Watching a Geisha Show in the Gion District of Kyoto

Our Kyoto itinerary was choc-a-block from the word go.

We had allocated 4 days to sightseeing in Kyoto, and this was Day 2 of our Kyoto sojourn. We had spent the entire day visiting 3 beautiful shrines, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Sanjūsangendō Temple, and for the evening, we had pre-booked tickets to this famous Geisha Show in the Gion District, located about 2 km from the Sanjūsangendō Temple.

Watching a Geisha show in Japan is one of the most sought-after activities on all Japan itineraries. Add to that the old-world charm of the Gion District in Kyoto, the hub for watching a geisha show, which draws visitors in droves from all over the world.

So, is it really worth all the hype that surrounds this coveted show?

In this blog, I am going to share only my very personal experience of watching a Geisha show at the Gion Corner in the Gion District of Kyoto.

About the Gion District

Gion District is Kyoto's most iconic district, easily distinguishable by its traditional Japanese teahouses called Ochaya, hidden from public view by wooden blinds.

One of the most popular streets in the area is the Hanami Koji Street. With its old-world charm all intact, this is the best place to spot geiko and maiko. Geiko are trained geishas, and maiko are young apprentices, still learning the geisha ways.

Even if you don't plan to see a Geisha Show, you must visit this part of Kyoto for its inimitable Japanese vibe.

The best time to visit the Gion District is in the evening, when the quaint streets of this area are lit by lanterns, and eager tourists fill the tea houses and gape at geishas as they travel to their appointments.

Watching a performance at Gion Corner

Gion Corner is a popular theatre in the Gion Entertainment District of Kyoto. The show comprises 6 or 7 elements that will give you a quick peek into the traditional performing Japanese art forms.

The show starts with a tea ceremony. If you've purchased a ticket that includes tea being served, then you will sit in the first row next to the tea counter and will be served tea with some sweets.

Then comes Ikibana, the Japanese flower arrangement, followed by Gagaku, ancient court music and dance.

This performance is followed by Kyogen, the traditional Japanese comic theatre, and then by Bunraku, the Japanese puppet theatre.

The last part of the show is the Kyo-mai dance by two geishas: one is a Maiko, the apprentice geisha, and the other is an older, mature geisha, a Geiko.

My Tips about watching a Geisha Show in Gion Corner

I want to start by stating that the opinions expressed about the geisha show at Gion Corner here are personal and strictly my own, in the capacity of a patron watching the show. A lot of people might not agree with me; they are welcome to their opinion.

Apart from the geisha show, we also watched two other shows in Japan, a sumo performance in Tokyo and the famous non-verbal GEAR Theatre in Kyoto. So, a comparison with these two great shows is inevitable.

• This might come as a spoiler, but I found the show very dull and uninspiring. Photography is strictly prohibited during the show, but the standard practice is that patrons may take pictures with the performers at the end of the show. Here we were just led out of the hall since the next show was about to begin, and huge crowds were waiting in the queue outside as we were leaving.

  Even the start of the show was quite nonchalant. It took us a few seconds to realise that the tea ceremony had begun in one corner of the hall.

  
  

• Although the show timings say a one-hour show, it actually lasts barely 50 minutes. The last part, the geisha dance, was quite nice, but it was too short for anyone to be able to appreciate it. By the time we settled into watching it, it was over. The other performances were ok, but they felt more like fillers, nothing worth mentioning.

• A multitude of options are available for watching the Geisha Show, with varying prices, starting from an affordable 1-hour show to a private dinner / private tea ceremony with a geisha. After watching this show, I felt we should've gone for something more interactive and engaging.

• The most important thing to remember is that these shows sell out very quickly, so it's best to book as early as possible. We made bookings more than a month in advance and still had to buy the most expensive tickets to the show because everything else was booked.

  
  

To sum up, Gion Corner was not a tourist trap but a let-down. Reason? Like all places that lose their lustre because of over-crowding, Gion Corner is also catering to massive crowds each day, the theatre is not able to live up to patrons' expectations and the hype around watching a geisha show in Kyoto.

However, the Gion District is an amazing place to be in the evening. Don't miss that!