ほんやら洞 (Honyarado) is a famous café on Imadegawa, that has been supplying coffee and cheap meals to nearby Doshisha University students for over thirty years. The owner, Kai Fusayoshi, is a very productive professional photographer and his prints and posters decorate the walls of the shop. Check out some of the books of his work littering the place. In black and white and with gentle humor he has documented the day-to-day life of ordinary people in Kyoto. His pictures have also documented the day-to-day life of ordinary Kyoto cats.
During the radical years of the peace movement, Honyarado became well-known as the “Folk Mecca” of Kyoto because of the musicians who gathered there and it is still occasionally a live music venue today. See the website for scheduled events and for the menu. Lunch and evening meals change daily and will set you back ¥600 and ¥700 respectively.
Honyarado is a delightfully, scruffy, cheerful place, piled up with books, flyers, postcards and all kinds of old, odd and interesting things that make wise people happy. To find it, go north on Teramachi, turn left onto Imadegawa, keep going and look out for it on your right. Here is a map. Open every day 11:00 am ~ 10:00 pm. Tel: 075-222-1574.
Back in the day, this was only place you could buy genuine whole-wheat bread as well- that is, full loaves to go.
16 Jan 2015
Honyarado burned down last night and I seem to remember that you used to like going there. – it is completely destroyed
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH1J2Q12H1JPLZB001.html
Hi Justin,
Yes, I did see that news. A great shame. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Shamus I remember that wonderful wholemeal bread- I think it was made by a gaijin who brought it from his home every week. Wonderful stuff. It was such a treat.
I loved this little café and some of my happiest memories of Kyoto from the late 80’s are from time spent around its old wooden tables. A place to meet friends and waste afternoons.