If you're traveling to Japan at the end of December with dreams of Japanese cuisine and the belief that you’ll 'just find something open', this article is for you.
During the nenmatsu nenshi - year-end, year-start - period, Japan is ceremonial and faintly conspiratorial. Families gather. Temple bells are rung 108 times. People line up at shrines for hatsumode, their first shrine visit of the year.
And many restaurants, cafes and supermarkets bow to the calendar, lock the doors from December 29 and keep them closed till around January 3.
If you're heading to the gastronomic city of Kyoto at this time of the year, it can be distressing. The good news is that you can still eat well over New Year's Eve and the first days of the New Year. You just need to know where to look, what to book in advance and when to appreciate a convenience store onigiri.
The New Year Holiday: Japan's Big Break
In Japan, the New Year holiday is not just a public holiday. It is the holiday.
While Christmas is largely a commercial and social event, New Year is when much of the usual activity comes to a standstill. Offices close. Stores run on reduced hours or shut their doors entirely. People return to their hometowns. Home kitchens switch from daily meals to osechi, the carefully prepared New Year dishes traditionally meant to last a few days so nobody has to cook.
For restaurants, especially independently run ones, this is the one guaranteed break of the year. Staff want to go home. Suppliers stop deliveries. Markets close or slow down. Even the most beloved restaurants will submit to the call of a mother or grandmother who would like everyone to come over and have ozoni.
The typical closure window runs from around December 29 or 30 through January 3. Restaurants open on December 31 will often shorten their hours. From January 2, there will be a gradual return, with some places waiting until January 5 to resume operations fully.
Kyoto Dining: Where to Find Food from Dec 30 - Jan 2
Before we recommend specific restaurants, here are four strategies for dining in Kyoto at this time of the year.
Stay at a Ryokan or Hotel with In-House Dining
Ryokan inns and larger hotels offer dinner and breakfast packages designed for the New Year period, with many featuring Kyoto-style kaiseki.
If food security is important to you, this is the least stressful option. It also neatly solves the New Year’s Eve dinner question, when many standalone restaurants close early.
Even if you're staying in accommodation without in-house dining, you can always have your meals at hotels that keep their Western and Japanese restaurants running.
Look to Chain Restaurants
Chain stores, especially those in railway stations, malls and department stores,are more likely to stay open.
Their business hours may be shortened but these eateries tend to reopen sooner than small neighborhood spots.
This article leaves out fast food and national chain restaurants but it’s worth remembering that they exist if hunger strikes on January 1 and a cheese burger starts to look like an acceptable start to the new year.
Book Fine-Dining Restaurants Early
Larger high-end Japanese restaurants sometimes stay open over the New Year, taking their break later in January instead.
The catch is that availability is limited and seats at popular restaurants fill early. If you’re hoping for a fine-dining experience, especially one involving traditional Japanese cuisine, book well ahead.
Make Peace with Convenience Stores
Japanese convenience stores are open year-round and are remarkably reliable.
If all else fails, you can assemble a perfectly respectable meal from the carbs - onigiri, noodles and sandwiches - simmered dishes, salads and desserts on offer. Just think of it as field research into a core feature of modern Japanese life.
Department store food such as bentos is also an option when the shops reopen, usually on January 2 or 3. Just watch out for the crowds descending on the New Year sales - or join in the scrum.
What's Open in Kyoto Over the New Year
The following Kyoto restaurants open for at least two days between December 31 and January 3 - and are also recommended for other times of the year.
They lean local, casual to mid-range, and fly relatively under the radar. The opening hours may change, so always check before visiting.
Kyoto Station Area: Busy and Blessed With Options
Sepporai (Kyoto Station & Kyoto Tower)
Kyoto Station branch: 11:00-23:00
Kyoto Tower branch: 17:00-23:30; 17:00-23:00 (Sundays); 16:00-23:00 (Jan 1-4). Last order 30 minutes before closing.
If you want Kyoto-style cuisine without a scavenger hunt, Sepporai is for you.
Both branches - at Kyoto Station and Kyoto Tower - stay open throughout the New Year period, which puts them in rare company.
The menu leans toward Kyoto cuisine, with set courses available alongside a la carte options.
Reservations are accepted and, during the holiday period, highly recommended. If you'd like a private room, book over the phone. The two branches run on different schedules so double-check the location before making a reservation.
Minoru Dining (Kyoto Porta)
Closed on Dec 31; Jan 1-2: 11:00-21:00
Located in the B1 West Area of the Kyoto Porta mall - the side of Kyoto Station with all the bus stops - Minoru Dining offers tasty set meals with a focus on Kyoto produce.
It closes on December 31 but opens on January 1 and 2 with slightly shorter hours. Expect queues at peak times.
If you’re navigating Kyoto Station on New Year’s Day and need something reassuring, filling and unmistakably Japanese, it's hard to go wrong with this.
