Ponto-chō, Entertainment district in Downtown Kyoto, Japan

Ponto-chō is a narrow paved alley between main street and riverbank in Nakagyō Ward, Kyoto. The wooden buildings stand close together, their facades show dark timber and paper lanterns mark the entrances to restaurants and teahouses.

The alley formed in 1670 on a narrow strip of land along the western bank of the Kamo River after an expansion of the riverbed. The timber buildings from later centuries remained largely unchanged, as the narrow width prevented larger new construction.

The name is commonly linked to Portuguese "ponte" (bridge), written with kanji used only for sound. The district crest, a stylized water plover (chidori), was devised in 1872 for the first Kamogawa Odori; lanterns painted with the bird hang at shop fronts along the lane.

The alley is quiet during the day and becomes busier after dark when lanterns light the entrances. Many establishments prefer reservations and some require an introduction by a known guest.

The district's crest is a stylized water plover, or chidori, devised in 1872 for the first Kamogawa Odori. Lanterns painted with the bird hang at shopfronts along the lane. The Kaburenjō theatre at the Sanjō end, completed in 1927 to a design by Ōbayashi-gumi's Kimura Tokusaburō, carries Chinese dance-mask onigawara tiles on its roof as guardian figures.