address
South side of Gion Town, Higashiyama District, Kyoto City
opening hours
Open all year round
introduce
There is a Hanami alley in Gion, Kyoto. " Hanami " means viewing flowers in Japanese, but there are no cherry blossoms here, but the romantic land of the old ancient city. Hanami Koji has been a stylish Hananagi Street in Japan since the Edo period, and it is also one of the few places where geisha can still be seen.
Hanami Alley is about 1 km long from north to south. When you pass through the busy Shijo Street and step into the Hanami Alley paved with stone slabs, you can see teahouses and izakayas with exquisite facades and curtains. There are many high-end cuisine pavilions with bamboo fences and red walls on both sides of the path that specialize in kaiseki cuisine, and usually arrange geisha entertainment. Hanami Alley in the early morning and evening The Hanami Alley in the early morning is very quiet. Many shops are not open, but you can feel a simple and leisurely charm.
If you go in the early afternoon or late evening, it's not uncommon to see geisha or maiko (apprentice geisha) hurrying to their appointments in clogs. When night falls, red lanterns will be lit in front of various izakayas, which looks especially charming in the night. Enjoy geisha performances while tasting food. If you look carefully, you will find the word " maiko " on the red lanterns in front of some high-end restaurant booths, indicating that geisha shows are provided here. Famous wooden nameplate.
However, if you want to taste Japanese food while enjoying geisha performances, the cost is still relatively expensive. Experience cross-dressing yourself Although you always look forward to meeting a geisha when you come to Hanamikoji, sometimes what you see may not be a real geisha. The cross-dressing experience in Kyoto is very popular. Many tourists will dress up as geisha and take photos in Gion, especially Hanami Koji. Of course, you can also find a cross-dressing shop to experience it, and the cost starts from about 10,000 yen.
opening hours
Open all year round
must-see points
Near the southern end of Hanami Koji, you can find a theater that specializes in traditional performances in Kyoto - Gion Corner, also known as Yarong Hall. There is a performance here at 18:00 and 19:00 every day, and the admission fee is 3150 yen. It is a good place to experience geisha performances.
