Gion is probably the most famous district of Kyoto, Japan, that was originally developed in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan. The term Gion is related to Jetavana, that itself was one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries in India.
This neighborhood in Kyoto houses two hanamachi, or geiko districts: Gion Kobu and Gion Higashi. The two were originally the same district but split many years ago. Gion Kobu is larger, occupying most of the district including the famous street Hanamikoji, while Gion Higashi is smaller and occupies the northeast corner, centered on its rehearsal hall. Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last hundred years, the area is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.
The “geisha” in Kyoto do not refer to themselves as “geisha”; instead, they use the local term geiko. While the term geisha means “artist” or “person of the arts”, the more direct term geiko means essentially “a woman of art”.
Nowadays, part of Gion district has been declared a national historical preservation district. Recently, the City of Kyoto completed a project to restore the streets of Gion, which included such plans as moving all overhead utilities underground as part of the ongoing effort to preserve the original beauty of Gion.
©JNTO: this video is the property of Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) that owns the video´s copyright.
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