Gion, Kyoto
October 9, 2014
I knew that coming back from our tour of Nara, we would still have a few hours to go to Gion, the famous Geisha district.
Pointing to a map, I asked our cab driver to take us to the Yasaka-jinja Shrine. Also known as the Gion Shrine, it is open 24/7 and is beautifully illuminated at night.
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| Yasaka-jinja Shrine or Gion Shrine is always open and beautifully lit at night. |
I was told that while it is always open, there might not be enough light to enjoy the gardens of the shrine grounds at night. Alan and I were content with just gazing at the Gion Shrine and taking photographs of it.
It started to drizzle but that didn't deter us from strolling around the town. We came prepared with our folding umbrellas. We continued down the streets of Gion to look for a place to eat. In the process, I secretly hoped for a geisha or maiko sighting.
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| Traditional architecture around the streets of Gion |
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| It started to drizzle as we were exploring around the Gion district. |
From what I've read, the Gion District was developed to accommodate those who are visiting the Yasaka-jinja Shrine. Soon it became one of the most popular geisha districts in Japan.
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| Walking around Shijo Avenue |
Though we didn't run into a geisha, we were delighted with other fun things to see like the traditional building architecture, upscale shops, specialty restaurants, and other interesting finds.
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| This is the closest thing to a geisha that we found in the Gion District. |
This story continued from Illuminations and part of a series of travel adventure stories about Japan.
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