Geisha!?

I've heard about Geisha so many times in my life, but it was my first time to see a real Geisha!!

In Gion district, you may see a Geisha if you are lucky. They are not always walking around out, so the chance of seeing them is really rare. Young Geisha is called Maiko/Geiko. Actually, what we call Geisha is usually not Geisha. They are Maiko/Geiko. There are several houses where Maiko/Geiko lives and trains for being professional Geisha. Often we misunderstand that Geisha is a prostitute, and Gion is a red-light district. However, Gion was never a red-light district, and Geisha/Maiko/Geiko are not prostitutes. Their existance in this day is very important for Japanese history and culture. They are truly Japan's treasures!

Gion has such a tiny street. Recommend walking in this area, no taxi!

I got 2 kinds of souvenirs today near Gion district. One is a beautiful "Kyo-sensu" (Kyoto-fan). This was about 10,000yen ($95CAD). You'll find reasonable ones to really expensive high-end ones at fan shops in Kyoto. The 2nd suvenior is "Yatsuhashi", popular sweets in Kyoto. I tried one piece before purchasing it, and it tastes really nice! It's like rice cake and sweet red bean inside it. It was 1,000yen ($9.50CAD) per package.

Kyo-sensu

Yatsuhashi