Kyoto, an excursion in the floating world

Last weekend was a 3 day weekend (yes, it also sometimes happens in Japan!) so Karin and I decided to get away from Tokyo and go to Kyoto.
In one word, we loved it. Kyoto is such a nice city to stroll around, has such a quiet feel (in comparison with Tokyo) and offers so many fabulous things to see.

The floating world
Have you ever heard of that?
Ladies wearing kimonos, businessmen wearing suits, hostesses going from one bar to another, all this is part of this world of illusion, known as the floating world. And of course geishas….!
In Kyoto, the neighborhood of Gion is the location where the scenes of that world happen. Obviously Gion is best visited at night when these folks are out and conducting their activities.
Walking around the neighborhood and seeing Geishas is not uncommon. They always look very busy, probably running from one appointment to another.

But what’s going on?
This is the thing, as you walk around, nothing seems to be happening, a taxi parked here and there but nothing seems to be moving. And yet you know (because Lonely Planet said so) that you are in the place!!
It is a very intriguing thing: your imagination gets trapped in what you think might be happening behind the walls of these high end restaurants and clubs…
Plenty of little alleys with a few lanterns here and there, sliding doors getting open and closed.
The sad part is that for foreigners, it is very difficult to penetrate into that world. You pretty much need to be introduced into this world by other member and it is a very luxurious world!

Other alternatives
So, if you really are in the mood for that kind of activity, but you can’t make it to these places, there are still plenty of options left on the other side of the street with the more conventional but still pricey hostess bars.
Other choices are some of the many other restaurants available, some of them looking like they are coming straight out of the Japanese animation movies we saw when we were kids (with people sitting on tatami mats, sliding doors, etc, etc)…

Recipe for a successful evening
To make sure your evening will be successful you can start your Gion night by a little excursion at the nearby shrine (open 24/7) and say a quick prayer to put all the chances of a successful night on your side. In the dark, the shrine is illuminated and with its colorful decorations, it turns out super nice.
When we were there, people were rehearsing for a ceremony (involving some dragon dance). The lanterns were all lit inside the shrine’s yard and it gave some kind of a magic feel, very relaxing (and no mosquitoes!).

- Nico