Gion (祇園) is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. once called Gion Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.
The geisha in the Gion district do not refer to themselves as geisha; instead, Gion geisha use the local term geiko. or are traditional female Japanese Entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance or are traditional female Japanese Entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance While the term geisha means "artist", the more direct term geiko means specifically "a woman of art. "
This neighborhood in Kyoto has two hanamachi (geiko communities) : Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) and Gion Higashi (祇園東). A hanamachi (花街 is a Japanese Courtesan and Geisha district Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last one hundred years, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment. has as long a history as any other aspect of Japanese culture.
Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district. Recently, the City of Kyoto completed a project to restore the streets of Gion, which included such plans as moving all overhead utilities underground as part of the ongoing effort to preserve the original beauty of Gion.
Gion remains dotted with old-style Japanese houses called machiya, which roughly translated means "city house", some of which are ochaya or "tea house. Machiya are traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan and typified in the historical capital of Kyoto. A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking Tea. Their function varies widely depending on the culture and some cultures have a variety of distinct " These are traditional establishments where the patrons of Gion -- from the samurai of old to modern-day businessmen -- have been entertained by geiko in an exclusive manner for centuries.
Inside the ochaya is a private and closed world where the evening's entertainment may include cocktails, conversation, and games as well as traditional Japanese music, singing and dancing. To this day, geiko and maiko in full regalia can still be seen in the evenings as they move about through the streets of Gion to and from their various engagements at the ochaya.
There is a popular misconception that Gion was a red-light district. A red-light district is a neighborhood where Prostitution and other businesses in the Sex industry flourish However, as it was a geisha district, and as geisha are entertainers, not prostitutes, Gion is not, and never was, a red-light district. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Shimabara was Kyoto's red-light district. Shimabara (嶋原 was a courtesan's district in Kyoto. It was established in 1640 for a brothel owned by Hara Saburoemon and was closed in 1958 when prostitution
The geiko of Gion still maintain the annual dances, the most popular being the Miyako Odori, "Cherry Blossom Dances" or "Dances of the Old Capital", staged by the geisha of Gion Kobu. The dances run from April 1 through April 30 each year during the height of the cherry blossom (sakura) season. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Spectators from Japan and worldwide attend the events, which range from "cheap" seats on tatami mats on the floor (approximately $15. (originally meaning "folded and piled" Mats are a traditional type of Japanese flooring 00 U. S. ), to reserved seats with a small tea ceremony beforehand (approximately $40. A tea ceremony is an Asian ritualised form of making Tea. The term generally refers to the Japanese tea ceremony. 00 U. S. ).
Gion in popular culture
- Gion is the setting of much of Arthur Golden's novel Memoirs of a Geisha. Arthur Golden (born in 1956 in Chattanooga Tennessee) is the writer of the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha. Memoirs of a Geisha is a Novel by Arthur Golden, published in 1997.
- Gion was also where Mineko Iwasaki lived and did her business as a geiko, as mentioned in her novel Geisha of Gion. born, was Japan 's number one geiko ( Geisha) until her sudden retirement at the age of 29
- Gion is the setting of several films by Kenji Mizoguchi, including:
- 1936 Sisters of the Gion (祇園の姉妹 Gion no kyodai)
- 1953 A Geisha aka Gion Music Festival (祇園囃子 Gion bayashi)
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