Amazing experience! Dining On The River In “Kawadoko”
Kawadoko is a Kyoto style restaurant where the floor is placed over and beside a river to welcome customers in summer. Kawadoko is a special seasonal way of eating that helps to cool you down, usually available from May to September in Kyoto. This all started about 400 years ago during the Azuchi-Momoyama Period until the Edo Period. It began when establishments such as tea shops along the Kamogawa River would line up shogi or little folding stools, for people to enjoy the cool evening outdoors. There are three famous kawadoko areas in Kyoto: Kamogawa, Kibune and Takao. They all have their own special characteristics!
Perhaps the most famous is along the Kamo River (Kamogawa) that runs through Kyoto’s city center. Many restaurants take advantage of the summer heat to open their balconies to serve drinks and cocktails as well as all varieties of local traditional cuisine. Another is Kibune. Here the tatami floors are mere centimeters above the cold Kibune River and in the evenings, you share your dinner table with beautiful illuminations of Genji fireflies. Lastly, Takao is surrounded by beautiful Japanese nature, which change their colors each season. No matter the weather, regardless of the season, Takao is an area of glorious natural beauty because a meal at the restaurant is the perfect way to cool off from the summer heat! Usually, Kawadoko has seats where you can see a waterfall. The sound of water gushing flows with such a rhythm that it is soothing to the ears and gradually relaxes the mind.
Nagashi somen eating in Kawadoko is also incredibly popular. Being able to eat these chilled noodles while watching the water flow by is nothing short of a fancy experience. It is so popular there is often an hours-long wait. With many visitors from abroad, there are many tourists waiting while taking pictures. It is a delicious and luxurious experience that won't be easily found elsewhere.