What to Buy at Nishiki Market, Kyoto: An Award-Winning Gin and a Chef's Knife

If you are wondering what to buy at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, the two things worth carrying home are a bottle of Fuka's Hanase botanical gin and a knife from Aritsugu. Fuka's VALLEY OF FLOWERS range — built on botanicals foraged in the Hanase hills north of the city — took a Gold medal for its kuromoji (spicebush) spirit at the 2026 Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition, with two Silvers alongside it; a 500ml bottle of the gold-winning Kuromoji is ¥6,300 at 47% ABV. Aritsugu has forged knives on the same covered arcade since 1560. Both shops sit on Nishiki Market a short walk apart, so you can do the pair in one visit.

I first came across the VALLEY OF FLOWERS range through someone involved in the project; the medals described below are the competition's own.

The Two Nishiki Picks at a Glance

Fuka's Hanase Gin: A Kyoto Craft Spirit With a 2026 Gold Medal

VALLEY OF FLOWERS is Fuka's own line of botanical spirits, distilled around plants sourced from Hanase (花脊), a small forestry and craft village in the northern hills of Kyoto. Three expressions each lead with one Japanese botanical: kuromoji (Japanese spicebush), kumazasa (a mountain sasa bamboo grass), and fukinotou (the bitter early-spring butterbur bud). At the 2026 Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition — Asia's largest spirits contest by number of entries — Fuka's three Hanase spirits took one Gold and two Silver between them (results announced May 2026, checked July 2026): Gold for the kuromoji, and Silver each for the kumazasa and the fukinotou. The gold-winning Kuromoji is ¥6,300 for a 500ml bottle at 47% ABV. Kuromoji is a good one to start with: the botanical is the aromatic spicebush twig long used in traditional Japanese tea and in high-grade toothpicks, so it carries a woody, citrus-edged character that is distinctly Japanese rather than juniper-forward like a London dry gin.

What makes it a good souvenir is that you cannot really get it anywhere else: it is sold at Fuka's shop inside Nishiki Market. Fuka is a Kyoto nama-fu (fresh wheat gluten) house first, and its Nishiki store doubles as one of the better small food select-shops on the arcade, worth a browse for gifts beyond the gin. Fuka is also the Kyoto house behind Kajitsu, the Michelin-starred shojin (Buddhist vegetarian) restaurant it ran in New York until it closed in 2022 — which tells you something about the standard it holds itself to.

Aritsugu: A Chef's Knife From a Blacksmith Working Since 1560

A few doors along the same arcade, Aritsugu has been making blades since 1560 — it began by forging for the imperial court and moved into kitchen knives during the Edo period. It is one of the shops professional chefs make a point of visiting in Kyoto. Buy a knife and staff will hand-engrave your name into the blade on the spot, and Aritsugu offers free sharpening and repair for the working life of a knife that has been used properly. A carbon-steel gyuto or a smaller petty knife is the classic first pick; tell the staff what you cook and they will steer you to the right blade. A gyuto is the versatile all-rounder, a nakiri suits mostly-vegetable cooking, and a petty knife is the compact one that travels home most easily. I have used an Aritsugu petty knife for twenty years and still take it back to the shop to be re-sharpened — the lifetime-care promise is not marketing copy.

Doing Both in One Nishiki Market Stop

Nishiki Market is the covered arcade that runs east to west just north of Shijo, an easy walk from the Shijo-Kawaramachi and Karasuma intersections downtown. Locals have called it "Kyoto's Kitchen" for some four centuries, and because it is roofed the whole way it doubles as a reliable rainy-afternoon stop. Aritsugu and Fuka are both on it, a short walk apart, so the natural move is to buy the knife first and pick up the gin on the way out. If you are basing yourself downtown, our Kawaramachi hotels guide covers the closest places to stay, and our Kyoto area guide helps if you are still choosing a base.

Two practical notes for getting them home. A knife has to travel in checked luggage — it will be taken from you if it is in your carry-on. A 47% spirit is fine to fly with, but it also belongs in checked baggage: alcohol between 24% and 70% ABV is allowed up to 5 litres per person in unopened retail packaging, so the 500ml bottle is well within the limit. You just cannot take it through the security checkpoint in your cabin bag unless you buy a sealed bottle after the checkpoint.

The Three Hanase Expressions Compared

A knife and a bottle come home in your bag. A made-to-measure pair of zori does not: at Gion Naito, a Kyoto footwear maker trading since 1897 and now in its fifth generation, the pair took three to four months and arrived by post long after we had flown home. What a custom zori fitting is actually like covers the appointment, which is the part a visitor can plan for.

Trip Essentials for Kyoto

Things worth booking before you land, all in English:

• eSIM — Airalo's Japan eSIM: install it at home and data works as soon as you switch off airplane mode at Kansai Airport.
• Airport transfer — Klook covers bus, train, and private transfers from Kansai Airport.
• Luggage storage — arriving before check-in? Radical Storage takes bags at shops near Kyoto Station for a flat daily rate.
• Tickets and day trips — Klook covers Arashiyama activities, tea ceremonies, and Nara day trips; booking ahead skips the ticket-window line.

FAQ: Buying Hanase Gin and a Knife at Nishiki Market

Where can I buy Hanase gin in Kyoto?

Fuka's VALLEY OF FLOWERS Hanase spirits are sold at Fuka's shop inside Nishiki Market in central Kyoto. The shop is a Kyoto nama-fu (fresh wheat gluten) maker and food select-shop, an easy walk from the Shijo-Kawaramachi downtown intersection. The gold-winning Kuromoji bottle is ¥6,300 for 500ml at 47% ABV.

What botanicals is Fuka's Hanase gin made with?

The range is built on plants from Hanase, a forestry village in the hills north of Kyoto. Each of the three expressions leads with one botanical: kuromoji (Japanese spicebush), kumazasa (a mountain sasa bamboo grass), and fukinotou (butterbur bud). The kuromoji expression won Gold at the 2026 Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition, with the other two taking Silver.

Can I bring a knife and a bottle of spirits home on the plane?

Yes, but both must go in checked luggage. A knife will be confiscated at security if it is in your carry-on. A 47% spirit is allowed in checked baggage up to 5 litres per person in its retail packaging, so a 500ml bottle is fine — it just cannot go in the cabin unless you buy a sealed one after the security checkpoint.

Where are Fuka and Aritsugu in Nishiki Market?

Both are on the Nishiki Market covered arcade, which runs east to west just north of Shijo in central Kyoto, a short walk apart. Aritsugu is the knife and kitchenware shop; Fuka is the fu maker and food select-shop that carries the Hanase gin. You can visit both in a single stop.

Information audit: Last fact-checked July 2026 · Prices checked July 2026 (all rates are “from” floors that vary by season) · How this guide was researched: hotel facilities, prices and access details are verified against official and primary sources; we have not personally stayed at every property listed. The author was born in Kyoto · How this site verifies information: About NipponStays.