Gion

Gion is Kyoto's most celebrated geisha district, where the traditions of the flower and willow world have been preserved for centuries along atmospheric streets lined with wooden machiya townhouses. Hanami-koji, the main street, is lined with exclusive tea houses and ochaya where geiko and maiko entertain guests with traditional arts. The area around Shirakawa Canal with its weeping willows and stone bridges is the postcard shot—willows, bridges, canal. Gion gets busy during the annual Gion Matsuri in July, one of Japan's three greatest festivals. Visitors may catch a glimpse of maiko hurrying between appointments in the evening, their wooden geta sandals clicking on the stone pavement.