Gion & Hanamikoji Route

What Gion and Hanamikoji are

Gion is the most storied geisha district of Kyoto, opened at the gate of Yasaka Shrine. From Shijo Street, the stone-paved Hanamikoji runs south, lined on both sides with the lattice doors of teahouses and ryotei. In the evening maiko and geiko pass quickly by, and around Tatsumi Bridge on the Shirakawa stream, willows and townhouses mirrored in the water make a quintessential Kyoto scene. On the main Shijo Street stand old sweet parlours and matcha shops, so the dignity of a geisha district and casually nibbled sweets share the same quarter.

A town of sweets and matcha

The heart of the Gion food walk is sweets and matcha. Kyoto lies near the trading hub of Uji tea, so the culture of matcha sweets and drinks runs deep, and Saryo Tsujiri's matcha parfait — deep matcha jelly and ice cream layered with shiratama and bean paste — is a fixture of Kyoto sweets. Izutsu's nama-yatsuhashi, chunky bean paste in chewy cinnamon-scented dough, is a leading Kyoto souvenir. At tea rooms of tea wholesalers like Gion Kitagawa Hanbee, you can take whisked matcha and sweets in calm. On sweets and a bowl of tea, an afternoon in the geisha district passes.

How to walk this route

Start at Keihan's Gion-Shijo station. Head east on Shijo Street toward Yasaka Shrine. First nibble nama-yatsuhashi at Izutsu, then a matcha parfait at Saryo Tsujiri. With the sweets piling up, turn south onto Hanamikoji and take a whisked bowl of matcha at Gion Kitagawa Hanbee to settle mouth and mood. Hanamikoji is a place of daily life and business; the teahouses' private lanes and photographing maiko without consent are forbidden, so walk with restraint. About an hour and a half to two hours on foot in all.