Gion & Hanamikoji Street
祇园与花见小路
Kyoto's most famous geisha district: the teahouses and machiya of Hanamikoji Street, the stone bridges and willows of Shirakawa, Yasaka Shrine, and chances to spot geisha and maiko at dusk.
Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, centered on Shijo-dori. On both its north and south sides, well-preserved Edo-period machiya teahouses line the streets. Hanamikoji is the main street, running south from Shijo-dori to Kennin-ji Temple. Both sides are lined with lattice windows, red-walled houses and warm noren curtains, along with high-end ryotei restaurants. Ichiriki-tei is the most famous, and it does not accept casual visitors. Around 6 p.m., you may see geisha and maiko heading to banquets, but please do not chase them with your camera. Photography is banned in the private alleys off Hanamikoji, and violators face a ¥10,000 fine. The main street itself is fine to photograph. North of Shijo-dori, the Gion Shirakawa area, along Shinbashi and Tatsumi bridges, is the most beautiful corner of the district. Its stream, willows, stone paths and machiya make it especially lovely when the cherry trees are lit at night in spring. The east end of Shijo-dori is Yasaka Shrine, the main shrine of the Gion Festival. Admission is free, and it is especially beautiful when the lanterns light up at night. Behind the shrine, Maruyama Park is one of Kyoto's best places for night cherry blossoms. From there, you can walk south to Kodai-ji and then Ninenzaka to Kiyomizu-dera. Experiences in Gion include Gion Corner, which offers a condensed show of tea ceremony, dance and more for about ¥5,500. In April, the Miyako Odori is performed at the Gion Kōbu Kaburenjo. There are also matcha dessert shops such as Tsujiri Chaya and Kagizen Yoshimune. Across the Kamo River, Pontocho and its riverside kawayuka dining platforms, which operate from May to September, are worth a visit. Getting there: Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan Line and Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Line are both a 5-minute walk away, and the city bus stops at Gion. It is best to arrive before dusk and have dinner in Gion or Pontocho after your stroll. Notes: do not touch or block geisha and maiko. Most machiya are private homes, so do not enter them or lean on them for photos. During the Gion Festival, Shijo-dori is closed to traffic.
Opening hours
Open all day (Yasaka Shrine open all day)