Japan Travel: Scenic Streets of Gion and a Sake Bar

April 19, 2016 by 6 Comments

When I travel to other countries, one of my fun activities I like to do is wander in neighborhoods, just observing the atmosphere and the differences in the buildings, the streets, in the people passing through the streets with me, peering into restaurants and stores (browsing is free, it’s the shopping that gets you!). The Gion area in Kyoto is an area famous for its historic wooden buildings and neighborhoods from the Edo period (1603–1867), so the scenic streets of Gion are a great place to walk around

Gion is also a famous entertainment districts that is full of teahouses and restaurants and bars, traditional performing arts, and is one of a few places you may see a geisha. In the morning, these old fashioned streets of Gion are quiet and are the best time to take photos that capture the wood. Then as it gets later in the day and the dining destinations get open for the evening, the lanterns get lit, and it gets very busy with people hoping to glimpse a geisha on her way to an evening appointment.

Hanamikoji Dori

What we are looking for is Hanamikoji Dori, the second the street on the right side if you are facing east walking away from the river on Shijo Dori.  It’s a street with lovely wooden machiya merchant houses:

Sign on Hanami-koji Street in Gion Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street Walking the streets of Gion in Kyoto during the day - Hanamikoji Dori, the geisha district of on Hanamikoji Street

Don’t be fooled at how traditional and quiet this is because as soon as it’s evening… this was much later after the dinner hour so not as bad as when the streets were literally filled with cars and people trying to make way for each other (there aren’t any marked sidewalks) on their way to dinner. Notice all the lit red lanterns.
"Gion Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street Gion at Night - this is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. Interspersed among the restaurants are a number of ochaya (teahouses), the most exclusive and expensive of Kyoto's dining establishments, where guests are entertained by maiko and geiko: this street specifically is Hanami-koji Street

Shirakawa Area

Go back across Shijo Dori and head 3 blocks north, turning left on Shinbashi Dori. Here in the Shirakawa Area – follow the street just along the small river here – there’s a interesting juxtaposition of the old fashioned wooden machiya houses here and the modern urban street poles and wires.
More walking around towards another scenic part of Gion, the Shirakawa Area - there More walking around towards another scenic part of Gion, the Shirakawa Area - there's a interesting juxtaposition of the old fashioned preserved machiya houses here and the modern urban street poles and wires More walking around towards another scenic part of Gion, the Shirakawa Area - there's a interesting juxtaposition of the old fashioned preserved machiya houses here and the modern urban street poles and wires More walking around towards another scenic part of Gion, the Shirakawa Area - there's a interesting juxtaposition of the old fashioned preserved machiya houses here and the modern urban street poles and wires

The canal is lined by willow trees, high class restaurants and ochaya, many of which have rooms overlooking the canal. It’s interesting here because we can look into the room like it’s an exhibit as people enjoy dinners in private rooms with complete and no privacy.
Another scenic part of Gion is the Shirakawa Area which runs along the Shirakawa Canal parallel to Shijo Avenue. The canal is lined by willow trees, high class restaurants and ochaya, many of which have rooms overlooking the canal. It's interesting here because we can look into the room like it's an exhibit...

Now here’s a look when we walked by in the morning. Lonely Planet opines is “one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.” It’s December so we’ll just have to imagine the cherry blossoms
Walking in Gion during the day - this is is Shimbashi (sometimes called Shirakawa Minami-dōri), which Lonely Planet opines is 'one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.' Of course now, the cherry blossom trees are completely empty branches Walking in Gion during the day - this is is Shimbashi (sometimes called Shirakawa Minami-dōri), which Lonely Planet opines is 'one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.' Of course now, the cherry blossom trees are completely empty branches Walking in Gion during the day - this is is Shimbashi (sometimes called Shirakawa Minami-dōri), which Lonely Planet opines is 'one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.' Of course now, the cherry blossom trees are completely empty branches Walking in Gion during the day - this is is Shimbashi (sometimes called Shirakawa Minami-dōri), which Lonely Planet opines is 'one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.' Of course now, the cherry blossom trees are completely empty branches Walking in Gion during the day - this is is Shimbashi (sometimes called Shirakawa Minami-dōri), which Lonely Planet opines is 'one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.' Of course now, the cherry blossom trees are completely empty branches Walking in Gion during the day - this is is Shimbashi (sometimes called Shirakawa Minami-dōri), which Lonely Planet opines is 'one of Kyoto’s most beautiful streets and, arguably, the most beautiful street in all of Asia, especially in the evening and during cherry-blossom season.' Of course now, the cherry blossom trees are completely empty branches

