No matter what they say, I love Gion. Even in my sleep The sound of water Flows neneath my pillowYoshii Isamu (1886-1960)
Gion is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine.
This part of Kyoto has two hanamachi (geisha districts): Gion Kobu and Gion Higashi. Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion since the turn of the century, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment. Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district.
In 1712, the ochaya (tea houses) of Gion were given licenses permitting Geisha entertainment (and sake) by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Today there are just over 100 remaining, and several entire streets (primarily in Shirakawa and Gion) are preserved. In 1976, the Kyoto City government finally bagan to prevent the destruction of the architectural heritage of the ochaya and issued architectural guidelines for 7 distinct facades. The result is that these are among the few areas of the city where you can still get an idea of what Kyoto used to look like. Kyoto wasn't bombed during WWII, all of the destruction of the cityscape has been in recent years.
Posted by Joe at 2004年11月01日 22:54