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Gion, the neighborhood of the last Geishas

In Lifestyle we talk about a very special and somewhat chilling Japanese doll.Next, without leaving the Japanese country, we talk about the Gion neighborhood , one of the few areas where we can find even the Geishas, ​​authentic dolls of flesh and blood.If you go to Kyoto it is worth visiting this traditional neighborhood , a real wonder.

Gion, the neighborhood of the last Geishas

There are only about 100 Geishas left and they are in the Gion neighborhood, (according to the documentary about Japan on lonely planet) in the heart of Kyoto and in front of the sanctuary Yasaka ; a beautiful neighborhood that takes us to Japan 300 years ago , with its narrow streets and low wooden houses and way of life; Martial arts is taught in it, it is famous for the tea houses or Ochayas where the tea ceremony and good Japanese manners are held.

Gion, the neighborhood of the last Geishas

It is famous for the geishas or geikos as they prefer call them the Japanese and the maikos (apprentices).In addition this neighborhood has one of the matsuris with the most prestige in Japan, the Kyoto Gion Matsuri.This neighborhood was born 1 00 lustros although I gain importance in the end of the 18th century when the houses acquired a license to settle there.

Wrongly for many Gion it was a prostitution neighborhood but never It was like that, in fact the neighborhood of the prostitutes in Japan is the Shimabara.

Gyon has been declared as National Heritage of Japan

The Gion Matsuri

It is one of the most typical and important festivals of Japan.It is celebrated throughout the month of July in Kyoto; The Yamaboko Junkō parade ends with a big parade.The 3 nights before the festival, the traffic is cut so that the parades known as the yoiyoiyoiyama (14,15 and July 16).It is a good opportunity to visit the traditional houses, as many are open to the public with the relics of the ancestors.

It is a way to appease the Gods.Among the activities of the festival are:

  • A popular lottery for the order that floats will have in the parade
  • Visit of the Yasaka Shrine by the boy chigo of the Ayagasaboko
  • Lantern parade to welcome the mikoshi
  • Mikoshi arai shrines, the cleaning of the mikoshi with water sacred river Kamo.
  • Construction of the carrozas.
  • Parade of the hanagasa or «Flower umbrellas »

In 2009 the procession of the Yamahoko of Gion Matsuri was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO .

Curiosities about the Gion neighborhood

  • The novel "Memories of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden is develops in this neighborhood.

In this video Arthur Golden tells us about the Geishas and much more...

  • It's also the neighborhood of the famous Mineko Iwasaki, where she lived as a geisha as described in her autobiography «Geisha de Gion».
  • Gion has been the scene of many movies between them «Gion's sisters» or «Gion's musicians».

If you are interested in articles about Japan, you are also interested in Tokyo's floating garden

Image: Uploaded by FlickreviewR

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