Kagurazaka is one of the Geisha districts in Tokyo with an old town atmosphere. Walking through narrow streets with black wooden walls and dining in exquisite restaurants is a great way to spend an afternoon here.
If you don’t have the budget to see Kyoto’s geisha in action in an actual tea house, Gion Corner in Kyoto is an alternative that gives you a great overview of traditional Japanese performing arts.
The Gion Matsuri in Kyoto is one of the three most famous festivals in Japan with more than 1000 years of history. I’m crazy about this festival which is cool, high-spirited and elegant at the same time.
Geisha are not prostitutes. This is a misconception based on inaccurate depictions in films and from the stories of American soldiers who went to Japan after WW2 when there was great poverty in Japan.
Gion is the place where the famous geisha, the cultural symbol of Japan, are still doing their work every night. Geisha literally means ‘artist’, although in Kyoto they are called ‘geiko’ which means ‘woman of art’.