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Gion Review

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Gion

Address: Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto

Category: Neighborhoods/Streets
Location: Higashiyama-ku

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Fodor's Review:

This is the legendary haunt of geisha, or geiko, as they are called in the ancient capital. In the early evening, in the glow of teahouse lanterns, you can see them scurrying along the cobbled backstreets on their high geta, white-faced, on the way to their appointments. In their wake their maiko follow—the young apprentice geisha identified by the longer sleeves of their kimonos.

The culture of the geisha and ochaya (teahouse) developed in the 16th and 17th century, partly due to the banning of women from the Kabuki stage, which remains unchanged. Female performers channeled their artistic talents, including singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, into entertaining the male patrons of teahouses. The heart of the district is on Hanami-koji-dori. Heading north, the street intersects with Shinmonzen-dori, which is famous for its antiques shops and art galleries. Here you can find collectors' items—at collectors' prices—which make for interesting browsing, if not buying. The shops on Shijo-dori, which parallels Shinmonzen-dori to the south, carry slightly more affordable paraphernalia of the geisha world, from handcrafted hair ornaments to incense to parasols.

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