Kawaramachi with Kids
Last Updated on September 22, 2025 by Kay
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If you’re visiting Kyoto with your family, you’re bound to visit Kawamachi Street at least once.
Kawaramachi Street is the main street in Kyoto, filled with many shops and things to do. The streets are easy to navigate and are stroller-friendly, which is always a plus. It’s also only a 10-minute walk from one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto.
It is one of the most popular places to go shopping or visit, so I would avoid going on the weekends if possible. Besides the crowds of people, it’s one of my favourite places to go shopping.
I’ve been living in Kyoto with my family for several years, so I wanted to share my guide to exploring this area with kids.
Table of Contents
What to Do in Kawaramachi with Kids
① Disney Store
The Disney Store in Kawaramachi is a must-see if you are a fan of anything Disney.
The store has been designed beautifully, so even if you don’t plan on buying anything, it’s worth taking a quick look inside. I think most children will enjoy the sparkling stairs leading up to the second floor.
I visited recently and found that they have added a huge TV screen on the second floor, which showcases Disney’s latest movie trailers. Personally, I felt that this detracted from the store, and it was a little too loud, but other than that, I really recommend visiting this store, if only to get a taste of Disney in Japan without going to the theme parks.
Store hours: 11:00-20:00 daily
② Kiddy Land
Kiddy Land is only a 2-minute walk from Kawaramachi Station, and it’s worth checking out if you love character goods. It’s three floors high and apparently the second largest in Kansai, boasting more than 15,000 character goods!
Some of the characters include One Piece, Rilakkuma, Snoopy, Ghibli, Sumikko Gurashi, Tomica, and Miffy, to name a few. Kids can spend a lot of time here — my son certainly does, and it can be hard to tear him away! (But I’ll admit that I like looking at the cute goods here, too.)
Store hours: 11:00-21:00 daily
③ Edion
This is personally one of my favourite places to go with my son, as it has a toy section on the basement floor.
Here you can find capsule machines as well as toys like Tomica, Pokemon, Paw Patrol and Plarail. Many children love the Playrail display with all the trains moving around.
I have found that this store is one of the cheapest places to buy toys, too!
The prices might not be insanely different compared to other stores, but it definitely saves money to buy here.
If you sign up for their point card, then you can use the points in the future to buy things too.
Store hours: 10 am to 9 pm
④ Takashimaya
Takashiyama has a lovely children’s section on the 5th floor, filled with brand-name clothes and many toys. The prices are not exactly cheap here, but the quality is great.
They also recently added a play area right next to the baby room. If you need a place to change your baby, feed them, nurse them, or take a small break, then this is the place to go!
This baby area has helped me countless times when shopping with my child. The nursing area is spacious and clean, there are high chairs and tables to feed young children, diaper changing stations, as well as a microwave to heat up baby food, and a hot water dispenser for making baby milk.
⑤ Toys R US Kawaramachi
This branch of Toys R Us just opened this year, and I was incredibly excited, as I felt that there were not enough shops selling goods for babies and children in Kawaramachi. The store is on the basement floor of OPA Kawaramachi.
Unfortunately, the store is tiny, selling only very select character toys and goods. The prices seemed pretty expensive, too. It’s right next to an open-plan Starbucks, with people sitting at the tables, watching your every move, as there is not much else to look at on the basement floor.
So, personally, I would give this store a miss, but I thought I would share it anyway for parents who might be interested in taking a quick look.
⑥ Fuji Daimaru
Next to Takashimaya is Fuji Daimaru, a small department store. They have a diaper changing room, and a few children’s clothing stores like North Face. They also have a delicious cafe called HARBS. The cakes here are delicious, but just check the ingredients listed in the display, as some have alcohol inside.
⑦ Sugi Drugstore
If you’re looking for baby food, diapers, sunscreens, or wet wipes in Kyoto, then this is the place to shop.
The price is cheaper than other places, and while the selection is small, it covers your basic needs or when you’re in a pinch while shopping at Kawaramachi.
⑧ Yasaka Shrine
This shrine is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto, and it’s only a 10-minute walk from Kawaramachi Station. Situated at the end of Shijo-dori street, it’s also accessible by bus.
Yasaka Shrine becomes very busy during the cherry blossom season as Maruyama Park, situated behind the shrine, is full of them.
During this time, there are many food stalls situated in the shrine, leading all the way into Maruyama Park. Many families, friends and co-workers like to have hanami, which are cherry blossom viewing picnic parties in the park. It’s also a nice spot to dress up in a kimono or yukata and walk around the park.
I often went with my son to see the cherry blossoms and have a picnic, but recently it has become too busy. Some people arrive at the park in the early hours of the morning, just to reserve a good picnic spot for a hanami that often only starts in the afternoon.
I think the shrine and park are great to see at any time of the year, though, as the shrine is very memorable, and the park has a small stream and pond, with fish and ducks.
The shrine also becomes very busy during the Gion Festival, as it is directly linked to the festival (as it is the patron’s shrine). The Gion Festival is one of the most famous festivals in Kyoto, bringing thousands of people to the area in July. There are many ceremonies held during the festival, as well as two processions of massive floats, which take place near the middle and end of July. During this time, food stalls can be found in Yasaka Shrine, Maruyama Park, as well as along many streets in Kawaramachi.
While seeing the festival is a must if you are in the area, I’m not sure I can recommend it for young children. It can become so busy that you can barely move through the crowds, alcohol is sold at many of the food stalls, and the streets soon become filled with loud, intoxicated people. Personally, I avoid the entire area of Kawaramachi and Yasaka Shrine like the plague during July.
