Gion 祇園
Geisha & entertainment district
Kyōto’s most famous geisha district, Gion is full of shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain.
It’s the area around Shijō Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west.
The most popular part of Gion is Hanami-koji, an atmospheric street leading south from Shijō-dōri to Kenninji Temple. Here you’ll find exclusive (and expensive!) teahouses and restaurants where geiko entertain.
If you spot a geiko or maiko on their way to or from an engagement, do not hassle them. There have been complaints about foreign tourists acting like bad-mannered paparazzi! And keep in mind that even if a woman looks like a geiko to you, she may be an Asian tourist who has paid ¥5,000 yen to be dressed up like one!
To learn more about geisha, go to a geisha performance.
Gion Matsuri takes place over the month of July, with the biggest day being on the 17th.