The Gion Neighborhood In Kyoto, The Home Of The ‘geishas’
Kyoto, despite its modern style, maintains much of the essence of the more traditional Japan. The Gion neighborhood, with its narrow streets lined by typical wooden houses, is the ideal setting to recreate the splendor of a bygone era. There you can walk with the representatives of the Japanese classical arts, the geishas .
The geisha quarter in Kyoto
Gion is one of the best known geisha neighborhoods in all of Japan. In 1881 the neighborhood was divided into two: Gion Kobu and Gion Higashi. The Gion Kobu neighborhood area is the larger of the two and has a large number of tea houses. In them it is common to find maiko , apprentices of geiko , working and serving customers.
Despite the clear evolution of Kyoto, with its concrete streets, nightclubs, souvenir shops and pachinko rooms , the Gion neighborhood continues to devoutly preserve its most traditional elements. It is full of tea houses and ryokan or traditional lodgings, as well as stalls and restaurants serving local cuisine.
The geiko and the maiko , the geishas of the Gion neighborhood.
The geishas , called geiko in Kyoto city are devoted to traditional Japanese arts artists. Several of these disciplines are music and dance, literature, theater and the tea ceremony. They are arts that need years of preparation to achieve perfection.
To value geisha as a representative figure of the land of the rising sun, misconceptions and preconceptions in the West must be erased. Ideas spread through movies and novels in which they are equated with a luxury prostitute.
In the Gion neighborhood there are several hanamachi : houses and schools for the training of geiko. In them, the maiko receive the training that will turn them into geiko after years of practice. They will also attend ceremonies and festivities where their presence is required.
The high number of tea houses in the Gion neighborhood makes it possible to be cared for by one of these ladies of traditional refinement. A quick way to differentiate maiko from geiko is through their kimonos and makeup. Unlike the geiko , the maiko wear more striking kimonos and makeup in more vivid tones.
Finding a geiko in the Gion neighborhood is almost impossible, since they are transported by private car to their places of work. However, we will be able to see the maiko walking around the tea houses where they carry out their practices.
Places of interest in the Gion district
The Gion neighborhood has many corners worthy of being admired. Among all of them, we have made a small selection of the places of greatest tourist interest.
The Shirakawa Channel
Before crossing the bridge that takes us to the Shirawaka canal, you can see streets full of lanterns that adorn the trees and buildings. In this area there are several restaurants serving typical Kyoto cuisine or kaiseki-ryori .
Already in the Shirakawa canal, we will find a memorial to Yoshii Isamu, a famous poet. If you travel in spring, this is one of the best areas to enjoy hanami.
The Gion Corner Theater
This theater has a large exhibition hall. Designed to accommodate tourists, it holds demonstrations to explain traditional Japanese arts and ceremonies. These include the tea ceremony, ikebana or flower arrangement, puppet theater and traditional dances performed by the maiko .
Yaska Shrine
This shrine, also known as the Gion Shrine, is one of the oldest in the city of Kyoto. Built in 656, it stands out for its spectacular nishiromon or entrance door and its honden or main hall.
In addition, performances are held in the outdoor area surrounding the shrine or Buden . It is open 24 hours a day and it is common to meet maiko and some geiko .
