Gion (Geisha district), Kyoto

Whilst we were unsuccessful in locating any Geishas in early evening in Gion, we were quite surprised when we went down Pontocho alley (a small alleyway lined with teahouses and traditional restaurants)around 6-7pm due to the amount of Geisha/Maiko we saw moving from one teahouse to another within the space of about 10-15 mins however the difficult thing is taking a picture. The only warning sign you get is the clip clop of the wooden clogs so you need to listen very carefully, they move very fast and so quickly the photo opportunity has gone. To get a picture you need to be both patient and lucky, quite crazily it almost feels like you are a member of the paparazzi.

The Gion district is across the river from the main downtown. It's a beautiful well-preserved area which has kept the same atmosphere for a long time. There are numerous temples in that small area and the many stoned paved roads lined up with tiny inns, restaurants and shops.

Although it's supposed to be the Geisha district, I haven't seen many. This aspect is overrated.

When you walk in Gion quite likely you will encounter geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha ). Modern Kyoto geisha often still live in traditional geisha houses called okiya. A geisha's appearance evolves throughout her career, from heavily made up maiko, to the more subtle look of an older, more established geisha. The colorful kimonos and obi are fascinating, along with the extravagant makeup. What goes into making and choosing and putting on the attire and makeup is complex, and described at length in web sites devoted to that.

Depending on where they are walking in public, they can draw a lot of attention. It may seem a little weird, with so many people trying to take photos, but hopefully no offense is taken by the subjects. At the Nishijin Textile Center you can see models showing different types of dress in frequent shows. The web link below has information on it.

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People watching, or just soak in the atmosphere of the tradtional houses along your walk to the Kiyomizu temple. As you make your way up the rickety steps, and pop in to the tourist souvenir shops lining the path now and then, look around you and feel the old culture.

About evening time, around 6pm, people start queuing up to see the Kiyomizu temple lighgted up at night. There's a different admission fee charged for you to see the lights. Me? I cn't stand the queue. Too much like those kiasu Singaporean queues..

The Gion street area's a small road leading from the main street somewhere in the middle of Shijo street. There's a horse betting shop along that small street. From there, you can reach the hilly area to Kiyomizu temple after crossing the road.

Gion is the place to go around 6 or 7 pm, when there is a good chance to get one or two glimpes of (mostly) maikos on their way to appointments. We heard from other people it wouldn't be self-evident to see one and that it needs some luck, so we were very excited when the first maiko appeared. She wasn't the last, though! It was fantastic to see an important and old part of the Japanese traditions. Sometimes I felt like papparazzi, but if you want to take home some beautiful pictures you have to put this feeling aside! ;-)
Gion itself has maintained much of its historical beauty despite the modern architecture and the congested traffic. To outsiders, it remains mysterious and we kept wondering what was hidden behind the closed wooden doors with the divided curtains.

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The GION District of Kyoto is the most exclusive geisha district in Japan.

This is where you go to try and get a glimpse of a Geisha or Maiko ( a Geisha in training).

Even if you do not succed in spotting a Geisha a walk through the GION is a must.

Best time is from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm on a sunny day. Geisha's come out later.

A tripod for your camera would help and wide angle lenses are a benefit.

Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. To experience the traditional Gion, stroll along Hanami-koji, a street lined by beautiful old buildings, teahouses and restaurants. In the evenings, you may be able to spot a geisha apprentice.

Yasaka Shrine and the Minamiza kabuki theater are some of Gion's other attractions.

It provides an interesting selection of various traditional arts - from the tea ceremony to ancient court music. One of my friend, Sawako, was performing in the Gion Corner on the Monday night I was in Kyoto. So happy & interesting to see this cultual event.

This is a postcard of the Gion Corner. See my travelogues for more pictures and the explanation of the program.
There are at least 7 performances in Gion Corner. (1) Tea Ceremony (2) Koto Music (3) Flower Arrangement (4) Gagaku (5) Kyogen (6) Kyomai (7) Bunraku