Ramen no Bonbo (Near Keihan Shichijo Station)
Dec 31 - Jan 8: 10:00-15:00 (usually closes at 23:00)
Ramen no Bonbo is open throughout the holiday period, albeit with reduced hours.
This ramen eatery specializes in a rich chicken and pork bone soup paired with thin, Kyoto-made noodles. The fried chicken is also popular, which may be useful information on January 1.
Conveniently located near the Keihan Shichijo Station and 15 minutes away on foot from Kyoto Station, it’s a practical lunch option when many restaurants remain closed and your tolerance for uncertainty is low.
Chishakuin Saryo Kikyo (Temple Dining and High Japanese Culture)
Cafe: 10:00-20:00
Lunch menu: 11:00-14:30
Dinner menu: 17:00-20:00 (last order: 19:30)
This restaurant on the grounds of Chishakuin Temple stays opens for lunch, tea and dinner throughout the New Year period: an act of bodhisattva-class compassion.
A range of set meals is available - consider trying the restaurant's shojin ryori, traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine also suitable for vegans.
You can combine your meal with sightseeing - try to fit in a visit to the temple garden associated with tea master Sen no Rikyu and the gallery displaying gold-leaf paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku and his school.
Central Kyoto & Kawaramachi Area: Breakfast, Soba and Sake Salvation
Bakery & Dining 603 at Kyono Mori Yurinsha Hotel
Open: 8:00-20:00
Hidden behind ivy in a narrow alley, Bakery & Dining 603 feels like a secret even when it’s open.
Operating from December 31 through January 2, this bakery-cafe is excellent for breakfast, brunch, tea or takeout. Inside, white plaster walls and wooden furniture create a space with distinct Nordic influences.
The bagels range from the familiar to delightfully Japanese flavors, including yuzu and chocolate and walnut with white miso filling. The brunch plate is particularly welcome on a cold January morning when many cafes remain closed.
And if Labubu drops by for a wholewheat bagel filled with homemade red bean paste, well, that's just the magic of the ivy.
Soba no Mi Yoshimura (multiple locations)
Dec 31
Gojo branch: 11:00-15:30 (last order); 16:30-20:45 (last order)
Daimaru branch: 11:00-17:30 (last order)
Arashiyama branch: 11:00-17:00 (last order)
Jan 1: Closed
Jan 2
Gojo branch: 11:00-16:00 (last order: 16:00; limited menu from 14:30-16:00); 17:00-20:45 (last order)
Arashiyama branch: 11:00-17:00 (last order)
A traditional Japanese New Year food, soba is eaten to break off the hardships of the old year and to wish for a life as long as long noodles.
Soba no Mi Yoshimura operates multiple branches in Kyoto and keeps varying hours on December 31 and January 2. Opening times differ by location, so checking ahead is essential.
At the Gojo branch, diners can watch soba being made by hand. The menu includes classic soba dishes, seasonal items and buckwheat desserts. Eating soba here on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day feels culturally appropriate without being overwhelmed by formality.
Stars’ Sake Salon (south of Kyoto Imperial Palace)
Dec 31 - Jan 4: 13:00-19:00
Closed on December 30 but open from December 31 through January 4, Stars’ Sake Salon is a refuge in the middle of the city, an island of calm after the New Year bustle at shrines and other attractions.
Run by a chef with experience in Japanese, Italian and French restaurants, the dishes reflect a thoughtful blend of cuisines that pairs well with the drink menu. (A standout from a recent visit: grilled iwashi stuffed with pollock roe.) The sake selection is broad and well-curated, as is the range of glassware, lacquerware and ceramics.
If you want to ring in the New Year gently, this is the place to sit, sip and nibble.
Jam + Sake Bar (near the Kamo River)
Dec 31: 15:00-2:00
Jan 1: 12:00-20:30
Jan 2-4: 12:00-23:00
For those who prefer to fuel their New Year’s Eve with adult beverages, Jam + Sake Bar stays open until 2am on December 31.
The sake range is wide and the staff, knowledgeable. It’s an easy stop if you’ve been sightseeing in the Gion geisha district or plan to visit a shrine at midnight (Yasaka Jinja is located about 10 minutes away on foot).
This is not a rowdy bar. It’s a place where the staff offer recommendations based on your preferences, conversations can be struck up with the people around you and the New Year arrives without shouting.
Yes, You Can Eat Well in Kyoto Over New Year
Kyoto over the New Year can feel paradoxical. The city is full of people, the temples and shrines are alive with ritual and yet there are few places to eat.
But with a little planning, a willingness to adjust expectations and knowledge of where doors remain open, you can still dine well.
Even if the restaurant world and its aunty seem to have gone on holiday, Kyoto still welcomes those who pay attention - and shows them to a table.
Text and restaurant photos by Janice Tay