Kyoto Tower Sando
A shopping complex connected to Kyoto Station, filled with Kyoto sweet and tea shops.
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Kyoto Tower Sando
SaveA shopping complex connected to Kyoto Station, filled with Kyoto sweet and tea shops.
The second floor is for making things: your own Kyoto sweets at one shop, sushi at another.
MoreWhat kind of place
Kyoto Tower Sando gathers Kyoto's souvenirs, food, and hands-on classes into one building joined to Kyoto Station, and it stays open every day of the year.
The floors are stacked by purpose: sixteen food-hall counters and two restaurants in the basement, shops selling Kyoto sweets and tea at street level, and four workshop studios above them.
Every Saturday, the basement puts on a show where a whole bluefin tuna is cut up in front of the crowd. There is also a public artwork in the building, Shi wo Ippuku, made from poems by the poet Tahi Saihate.
Sources and evidence (17)
- The basement holds the food hall and the restaurants: sixteen food-hall counters, plus Torisei for grilled chicken skewers and Daiki Suisan for conveyor-belt sushi.source
- The basement food hall lines up Korean food, gyoza dumplings, rice in dashi broth, Chinese food, grilled meat skewers, ramen, udon with tempura, pancakes, crepes, and Japanese sweets.source
- The first floor is the market and cafe level, with Kyoto sweet and tea shops such as yatsuhashi makers, Otabe Kyo Baum, Malebranche, and Tsujiri.source
- The second floor is the workshop level, with four shops that run hands-on classes.source
- Akaneya, a traditional crafts workshop, runs from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and takes its last sign-up at 6:00 p.m.source
- Diaper-changing tables are in the women's restroom stalls on the second, third, and fourth floors, and in the all-gender multipurpose restrooms in the basement and on the eighth floor.source
- There are two accessible restrooms, both all-gender multipurpose rooms, one in the basement and one on the eighth floor.source
- The whole building is non-smoking, and there is a smoking room in the basement.source
- There is no parking for cars or bicycles, and visitors are asked to come by public transportation.source
- There are no coin lockers.source
- Free Wi-Fi works inside the building, on the network kyototower-wifi.source
- There is a Kyoto Shinkin Bank ATM on the first floor and a currency exchange machine inside the basement food hall.source
- Credit cards, including VISA, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, and UnionPay, and code payments such as PayPay, au PAY, Merpay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, Alipay, and WeChat Pay are accepted, though some shops do not take every method.source
- For lost property, call Nidec Kyoto Tower at 075-361-3215, weekdays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.source
- The basement food hall takes mobile orders, announced in October 2024.source
- A show where a fresh bluefin tuna is cut up in front of visitors is held every Saturday, announced in June 2026.source
- A public artwork using poems by Tahi Saihate, called Shi wo Ippuku, is installed in the building, announced in July 2023.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If you have time to fill at Kyoto Station, you can walk into this shopping complex without leaving the station.
On the second floor, a sweets shop runs a class where you shape Japanese sweets by hand, and it takes bookings on the day, so you can sign up once you get there and ask then what age they take children from.
The basement has a food hall with sixteen counters and an accessible restroom with a changing table.
The class starts at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., or 5 p.m., and the food hall opens at 11 a.m., so any of the last three sessions leaves you time to eat first.
Sources and evidence (3)
- A route she walked with her children. Tower Sando at about 16:00: each buys from a different counter, one table.source
- With a one-year-old: no nursing room in the building; use Yodobashi 4-5F or Isetan B1. Strollers cannot be checked.source
- Her own session at Shichijo Kanshundo: 60-90 minutes, four sweets made, three taken home, one eaten there. Y2,530.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The Starbucks on 1F is open 7:00-23:00, the earliest in the building, so you have somewhere to sit even on a morning when the baby wakes early. The B1F FOOD HALL takes mobile orders, so you can order without leaving your seat.Diaper changing sheets are in the women's restroom stalls on 2F through 4F, and in the unisex multipurpose restrooms on B1F and 8F. There are two barrier-free restrooms (unisex multipurpose restrooms), on B1F and 8F. There is no car park or bicycle park, and visitors are asked to come by public transport. There are no coin lockers either.
- Ages 2-3Every Saturday there is a live bluefin tuna cutting show. The B1F FOOD HALL lines up shops for gyoza, udon and tempura, pancakes, crepes, and Japanese sweets. The 1F MARKET lines up Kyoto sweet and tea shops such as Yatsuhashi, Otabe Kyo Baum, Malebranche, and Tsujiri.Opening hours differ by floor: B1F 11:00-23:00, 1F 10:00-21:00, 2F 10:00-19:00, and individual shops may differ. The building is open every day of the year. The whole building is non-smoking, with a smoking room on B1F. There are no coin lockers.
- Ages 4-6The 2F WORKSHOP floor holds four hands-on shops. At Shichijo Kanshundo's wagashi class children make Japanese sweets themselves, and at Daiki Suisan's sushi seminar they are taught how to shape sushi. Akaneya is a traditional-crafts workshop.Daiki Suisan's sushi seminar cannot be booked on the day; advance booking only. Shichijo Kanshundo's wagashi class runs 10:00-19:00 with four sessions, at 10:00, 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00, and same-day booking is possible. Akaneya runs 10:00-19:00 (last entry 18:00), and the 2F floor is open 10:00-19:00.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayA shopping complex connected directly to Kyoto Station: from the food hall on B1F to the four hands-on workshop shops on 2F, everything is inside the building.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：not checked
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (3)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A route she walked with her children. Tower Sando at about 16:00: each buys from a different counter, one table.
