Geisha Town

That first night in Kyoto we decided to venture Gion (祇園). Gion is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain. It was truly a party scene. People from different age groups come and gather in this district. I especially love the street snacks they have to offer.

At the end of Shijo Avenue, there's Yasaka Shrine. Quite a number of food stalls gather inside this temple. Some of what I remember are: yakitori, takoyaki, kushikatsu, corn, crisps, etc. It was really fun and since there were five of us, we tend to get a variety of snacks and share them around.

At the end of the evening, we came across a little area where there was a commotion. It appeared to be a matcha ceremony performed by a group of Geishas. It costed 1000¥ and we collectively agreed to participate in it. The whole experience was rather odd, or maybe because it's a set-up, it seemed very staged. Nevertheless, we did enjoy the whole experience.

First off, we were seated on a bench together and were handed out a rectangular piece of warabi mochi (soybean flour dusted mochi cake). Now, THAT WAS GOOD. A couple of my friends didn't like it so I ate theirs too. After a few minutes with the mochi, a geisha appeared and handed us a bowl of thick, green tea remedy. Doesn't look like a tea. Looks more like a liquified green powder that may turn you into a leaf monster. Anyway, that is real matcha. Something I never tasted before. Savory, slightly bitter, yet so delicate in your palette.