Gion
祇園ぎおんGionTeahouses, geiko and the shrine town of Yasaka
Gion is the historic entertainment district of Kyoto between the Kamo River and Yasaka Shrine, the city's best-known hanamachi (geiko quarter), where wooden teahouses, the Minamiza theatre and the Shirakawa canal preserve the townscape of the Edo period.
Overview
Gion is not an administrative unit but a historic quarter in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward. It is usually taken to mean the streets east of the Kamo River on both sides of Shijō-dōri, running up to the vermilion west gate of Yasaka Shrine, with Shinbashi and the Shirakawa canal to the north and Hanamikoji and Kennin-ji to the south. The name comes from Gion-sha, the older name of Yasaka Shrine, around whose gates the district grew.
From the Edo period Gion developed from teahouses serving shrine pilgrims into the most famous of Kyoto's five hanamachi, the quarters where geiko (as geisha are called in Kyoto) and apprentice maiko entertain at private banquets in ochaya teahouses. Two of the five are here: Gion Kōbu, centred on Hanamikoji, and the smaller Gion Higashi. The lattice-fronted townhouses, bamboo screens and stone-paved lanes of Shinbashi form one of Kyoto's protected historic townscapes.
Gion is also a theatre district: kabuki traces its beginnings to Izumo no Okuni's performances on the riverbank nearby around 1603, and the Minamiza at the Shijō bridge stands on the site of the last of the Edo-period theatres licensed there. Today the district mixes exclusive teahouses and kappō restaurants with souvenir shops and crowds; the neighbourhood associations have repeatedly asked visitors not to photograph or follow maiko in the private lanes.
Landmarks
Yasaka Shrine
八坂神社Yasaka JinjaThe shrine that gave Gion its name and holds the Gion Matsuri; its main hall of 1654 is a National Treasure, and its west gate closes the end of Shijō-dōri.
Hanamikoji
花見小路Hanami-kōjiStone-paved street south of Shijō lined with ochaya teahouses and restaurants; the heart of Gion Kōbu.
Shirakawa and Tatsumi Bridge
白川ShirakawaWillow-lined canal in the Gion Shinbashi preservation district, crossed by the small Tatsumi bridge beside the Tatsumi Daimyōjin shrine.
Minamiza
南座MinamizaKabuki theatre at the Shijō bridge, heir to the Edo-period theatres of Shijō; its December kaomise performance opens Kyoto's theatre year.
Kennin-ji
建仁寺Kennin-jiZen temple founded in 1202, at the south end of Hanamikoji; famous for Tawaraya Sōtatsu's screen of the Wind and Thunder Gods and a twin-dragon ceiling painting.
Gion Kōbu Kaburenjō
祇園甲部歌舞練場Gion Kōbu KaburenjōThe hanamachi's own theatre, built in 1913, home of the Miyako Odori.
Ichiriki-tei
一力亭Ichiriki-teiTeahouse with a red-plastered wall at the corner of Shijō and Hanamikoji, known from the story of the forty-seven ronin.
Districts
Gion Kōbu
祇園甲部Gion KōbuThe largest hanamachi, around Hanamikoji south of Shijō.
Gion Higashi
祇園東Gion HigashiA small hanamachi north of Shijō, east of Hanamikoji; stages the Gion Odori in autumn.
Gion Shinbashi
祇園新橋Gion ShinbashiProtected townscape of teahouses along the Shirakawa and Shinbashi-dōri.
Pontochō (across the river)
先斗町PontochōA narrow lane of teahouses and restaurants on the west bank of the Kamo, another of Kyoto's five hanamachi.
Miyagawa-chō
宮川町Miyagawa-chōHanamachi along the Kamo south of Shijō, close to Gion and Kennin-ji.
History
Yasaka Shrine, founded according to tradition in the seventh century, was known for most of its history as Gion-sha, a shrine-temple complex devoted to the plague deity Gozu Tennō. The Gion Goryōe, a rite to pacify epidemics first held in 869, grew into the Gion Matsuri. In the Edo period teahouses in front of the shrine gate served pilgrims, and their tea-serving girls became the forerunners of the geiko; the shogunate licensed Gion as an entertainment quarter, and the theatres at Shijō became the centre of Kyoto kabuki.