A Kyoto itinerary with kids, by age: 0-3 year olds and elementary schoolers
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
With a one-year-old: no nursing room in the building; use Yodobashi 4-5F or Isetan B1. Strollers cannot be checked.
Kyoto Tower with a small child, 100m up - including the things to watch out for
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Her own session at Shichijo Kanshundo: 60-90 minutes, four sweets made, three taken home, one eaten there. Y2,530.
Making wagashi: a Kyoto memory at an old sweet-maker
Kyoto Tower Sando · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
- Kyoto Ramen KojiRamen restaurant streetStroller friendlyElevator5 min walkTen ramen shops from Hokkaido to Fukuoka, on the 10th floor of Kyoto Station.
- Kyoto AquariumAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table15 min walkAn aquarium that recreates a Kyoto river and the sea, with a rice paddy indoors.
- Kyoto Railway MuseumRailway museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table1.3 kmOne of the few railway museums in Japan that runs a steam locomotive every day.
- Kiyomizu-dera TempleStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom2.4 kmKiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple founded in 778, set halfway up Mount Otowa in Kyoto.
- Fushimi Inari TaishaShrineStroller friendlyFamily restroom2.6 kmA shrine whose grounds take in a whole mountain, lined with about 10,000 torii gates.
- Kiyomizu-dera TempleTempleStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom2.4 kmA temple founded in 778, its grounds holding more than thirty halls and pagodas.
- Kyoto AquariumAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table15 min walkAn aquarium that recreates a Kyoto river and the sea, with a rice paddy indoors.
- Kyoto Railway MuseumRailway museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table1.3 kmOne of the few railway museums in Japan that runs a steam locomotive every day.
- Kiyomizu-dera TempleStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom2.4 kmKiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple founded in 778, set halfway up Mount Otowa in Kyoto.
- Fushimi Inari TaishaShrineStroller friendlyFamily restroom2.6 kmA shrine whose grounds take in a whole mountain, lined with about 10,000 torii gates.
- Kiyomizu-dera TempleTempleStroller friendlyDiaper changing tableFamily restroom2.4 kmA temple founded in 778, its grounds holding more than thirty halls and pagodas.
Where it is
721-1 Higashishiokojicho, Karasuma-dori Shichijo-sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 600-8216source
Before you go
- Hours can differ from shop to shop.source
- The Japanese sweets class at Shichijo Kanshundo starts at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m., and the last session is finished by 7:00 p.m. You can book on the day.source
- The sushi seminar at Daiki Suisan, where you learn to shape sushi by hand, has to be booked ahead — no same-day sign-ups.source
- Kimono rental from Kyoto Kimono Rental Wargo uses the second and third floors, with the desk on the third floor. If you book on the day, you have to be at the desk by 3:30 p.m. to have the kimono put on.source
- Pets cannot come inside or onto the terrace seating, not even in a carrier, though guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs may enter.source
More notes (1)
- You may take photos inside as long as you keep other customers out of the frame, but filming for a general audience, such as live streaming, is not allowed.source
Basics
- Fee：You pay at each shop. Credit cards (including contactless) and QR payments are accepted, though some shops take fewer of themsource
- Hours：Open daily. B1F food hall 11:00-23:00, 1F market 10:00-21:00, 2F workshops 10:00-19:00. Some shops keep different hours; the 1F Starbucks opens at 7:00source
- Time to allow：1.5 h
- Booking：The workshops differ: the wagashi class at Shichijo Kanshundo takes same-day bookings, the sushi seminar is advance-booking only, and kimono dressing on the day closes at 15:30sourceOfficial booking site ↗
Basics in detail (8)
- The nearest station is Kyoto Station, served by JR, the Kyoto Municipal Subway, and the Kintetsu line.source
- It is open all year, with no regular closing days.source
- The basement floor is open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.source
- The first floor is open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.source
- The second floor is open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.source
- The Starbucks on the first floor runs from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., opening earlier than anything else in the building.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (3)
Three floors of shops and workshops open off Kyoto Station. The basement food hall holds sixteen counters, from Korean food and gyoza to grilled skewers, udon and tempura, and crepes. Conveyor-belt sushi and a yakitori restaurant sit on the same level. The first floor is a market of Kyoto sweet and tea shops, yatsuhashi among them. Above them, the second floor holds a wagashi class, a sushi seminar, a craft workshop and kimono rental. A public artwork built from Tahi Saihate's poems sits inside.
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing mats are in the women's cubicles on floors 2-4 and in the all-gender accessible toilets on B1F and 8F | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kyoto-tower-sando.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family restroom | Yes (2) | Two all-gender accessible toilets, on B1F and 8F | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kyoto-tower-sando.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Indoors over three floors, with some terrace seating | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kyoto-tower-sando.jp |
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
| Nursing space | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |