Tired of Temple Walking? Why Stand-Up Comedy is Kyoto's Best Evening Escape

You have walked Fushimi Inari, queued at Kinkaku-ji and photographed more moss than you thought possible. By 7pm your legs are done, the temples are closed, and the question arrives: what is there to actually do in Kyoto at night?

A different side of the city

Kyoto Comedy runs live English stand-up in Pontocho, the narrow lantern-lit alley between Kawaramachi and the Kamo River. It is a five-minute walk from Gion and about 45 minutes from Osaka. Instead of another set menu dinner, you get a room of locals, long-term residents and travellers laughing at the same jokes about life in Japan.

What a night looks like

doors open at 19:00 and the show starts at 20:00. Comedians from Kyoto, elsewhere in Japan and around the world talk about cultural misunderstandings, convenience stores, trains, relationships, and the wonderfully strange experience of living here. Shows run around two hours with a break.

Free entry, pay what you feel

Weekly Saturday shows are free entry — pay what you feel. We ask that you buy at least one drink to support Ki Bar, and whatever you choose to give goes to the performers and to building Kyoto's English-speaking comedy scene.

How to come along

Reserve a seat through the RSVP button on our shows page. The room is small, so booking ahead is the safest way to get in. Ticketed special shows with touring headliners are listed on the same page.