Home to geisha, kabuki, and narrow teahouses, the district of Gion is considered by many in Japan to be the heart and soul of Kyoto. Stretching west of Yasaka Shrine, called Gion-san by locals, from the middle-ages much of the neighborhood was given over primarily to teahouses for visitors to the...

From Canadian girl-next-door to maiko in just over an hour. At Maica, they'll transform you in to a geisha in the heart of old Gion! Did you enjoy playing dress-up when you were a child? Are you interested in the culture of the geisha? Have we got a treat for you! Geisha, or Geiko as they ...

Pontocho is less a neighborhood than a single, long cobbled alley running one block west of the Kamogawa River. It is, famously, one of Kyoto’s most appealing districts, but really only shows its best face at night, when the cobblestones gleam in the soft light of traditional lanterns, and the na...