Yuka Balcony Dining by the Kamo River Every year from May 1st through till the end of September around one hundred restaurants along the Kamo River erect yuka balconies so that their customers may enjoy the cool air off the river as they eat their meals. The sight of all those balconies on a summer night with all their cheerful lanterns swinging in a light breeze and the … [Read more...]
Geisha Dance: Kamogawa Odori
John Dougill writes... Charlie Chaplin loved it, and so have thousands of others. The Kamogawa Odori is simply irresistible and a rare chance to see geisha perform in public. It helps make May the merriest month of the year. Kyoto has five geisha areas in all, popularly known as 'hanamachi' or flower districts. Gion is the biggest and best-known; Pontocho which … [Read more...]
Shougetsu-An Revisited
October 2009 update: Sadly Shougetsu-An has now closed. However, further up the street (towards Sanjo) you can find its sister restaurant Shiki-Yoshina. It also has a yuka balcony in the summer season and a very similar menu. Another branch of the same group is the restaurant Hamacho just north of Sanjo on Kiyamachi, however this restaurant does not have a riverside … [Read more...]
Along the Takasegawa: Pontocho and Kiyamachi
Old, quiet memories in a wild, new world The Takasegawa Canal Ian Ropke writes... This month, if you have the time, consider strolling down the Takegawa Canal along the lively, yet always interesting, world of Kiyamachi and Pontocho. Though the Takasegawa is called a river in Japanese, it is actually a canal, built with thousands of laborers. This is quite amazing, when you … [Read more...]
Pontocho’s Tanuki Shrine
The stuff of miracles & legend On April 27, 1978, fire broke out in the early morning hours along the narrow street of Pontocho, the heart of one of Kyoto’s oldest entertainment quarters. Before anything could be done several of the quarter’s old wooden teahouses had been destroyed and a young geiko (the Kyoto word for a geisha) was dead. However, when the raging blaze … [Read more...]
