Gion

Kyoto’s traditional entertainment district, where geisha, gangsters and gawkers prowl, is one of the most interesting places for an after-dinner stroll.

[Geishas in Gion district: yusshazwan bin adnan / Shutterstock.com]

When people talk about “the floating world” (the ephemeral world of nighttime pleasures to be had in Japan’s entertainment districts), they’re talking about places like Gion (rhymes with “key on”).

This tightly packed district of hostess bars, elite restaurants, geisha houses and members-only bars is where the nightly drama of lust and commerce is played out. The main street of Gion is Hanami-koji Lane, which is lined with traditional restaurants, bars and “teahouses” (actually, places where geisha entertain clients).

Some of the smaller lanes off of Hanami-koji are lined with beautiful old Kyoto machiya (traditional townhouses). Some of these machiya are available for rent — see the Kyoto Machiya page if you’re interested. There are also several hotels located in and around Gion. See a comprehensive selection of Gion hotels on Agoda.com.

If you’re interested in understanding more about geisha, see our Kyoto Geisha page. You might also want to consider staying at the Gion Hatanaka Ryokan, which regularly organises geisha entertainment evenings for guests. (Please Note: Gion Hatanaka is now permanently closed.)

For a detailed daytime walking tour of Gion, visit our Walking in Gion page. (This is a walk you can do yourself — just follow the article’s lead). And if you’d like to explore Gion at night with an experienced guide, see our Gion Evening Walk page.

For a map of Gion that corresponds to the Walking in Gion daytime tour, check out our Gion Map. Click the icon on the top left for a slide-out menu showing the place names.

Where Is This Place Located?

• Open the Kyoto map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

Near To Here:
Gion is located in Kyoto’s Southern Higashiyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Southern Higashiyama, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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