Kyoto was a breath of fresh air, compared to the skyscrapers filled sky in Tokyo, with its old traditional charm. When you look into the distance, all you see is mountain ridges since Kyoto is surrounded by mountains unlike other cities like Tokyo or Osaka. There are numerous temples, shinto shrines, the old imperial palace and traditional wood houses that are still around. No wonder tourists fall Kyoto's old nostalgic charm because I did too.
But this post isn't about its temples, shrines or streets. It is about the famous Geishas and the best places to spot them. Like all you, the first time I knew about geishas was through the book Memoir of The Geisha, which I read during my secondary school days (did they really gave us that book? I mean, at 15?) and then watching it in theatres. The notion I had (then) was they were japanese prostitutes but I was so wrong. I did my research and found out that they are not courtesans but entertainers gifted in the art of dancing, poetry, music. That was the first misconception cleared.
The second misconception is the term 'geisha'. The term geisha/hangyoku (apprentice of geisha) is used to call those from Tokyo, whereas Kyotians are called Geikos/Maikos (apprentice of geikos). The 1998 novel —Memoirs of a Geisha— was probably the reason we generalised them as geishas. Ironically, the movie was set in Kyoto.
This brings me to my next point that Gion isn't the only place where you can spot a Geiko/ Maiko. Memoirs of a Geisha was set in Gion, which may be why everybody flocks to Gion to catch a glimpse of them.
Gion lantern in Memoirs of a Geisha
The symbol of Gion was everywhere in the movie. A friend's friend, who is a Kyoto tour guide, brought us around for a day to catch sightings of them. What I learnt from her was more informative than what I could ever find on the world wide web.
Kyoto has several Hanamachi; the literal translation being "flower town" or geisha districts. This includes Kamishichiken, Miyagawacho, Pontocho and of course, Gion. Each of these district has its own symbol and this symbol on lanterns are displayed outside houses. In each districts, they have Okiya (their quarters) and Ochaya (teahouses where they entertain). She taught us how to recognise an Okiya but Ochaya I can't remember. At certain times of the year, each district puts up performances for the public. If you can't afford their services, you can go to the performance.
At 6pm, we were brought to one of the Hanamachi, Miyagawacho. A street away from the busy crowd at Gion, we were transported to a peaceful neighbourhood; the real Kyoto.
And at the moment..... I spotted a Geiko going off to her appointment with her client in a fancy schmancy car. I didn't manage to get a picture because I felt it was too intrusive. They are after all, still like one of us. A minute later, a Maiko was returning to her Okiya. Even the Japaneses passing by took photo of her.
The sighting did not stop there. We walked around the neighbourhood a little bit more before heading to Gion for more exploring of Okiya and Ochaya.
Gion is known to tourists for being a geisha area. I'm not surprised though. Hanami-koji is filled with tourists trying to do some geisha sightseeing.
Not to mention there are always taxi and cars driving into this street. But I found out that the taxis and cars were to fetch the Geikos/ Maikos to work. Tourists flock the street of Hanami-koji in hopes of trying to find one of them. This makes it difficult for them to go to work in peace. Hence, taxis.
At Gion, I saw a Maiko (my second one!!) heading to work and she was chased after by tourists. The look on her face; poor girl was frightened as hell. Geishas/ Geikos/ Maikos are a big draw for tourists but they are still like us. Can you imagine being chased when you are trying to get to work? They aren't celebrities.
Skip the main street of Hanami-koji, that is lined with pretty pricey restaurants, and explore the small alleys. Although they are not much shops, there are Okiyas and Ochayas. So if you are lucky, you might spot one of them. But again, don't be intrusive. Don't run after them.
I did saw another one around Pontocho, after my delicious eel dinner, going back to her Okiya. The narrow alleys of Pontocho makes it easier to come face to face with one. So you might have a good chance to see them there.
Good luck!
But this post isn't about its temples, shrines or streets. It is about the famous Geishas and the best places to spot them. Like all you, the first time I knew about geishas was through the book Memoir of The Geisha, which I read during my secondary school days (did they really gave us that book? I mean, at 15?) and then watching it in theatres. The notion I had (then) was they were japanese prostitutes but I was so wrong. I did my research and found out that they are not courtesans but entertainers gifted in the art of dancing, poetry, music. That was the first misconception cleared.
The second misconception is the term 'geisha'. The term geisha/hangyoku (apprentice of geisha) is used to call those from Tokyo, whereas Kyotians are called Geikos/Maikos (apprentice of geikos). The 1998 novel —Memoirs of a Geisha— was probably the reason we generalised them as geishas. Ironically, the movie was set in Kyoto.
This brings me to my next point that Gion isn't the only place where you can spot a Geiko/ Maiko. Memoirs of a Geisha was set in Gion, which may be why everybody flocks to Gion to catch a glimpse of them.
The symbol of Gion was everywhere in the movie. A friend's friend, who is a Kyoto tour guide, brought us around for a day to catch sightings of them. What I learnt from her was more informative than what I could ever find on the world wide web.
Kyoto has several Hanamachi; the literal translation being "flower town" or geisha districts. This includes Kamishichiken, Miyagawacho, Pontocho and of course, Gion. Each of these district has its own symbol and this symbol on lanterns are displayed outside houses. In each districts, they have Okiya (their quarters) and Ochaya (teahouses where they entertain). She taught us how to recognise an Okiya but Ochaya I can't remember. At certain times of the year, each district puts up performances for the public. If you can't afford their services, you can go to the performance.
At 6pm, we were brought to one of the Hanamachi, Miyagawacho. A street away from the busy crowd at Gion, we were transported to a peaceful neighbourhood; the real Kyoto.
Front of an Okiya. The names of the girls are displayed at the front of the house.
Gion is known to tourists for being a geisha area. I'm not surprised though. Hanami-koji is filled with tourists trying to do some geisha sightseeing.
At Gion, I saw a Maiko (my second one!!) heading to work and she was chased after by tourists. The look on her face; poor girl was frightened as hell. Geishas/ Geikos/ Maikos are a big draw for tourists but they are still like us. Can you imagine being chased when you are trying to get to work? They aren't celebrities.
I did saw another one around Pontocho, after my delicious eel dinner, going back to her Okiya. The narrow alleys of Pontocho makes it easier to come face to face with one. So you might have a good chance to see them there.
Good luck!
