Certainly a good way to impress that chick in a yukata you were talking to during the Gion matsuri.
… well, not really…
I am afraid being accurate in naming all the streets of central Kyoto from Marutamachi to Kyoto station won’t get you a phone number… it might get you a giggle though.
In fact, you will impress a Kyoto chick with this as much as your mentioning of all the characters of your Naruto or Pokemon or whatever anime it is that you are watching at the moment…
No amigo… in fact it doesn’t really have any other practical use outside of impressing other fellow foreigners who you will actually obliterate under your mighty pub ammo as in shut-up-I-know-everything-about-Kyoto-and-you-don’t and maybe earning you some respect out from that obachan at the store who thought you were just another tourist on your way back to Kansai airport.
So here it is. How do Kyoto people learn all the street names running from East to West starting from Marutamachi to Kyoto station:
They learn it at primary school.
With a song.
A children’s song.
A song called “Maru-Take-Ebisu” and which belongs to a group of songs known as “warabeuta” (童歌) which are taught to most Japanese children and, surprisingly (I thought they wouldn’t but they do) many Kyoto people do actually know the song or are at least familiar with it. By the way, this one is only “compulsory” taught in Kyoto so do be surprised if some other Japanese knows the whole lyrics.
First of all, a video which will serve me for illustration purposes:
Ah… pretty, isn’t it ?
And the important part. The lyrics:
| Maru | Marutamachi-dori | 丸田町通 (The Imperial Palace here) |
| Take | Takeyamachi-dori | 竹屋町通 |
| Ebisu | Ebisugawa-dori | 夷川通 |
| Ni | Nijo-dori | 二条通 (Nijo castle is on this street) |
| Oshi | Oshikoji-dori | 押小路通 |
| Oike | Oike-dori | 御池通 |
| Ane | Aneyakoji-dori | 姉小路通 |
| San | Sanjo-dori | 三条通 |
| Rokkaku | Rokkaku-dori | 六角通 |
| Tako | Takoyakushi-dori | 蛸薬師通 |
| Nishiki | Nishikikoji-dori | 錦小路通 |
| Shi | Shijo-dori | 四条通 |
| Aya | Ayanoko-dori | 綾小路通 |
| Butsu | Bukkoji-dori | 仏光寺通 |
| Taka | Takatsuji-dori | 高辻通 |
| Matsu | Matsubara-dori | 松原通 |
| Man | Manjuji-dori | 万寿寺通 |
| Gojo | Gojo-dori | 五条通 |
| Sekida | Sekidayamachi-dori | 雪駄屋町通 (as in Japanese sandals or “setta”. There used to be many setta makers on this street) |
| Chara | Kagiyamachi-dori | 鍵屋町通 (chara is the metallic sound of keys, kagi [鍵] = key) |
| Chara | Zeniyamachi-dori | 銭屋町通 (this time the metallic sound is for money, zeni [銭] = coins, money |
| Uonotana | Uonotanamachi-dori | 魚の棚町通 (this one is now known as Rokujo-dori [六条通]) |
| Rokujo | ||
| Shichijo | Shichijo-dori | 七条通 |
| torisugi | ||
| Santetsu | Santetsu-dori | 山哲通 (Kyoto station goes here) |
| Hachijo | Hachijo-dori | 八条通 |
| koereba | ||
| Toji michi | Toji-michi | 東寺道 |
| Kujo | Kujo-dori | 九条通 |
| Jujo | Jujo-dori | 十条通 |
| de todomesasu |
And yes, if you already knew this one is because you are a Kyoto pro (and I bow before thee), or you were born in Kyoto, or… more likely… you remember this song as it was featured on “Detective Conan”:
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