Places to Visit on a Walking Tour of Gion in Kyoto

Aug 18, 2021

Places to Visit on a Walking Tour of Gion in Kyoto

Gion is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Kyoto. It is famous for being the entertainment district of the city and for the presence of real geishas that you can often see walking along the streets. There are many interesting sites to see in Gion, all of which you can visit on foot.

Minamiza Kabuki Theater

Kabuki is a genre developed in Kyoto in the early 17th century characterized by song, dance, and mime, performed by male actors. Of the original seven kabuki theaters in Gion, Minamiza is the only one that remains. It was built in 1929, although a theater has been in the same spot since the early 1600s. Make sure you cross the street to appreciate the façade in full before you enter. You may like to fit attending a production into your walking tour. Alternatively, you could pick a flyer from the foyer to plan a visit for a later date.

Maruyama Park

The most popular spot for cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Maruyama Park, has a variety of cherry trees called the Shidarezakura, or weeping cherry. The best time to visit is after dark as the weeping cherry trees are lit up until 1:00 a.m. The park is also an excellent spot for viewing autumn leaves — although it’s important to mention that the park is beautiful during the rest of the year as well!

Yasaka Shrine

The most important place in Gion is the Yasaka Shrine, which acts as the spiritual center of the neighborhood. Built in 1350, the shrine became a destination for pilgrims receiving thousands of visitors. It honors Susanoo, the storm god who killed an eight-headed dragon tyrannizing the people who lived in the nearby countryside. This is another place that’s best to visit after dark as the temple is covered in lanterns.

Meyami Jizo Temple

You should also make sure you visit at least one temple during your walking tour of Gion. A top one to visit is Mejami Jizo — but you need to know where to look as it’s tiny. The temple has a statue of Jizo, a Buddhist guardian saint whom you commonly see at roadside temples. This particular statue is said to cure eye diseases.

Shijo-Dori

Gion also has some modern areas, especially Shijo-Dori, which is the main shopping street. Green roofs cover the street with lanterns hanging from them. As well as brand name stores, you’ll find many places selling traditional food and handicrafts.

Hanami-koji

The most famous street in Gion is Hanami-koji, which means blossom-viewing lane. Many buildings along the street use the traditional Kyoto architecture, which is wood lattice without windows on the street side and baked tile roofs. Some buildings are painted red and vermillion to indicate that their hosts are geishas (these businesses are very exclusive). The other buildings are unpainted.

Whereas there are organized walking tours available in Gion, there’s no need to pay for a guide if you know where to go. Plus, when you do a self-guided tour, you can choose how much to see in one day. You can always come back another time if you’re unable to visit every landmark. One suggestion would be to come back at a different time of day to appreciate how the neighborhood looks early in the morning compared to at dusk.

KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons