Pontochō is a single five-block-long alley running parallel to the western bank of the Kamo River between Sanjō and Shijō. It is one of Kyoto's five remaining hanamachi (geisha quarters), and from late spring through autumn many of its riverside restaurants extend wooden platforms — kawayuka — out over the river bank for open-air dining.
The alley fits exactly two people abreast, and during the cooler hours of evening it gradually fills with diners drifting between kaiseki houses, izakaya, and tiny bars. Behind discreet doors, the resident geiko and maiko attend evening engagements. The annual Kamogawa Odori in May is the main public performance by the Pontochō kaburenjō (training school). Most restaurants here are reservation-only and pricey; for atmosphere alone, walk the alley end-to-end after dark and back along the river bank.