Pontocho (先斗町) is one of the five most popular neighborhoods in Downtown Kyoto. Bars and restaurants are crammed in alleys in the neighborhood. Garish and exotic Ishimaru Shoten (石丸商店) stands out among them.
Ishimaru Shoten.
Ishimaru Shoten can be categorized as a tiki bar, which is rare in Kyoto. Inside the bar is dark and decorated with handmade lamps, Japanese sudare (すだれ) scrolls, acoustic guitars, Polynesian art, and a painting of seemingly Adolf Hitler. Ishimaru Shoten stays somewhere between exotic and peculiar where I would rest my case by saying “It’s interesting.”
Ishimaru Shoten’s art.
Ishimaru Shoten’s menu.
Most customers seem to be from the Anglosphere which made the bar look like a tavern in a pirate movie. A Japanese bartender handed me a laminated menu handwritten in both Japanese and English which shows a classic repertoire of Japanese izakaya/bar food. Then I felt like I was in Netflix’s One Piece live-action show.
Coke. 550 yen / $4.20.
French fries. 650 yen / $5.
Cheese sticks. 500 yen / $3.80.
The food was ok. They were perfect as finger food. No extra charge was added, which I appreciated a lot. Ishimaru Shoten is the perfect place to start off a night in exotic Kyoto.
Ishimaru Shoten (石丸商店) | 京都市中京区木屋町通四条上る13番地路地東入る
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