouse here called Shinobuyu, but in 1968 he converted it into a mancho sakaba, serving cask sake from Fujioka Shuzo in Fushimi, Kyoto. At the time, the menu consisted of just two items, kushikatsu and doteyaki, but it gradually expanded into its current form.

"It used to be a place where local elderly men gathered during the day and salarymen came in the evening," Ueda says. "In recent years, though, the clientele has become much more diverse, with more women enjoying daytime drinking as well."

A Culinary Passageway

Just steps from Tatsumi is Yanagi Koji, a narrow back alley one street removed from the bustling Shinkyogoku shopping arcade and Kawaramachi Street, both crowded with foreign tourists.

Once a thriving dining area, the alley fell into decline during the Heisei era from 1989 to 2019. In recent years, however, it has been revitalized with stone-paved walkways and new establishments, transforming it into a chic, atmospheric passageway.

The most popular spot today is Yanagi Koji TAKA, where a highly skilled chef with experience at Japanese restaurants in Italy serves refined cuisine in a casual standing-bar setting. Long lines have become a daily sight.

History on the Walls

Directly across the alley is Shizuka, an izakaya that has been in operation since the Taisho era, from 1912 to 1926. Its old wooden walls and pillars are completely covered in graffiti, layer upon layer left by generations of Kyoto students.

*The tatami room at Shizuka, its walls layered with decades of student graffiti.*

A Tokyo-based man who recently returned to the bar for the first time in 60 years with former classmates from his Kyoto University days recalls, "There wasn't nearly this much graffiti back then, but everything else is exactly the same."

Comfort dishes such as nikujaga, a potato and beef stew, and vegetable tempura are priced at around ¥400 to ¥600. These simple fare pair perfectly with bottled beer or small flasks of sake.

Soba and Sake

Sumire Matsuura, known as the "Sake Girl" and author of the illustrated essay series Horoyoi Yowa for the Kyoto–Shiga edition of The Sankei Shimbun, recommends the izakaya Soba Sake Matsumoto.

"The taciturn owner, Mr Matsumoto, makes wonderful soba, and the small sake dishes served before the noodles are excellent. If you're lucky enough to snag one of the few counter seats, you're in for a treat."

*Soba Sake Matsumoto, celebrated for its warmed sake and quietly devoted owner.*

"We're a kanzake, or heated sake, bar," the staff cautions customers upon entry. It is a rare establishment devoted exclusively to warmed sake, something Matsuura values highly. As you sip cup after cup and settle into a pleasant haze, it is easy to forget you are in the middle of the city.

Yanagi Koji was once part of temple grounds, and at its center stands Hachibei Myojin, a small shrine said to honor the raccoon dogs that once lived there. Today, a dozen or so old and new establishments line the willow-shaded lane, creating a quietly charming atmosphere.

"I've been coming here for years as a hidden gem," Matsuura says with a laugh, "but lately, word has slowly been getting out."