Taku-Taku

Downtown Kyoto


One of Kyoto’s most atmospheric live-music venues, with a long history of hosting some great local and international acts. Check the Kyoto Visitor's Guide and flyers in local coffee shops and record stores for details on upcoming events. It can be hard to spot: look for the wooden sign with black kanji on it and go through the gate.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Downtown Kyoto attractions

1. Nishiki Market

0.29 MILES

The covered Nishiki Market (Nishiki-kōji Ichiba) is one of Kyoto’s real highlights, especially if you have an interest in cooking and dining. Commonly…

2. Ebisu-jinja

0.42 MILES

This small shrine near Kennin-ji honours Ebisu, the god of prosperity. Naturally, it's a popular spot with local businesspeople. The Tōka Ebisu festival…

3. Kennin-ji

0.49 MILES

Founded in 1202 by the monk Eisai, Kennin-ji is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. It is an island of peace and calm on the border of the boisterous Gion…

4. Rokkaku-dō

0.52 MILES

This tucked-away temple makes for a worthy detour when hitting the boutiques and restaurants downtown. The name refers to its unique hexagonal shape, and…

5. Ponto-chō

0.53 MILES

There are few streets in Asia that rival this narrow pedestrian-only walkway for atmosphere. Not much to look at by day, the street comes alive at night,…

6. Rokuharamitsu-ji

0.55 MILES

An important Buddhist pilgrimage stop, this temple was founded in 963 by Kūya Shōnin, who carved an image of an 11-headed Kannon and installed it in the…

7. Museum of Kyoto

0.59 MILES

This museum is worth visiting if a special exhibition is on (the regular exhibits are not particularly interesting and don’t have much in the way of…

8. Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto

0.64 MILES

This one-room museum is filled with unexpected wonders in a wide variety of kaleidoscopes. Not sure who will enjoy this more, children or the adults…