Kamogawa nōryō-yuka are temporary raised wooden dining platforms defined by a Kyoto Prefecture ordinance: along the right bank from Nijō to Gojō bridges, occupancy 1 May to 30 September, a single licensed occupant (the Kyoto Kamogawa Nōryō-yuka Cooperative), and rules on height, colour and bracing. There were 93 restaurants in 2012.
Why it's unique
This is a format with its own prefectural regulation: where the platforms may stand, when, who holds the licence and how they must be built. Osaka's Kitahama terraces are a modern imitation.
It is also a format residents use, not only visitors: in May and September many places serve lunch on the deck, and the cheapest ways in are a no-seat-charge restaurant deck or a café deck at lunch.
Before you go
On the Kamo it is yuka; Kibune and Takao's platforms over the stream itself are kawadoko, and locals use the words differently. In May and September many places serve lunch on the deck; in midsummer it is evenings only. Book, and don't cancel for rain: a yuka booking includes an indoor seat.
The cheapest way in is Tohka Saikan (no seat charge) or a café deck at lunch; the Starbucks at Sanjō Ōhashi has one with no booking. Many restaurants now run to 15 October, past the ordinance's 30 September. Prices vary by restaurant.
