A small hanamachi (花街, Geisha District) district that centers around a single long narrow paved alley, lined with restaurants and bars on both sides.
Pontocho Alley is a sleepy area by day, and a lively nightlife district at night.
It’s a great place to just stroll through at night at take in the atmosphere (with the old telephone poles being removed to restore the old-school atmosphere of the place), and if you’re lucky you might even spot some geisha (芸者) on their way to work.
Located alongside the Kamo River (鴨川, Kamo-gawa), many of the restaurants along Pontocho Alley also overlook the river, making for a great riverside dining experience. The shops in the Pontocho area are also more mid-ranged and affordable as compared to the Gion (祇園) district.