Ishibei-koji Lane

My vote for most scenic street that is like a step back in time is the short walk along  Ishibei-koji Lane, located just by Kodaji Temple that I had covered previously. At only 200 meters it’s short and more like an alley than a street, but Lonely Planet also dubs this too “perhaps the most beautiful street in Kyoto” and Inside Kyoto called Kyoto’s most atmospheric pedestrian-only walkway. There is no sign for this, so prepare to orient yourself using GPS.
In the morning, these old fashioned streets in Gion, Kyoto are quiet. We are walking along Ishibei-koji Lane, what Inside Kyoto called Kyoto’s most atmospheric pedestrian-only walkway and Lonely Planet calls 'perhaps the most beautiful street in Kyoto' In the morning, these old fashioned streets in Gion, Kyoto are quiet. We are walking along Ishibei-koji Lane, what Inside Kyoto called Kyoto’s most atmospheric pedestrian-only walkway and Lonely Planet calls 'perhaps the most beautiful street in Kyoto' In the morning, these old fashioned streets in Gion, Kyoto are quiet. We are walking along Ishibei-koji Lane, what Inside Kyoto called Kyoto’s most atmospheric pedestrian-only walkway and Lonely Planet calls 'perhaps the most beautiful street in Kyoto' In the morning, these old fashioned streets in Gion, Kyoto are quiet. We are walking along Ishibei-koji Lane, what Inside Kyoto called Kyoto’s most atmospheric pedestrian-only walkway and Lonely Planet calls 'perhaps the most beautiful street in Kyoto'

These wooden machiya townhouses are rapidly disappearing from Kyoto, having had the good fortune to survive World War II (new machiya are prohibited from being built now, leaving only restoration) but now the difficult and expensive maintainace means many are being demolished in favor of modern buildings. I highly recommend when in Kyoto taking a walk in at least one of the above streets to get a feel of being a pedestrian in Kyoto a hundred or do years ago. For a more in depth experience, Iori, a company founded by a traditional culture advocate, rents multiple machiya for guests to stay.

Jam Hostel’s Sake Bar

Not far from the Shirakawa area and Gion – Shijo station is this recommended bar from the owner of Beer Komachi – Jam Hostel’s Sake Bar. This is why I love asking local industry people their recommendations: its location in a hostel meant I probably would have overlooked it. But she sent us to this location reassuring it was well worth it for us even if it also serving as a hostel was unusual. Boy was she right. The menu was probably a dozen pages long full of sake options to order individually, as well as offering flights and it could be served cold or hot. There were flights that were dedicated to being local to Kyoto as well as a few other prefectures including the owner’s home region of Niigata.

. Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sakeJam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake

This was my very favorite sake of the night, and pretty much ever – Kaisyun / Shimane Kimoto and wooden barrel aged sake. The owner tried to warn us that it was very strong, but we convinced him we were up to the task. I was pretty surprised when it poured so dark and thick, almost like a balsamic vinegar – but it was so full of thick flavors that swirled and changed on the tongue that I was in love.
Jam Hostel's Sake Bar has an extensive selection of sake, and you can purchase flights or get small pours of a wide variety of sake. This was my very favorite sake of the night, and pretty much ever - Kaisyun / Shimane Kimoto and wooden barrel aged sake

I have no idea where or how to get this type of sake here in Portland. But, if you are interested in sampling sake, there is in June the annual Sake Fest that you might want to consider where you can taste sake for hours and learn!

These stops in today’s post could be done together in a circle. We actually stayed at an Air BnB close by which I picked specifically to near Gion because I wanted to be in easy walking distance to great food and drink, so it was easy to visit all these locations by night and day. It’s my usual modus operandi when picking a place to stay: map out the things I want to eat and drink and stay nearby the food!

If you are going to do a walking tour and not staying in the area, you will probably arrive via Keihan Main line at Gion – Shijo Station and you should proceed first with Hanamikoji Dori, then Ishibei Koji, then circle back to the Shirakawa Area and finish at the Sake Bar – and you could combine this once you get towards Ishibei Koji with some of the Kyoto Temples and Shrines I wrote about earlier as they are nearby.

Alternatively if you are on the east side towards Yasaka Shine, go to Ishibei Koji first, then walk west towards the river to Hanamikoji Dori and the Shirakawa area then the Sake Bar to finish at the Gion – Shijo station is just to the east side of the river.

Do you have a favorite walking neighborhood from your travels, where is it? How crazy is that sign about not harassing the geishas at the beginning of this post?

This concludes my Travel Tuesday posts about Kyoto – we only stayed in the city for 3 days. So next we’ll shift from historical to modern as we go to Osaka next week!

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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