Roads centering on Hanami-koji are indispensable for the daily lives of local people, and deliverymen carrying food and drinks to teahouses are busy driving. Don't block the road or stop the traffic on foot.

Please don't touch the lanterns.
Please don't sit on Inuyarai bamboo fences.

This is a paper lantern called a "chouchin", hung at the entrance of machiya. The design differs depending on the "kagai" (geisha district). The white circles in this photo represent "kushidango" (rice dumplings on a skewer). Please do not touch the lanterns, as this can cause damage.

And this is a small fence called an "inu-yarai", which were used to protect machiya from things such as muddy water and dog waste. The curved structure is also said to have helped prevent burglars. Please do not sit or lean on the "inu-yarai", as this can cause damage.

Please don't enter private property.

Many Kyomachiya express the boundary with private land by "Kekkai", which comes from Buddhist terminology. It is a signal that the area behind it is private property. Please do not go past the barrier.

Please don't take pictures of geisha without permission.

Maiko, who can be said to be a symbol of Gion, is a practice in the daytime and a repetition of work at night. It ’s a busy day, and it ’s not uncommon to have many requests, especially at night. When they see Maiko in Gion, they are on their way to work. Let's not disturb them.

Please don't smoke on the street.

The streets of Gion lined with Kyomachiya have a taste. On the other hand, wooden Kyomachiya is very vulnerable to fire. That's why the locals are always protecting the town while raising their awareness of disaster prevention. To protect such a townscape, you should never smoke in Gion.



You can download the leaflet about manners in Gion here.