⑨ Bal
Bal is a 4-minute walk from Kawaramachi Station, and a nice place to go shopping or take a break with your children.
Inside this small shopping mall, you can find a really nice bookstore called Maruzen. Maruzen has both Japanese and English children’s books. It’s (naturally) quite difficult to find English children’s books in Kyoto, so I buy most of my books online or here.
On the 4th floor, there is Cafe&Meal Muji, which I’ll talk about later in the article.
⑩ Mina Kyoto
This shopping mall, about a 6-minute walk from Kawaramachi station, has a Loft, Uniqlo and GU store inside. I recommend visiting the Uniqlo store if you’re looking for good quality and reasonably priced clothes.
⑪ Clinical Esthe Salon
This recommendation is not for children, but for tired mothers who have a bit of time for some self-care. Parents often put their child first, so we often forget to take care of ourselves. Sometimes when I become overwhelmed or too stressed, I take some time off to visit this salon.
It is located on the 7th floor in Mina Kyoto. They have an English Menu as well as a trial menu for ¥999. The session takes about 30 minutes, depending on what you choose, but sometimes this is all you need to refresh, not just your skin, but your mind and body as well. As they say, happy mother, happy child!
(If you have very sensitive skin, especially eczema, it’s probably best not to visit this salon.)
⑫ Kawaramachi OPA
This shopping mall is just one minute from Hankyu Kawaramachi Station and perfect for shopping with or for children.
My favorite shops are Seria, a 100 yen shop full of fun toys, arts and crafts, and much more, and 3 Coins.
As the name suggests, 3 Coins offers many things, including fun children’s toys, for only 300 yen (or three 100 yen coins, plus tax). But always check the item, as I have noticed more and more items with a 1000 yen sticker on them. Over the years, I have bought many fun toys from here, and I’ve noticed that the quality is much better than 100 yen toys.
⑬ Sanrio Gallery
If you or your children like Hello Kitty or other Sanrio characters, then this is a great shop to visit. I bought a very cute character instant camera here, and my son loved it.
It’s a very popular store in Kawaramachi, so it can get very crowded at times.
⑭ Pokémon Centre Kyoto
Located close to Hankyu Karasuma Station along Kawaramachi, this Pokémon store is slightly smaller compared to other stores.
However, it’s unique in the fact that they incorporated the tradition and culture of Kyoto into a few designs and products, so it’s worth a quick visit.
⑮ H&M
There is an H&M clothing store not too far from the Disney store in Kawaramachi, which sells some nice baby and children’s clothes on the 4th and 5th floors. They have options like 100% Cotton or 50% Linen and 50% Cotton clothes, which are quite hard to find in Kyoto.
They have recycling boxes on the first floor, which is also pretty hard to find in Japan. So if you have any clothes worth recycling, bring them here and you will not only help the planet, but also get a ¥500 coupon to use in the store.
⑯ Kamogawa River
I saved my favourite place to go with children for last.
The Kamogawa River is close to Kawaramachi and is a wonderful spot to take a stroll with children. This is actually my child’s favourite place in Kawaramachi. There are walking spaces on both sides of the river, a few benches scattered here and there and plenty of space to sit down on the grass and enjoy the scenery.
Many beautiful koi fish can be seen in the river, as well as ducks and herons. My son loves to see the little ducklings swimming around in spring. There are sakura trees growing all along the river path, making it quite magical during the spring.
The river is home to many creatures, including the giant salamanders, nutria, herons, and sparrows, too. It is rare to see the salamanders and nutria these days, though, as they have moved further upstream, away from the increasing crowds.
But you can always take your family to the Kyoto Aquarium to see the Giant Salamanders and learn more about their life in the Kamogawa River.
During the summer, the restaurants along the river open outdoor dining terraces. This generally runs from May to October. While it’s beautiful, I have found that many restaurants have started charging ¥1000 extra or more just to sit outside and be eaten by mosquitoes or melt from the hot, humid summer days.
The view from the terrace is beautiful, but I think a walk along the riverbank is much nicer.
Where to Eat in Kawaramachi with Kids
Cafe&Meal Muji is one of my favourite places in Kawaramachi to have lunch with my son. We’ve been going here since he was a baby. I’ve noticed that some places don’t like food being brought into their restaurant, but if it’s baby food, then this cafe has no issues.
What I like most and why I recommend this cafe is that with every meal, there is a small sign showing the main allergens in each meal, and quite a few meals have none of the 28 allergens included in the meal. This is extremely helpful if you or your family has allergies, as many restaurants don’t even know if their food contains any allergens.
The ingredients used in meals are generally seasonal and locally sourced. The meals are also nutritious and healthy.
My son is also a big fan of Sushiro, which is a very affordable conveyor-belt chain restaurant.
Where to Stay in Kawamachi with Kids
I live close to Kawaramachi, so I can confidently say that it’s a great base for traveling families. There are plenty of buses and trains that will take you everywhere you need to go, not to mention shops and restaurants.
For family-friendly accommodation in Kawaramachi, read this article. (As mentioned earlier, though, try not to stay in this area during July as it’s exceptionally crowded during this time.)
More on Kyoto with Kids
Interested in more information about how to enjoy Kyoto with your family?
Then make sure to read our article about exploring Kyoto with kids, which is filled with my recommendations and tips as a mom living in Kyoto, as well as Kay’s!