Cool down this summer with a beer in Kyoto’s geisha district

KYOTO—On hot summer nights in the ancient capital, it’s possible to beat the heat with a mug of cold beer and a chat with glamorous geisha.

A beer garden opened in Kyoto’s Kamishichiken traditional entertainment district on July 1, as the mercury hit a sweltering 36.6 degrees.

Patrons spent the summer evening raising a glass of beer and enjoying a casual conversation with “geiko” (geisha) and “maiko,” their apprentices, in coordinated “yukata” cotton kimono.

“We will brave the hot weather and work hard to serve our guests,” said geisha Naokinu.

The beer garden at the Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theater will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Sept. 6. It will be closed on some days.

Kamishichiken, in Kyoto’s Kamigyo Ward, is the oldest among the city’s five “kagai” traditional entertainment districts.