Let's go to Gion @ Kyoto!
5:01 PM
Gion district is one of the most famous geisha district in Japan. If you want to see geisha, you have to come here, but it depends on luck. If you are lucky, you could catch a glimpse of the geisha, and if the geisha is kind enough, you could stop her and snap a photo with her.
We took a bus from Kyoto station to Gion, the journey took approximately 20 minutes.
Bus no: 100/202/206
Fare: 220 Yen
@Kyoto Station ~ Kyoto Tower is just right infront.
The bus system in Japan is abit different. Passengers get into the bus from the back door, get a ticket and pay the fare when you get down from the front door. There is a number shown on the ticket depending on which stop you alight. Every bus has an electronic board at the front showing how much bus fare the passengers have to pay according to the number shown on the ticket.
I thought this system is quite fair, pay where you get down. Sometimes we might get down before we reach the point where we have paid for, or we might overslept during the journey, had a longer ride and did not pay for it. =.=
@ Bus stop
We got off at Gion Station, started by walking along Shijo Street (四条通) and continue to Hanamikoji Street (花見小路通). Lined along Hanamikoji Street are high end restaurants and tea houses which are well preserved merchant houses.
We walked back to Shijo Street via Yamatooji Street.
People like to bring their pets out where ever they go.
The street is lined with many shops selling souvenirs, hand bags, paper fans, tea...
@ one of the shops
Sweets in many colourful designs but there are no flavours other than.... sugar taste. =.="" I think children would love this.
A stand alone ATM kiosk. Next to it is one of the exit from the train station.
Many shops are selling this Japanese rice cake (glutinous rice paste stuffed with sweet filling such as red bean paste or white bean paste). They are too sweet for my liking. =.=""" Nice to see but not very nice to eat because it tastes too artificial.
Along the way, we stopped by a shop which sells lots of cute stuffs with Japanese traditional art designs that you cannot find such complete collection in any other places other than Kyoto. Even the window displays attract people's attention because they are so adorable.
Japanese emphasise alot on beauty and elegance on display. They will make sure everything is neat and cute! You can find almost anything that is cute here... purse, mirrors, paper fan, handkerchief. The prices of the things are of course expensive as usual, but you don't buy, you also need to check the cute items out there.
These are not real sushi that you eat in a sushi bar. These mini sushi cushion. Each sushi of different designs are sold separately, and if you want to get a container for your sushi collection, you have to purchase them separately. So it will cost you more than the real sushi that you eat. Yes, this is non other than to bring back home and keep in your display cupboard for exhibition only.
From Yamato Oji Street, we crossed the bridge to get to the other side, then walked along Kiyamachi Street (also known as Pontocho District) until we reach Sanjo Street. It was around 4-5pm at that time, it looked like almost sunset.
River from Gion. This area is packed with restaurants and bars, just like those typical scenes of Japanese lifestyles that we saw on TV.
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