After the Meiji Restoration the shrine was separated from its Buddhist elements and renamed Yasaka Jinja in 1868. The teahouse owners founded the Miyako Odori dance performances in 1872 to revive Kyoto after the capital moved to Tokyo. Gion Shinbashi was designated one of Japan's first Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1976.
869
First Gion Goryōe, the rite that develops into the Gion Matsuri.
1202
Kennin-ji, Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, is founded by Eisai south of the later district.
c. 1603
Izumo no Okuni performs early kabuki on the Kamo riverbank near Shijō.
17th century
Teahouses before the shrine gate develop into a licensed entertainment quarter.
1868
Gion-sha is renamed Yasaka Jinja under the separation of Shintō and Buddhism.
1872
First Miyako Odori, staged by Gion Kōbu.
1929
The present Minamiza building is completed at the Shijō bridge.
1976
Gion Shinbashi becomes a national Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Culture
Gion's culture is that of the hanamachi: maiko and geiko train for years in dance, shamisen, song and the tea ceremony, and perform at ochaya banquets by introduction only. The public sees them at the spring Miyako Odori, the autumn Gion Odori and at shrine festivals. Visitors are expected to keep to the main streets, not block the lanes and not photograph maiko without consent; some private lanes off Hanamikoji are closed to photography. The Gion Matsuri of Yasaka Shrine is among the most famous festivals in Japan.
Festivals
- 祇園祭Gion Matsuri
Throughout July; the great float processions on 17 and 24 July and the shrine's portable-shrine processions start from Yasaka Shrine.
Miyako Odori
都をどりMiyako OdoriSpring dance performances of Gion Kōbu's geiko and maiko, held every April since 1872.
Okera Mairi
をけら詣りOkera MairiOn New Year's Eve, visitors carry home a flame from Yasaka Shrine's sacred fire on a twisted rope.
- 顔見世kaomise
The December all-star kabuki programme at the Minamiza, heralded by actors' name boards on the façade.
Food
- 京料理kyō-ryōri
Kyoto's refined seasonal cuisine, served in Gion's teahouse-style restaurants and kappō counters.
Warabi-mochi and kuzu-kiri
くずきりkuzukiriCool arrowroot noodles in black-sugar syrup and bracken-starch sweets from Gion's old confectioners.
- 抹茶matcha
Uji green tea in parfaits and wagashi, sold by tea merchants along Shijō-dōri.
Saba-zushi
鯖寿司saba-zushiPressed mackerel sushi, a Kyoto speciality traditionally bought for festival days.
Getting around
- Gion-Shijō Station (Keihan Line) lies at the Shijō bridge; Kawaramachi Station (Hankyū Line) is on the opposite bank.
- City buses from Kyoto Station stop at Gion in front of Yasaka Shrine.
- The district is compact and best explored on foot; the lanes of Higashiyama and Kiyomizu-dera are a walk of about twenty minutes south-east.
Day trips
Maruyama Park, Chion-in, Kōdai-ji, Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka begin directly behind Yasaka Shrine.
The temple on its wooden stage, a walk up through the old lanes.
The shrine of the thousand torii, a short Keihan ride south.
Bamboo grove and Tenryū-ji in western Kyoto.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Gion?
Gion lies in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward, east of the Kamo River, on both sides of Shijō-dōri up to Yasaka Shrine. It is a historic district, not an official administrative unit.
What is the difference between a geiko and a maiko?
Geiko is the Kyoto word for a fully trained geisha; a maiko is an apprentice, recognisable by her long trailing obi, elaborate hair ornaments and more colourful kimono.
Can visitors photograph maiko in Gion?
Not without their consent. Local associations ask visitors not to follow or photograph maiko and geiko, and photography is banned in several private lanes off Hanamikoji.
How can visitors see geiko perform?
Most easily at the public dance seasons such as the Miyako Odori in April, or at cultural shows in Gion; teahouse banquets are traditionally by introduction only.
When is Gion quietest?
Early in the morning, when the lanes of Shirakawa and Hanamikoji are nearly empty; evenings are the busiest time.
Related
Sources
- 1.京都市情報館 (opens in a new tab) — 京都市
- 2.京都観光Navi (opens in a new tab) — 京都市観光協会
- 3.Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO