Sanjō Street（三条通 さんじょうどおり sanjō dōri[1]）is a major street that crosses the center of the city of Kyoto from east to west, running from Shinomiya in the Yamashina-ku ward (east) to the vicinity of the Tenryū-ji in Arashiyama (west).[2]
The street corresponds to the Sanjō Ōji street of the Heian-kyō, being at that time 30 meters wide.[3] During the Muromachi period the Sanjō Bridge was constructed in order to facilitate the crossing of military horses.[2] During the Edo period the Sanjō Bridge became the final point of the 53 stations of the Tōkaidō, being separated from Edo by a distance of 490 km.[4] After the Meiji period several western style buildings were constructed along the street, many remaining to this day.[2]
Nowadays the street is a popular destination for both locals and visitors, as it hosts a large number of stores, shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as many historical buildings. It is also part of the route of the Kankō-sai procession part of the Gion Matsuri, held the 24th of July every year.[3]
