Gion & Hanamikoji

Gion grew up in the Middle Ages around the gate of Yasaka Shrine, serving pilgrims with tea and food, and by the Edo period it had become the most famous entertainment quarter in Japan. It remains the heart of Kyoto's geisha world — here they are called geiko, and their apprentices maiko — who live and train in the district and entertain at exclusive ochaya teahouses. Its spine is Hanamikoji Street, which runs south from Shijo-dori between rows of beautifully preserved machiya townhouses with dark wooden lattices, bamboo blinds and paper lanterns; the teahouses here have entertained guests for centuries, and the restaurants serve some of the finest kaiseki in the city. North of Shijo, the Shirakawa area is the district at its most romantic: a willow-lined canal, stone-paved Shinbashi-dori, and the little Tatsumi Bridge, where wedding couples pose for photographs. At the eastern end of Shijo-dori, the vermilion gate of Yasaka Shrine marks the entrance to the shrine that gives the district its name and organizes the Gion Matsuri every July, one of Japan's greatest festivals. The shrine is free and open at all hours, and its hundreds of lanterns make it beautiful after dark. Gion is free to explore, and at dusk, as the lanterns are lit and taxis deliver guests to the teahouses, it remains one of the most atmospheric places in Japan. But it is a living residential neighborhood, not a theme park, and the rules for visitors have tightened.

The rules matter. In recent years the district's residents have grown exasperated with visitors chasing maiko for photographs, blocking doorways and trespassing, and the local council has responded. The narrow private alleys branching off Hanamikoji are now closed to tourists, with signs warning of a 10,000-yen fine for entering without permission or photographing on these private streets. Hanamikoji itself is a public road and remains open, but it carries traffic, so do not walk in the middle of it. Above all, never stop, follow or photograph geiko and maiko without permission — Kyoto's official tourism body says plainly that it is prohibited, and posting identifiable photos online can violate their portrait rights. Do not set up tripods, touch the lanterns or lean on the fences of teahouses. Treat the district as you would someone's home street, and it will reward you.

The best way to see Gion is at dusk on a weekday. Start at Yasaka Shrine, walk west along Shijo, turn south onto Hanamikoji to look at the teahouses, then cross back north to the Shirakawa canal and Shinbashi-dori as the lanterns come on. Continue across the river to Pontocho, the narrow alley of restaurants and bars along the Kamo River, where many places set up raised dining platforms over the water from May to September. If you want to see the geiko arts, the right way is through official performances: the spring dances, when each of Kyoto's geisha districts stages its own seasonal program, and the regular shows aimed at visitors that present tea ceremony, dance and music. A meal or a private engagement with a geiko through a reputable agency or hotel concierge is expensive, but it is the only way to experience a teahouse evening.

By day, Gion is the base for the Higashiyama walk. From Yasaka Shrine, walk through Maruyama Park, Kyoto's famous cherry-blossom park, to Nene-no-michi, Kodai-ji temple, the lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka and on to Kiyomizu-dera; the route works equally well in reverse, ending in Gion for dinner. Kennin-ji, Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, with its spectacular ceiling dragons and gardens, sits just south of Hanamikoji and is a calm retreat from the crowds. Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan line and Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu line are a few minutes' walk from the district.