Gion
Kyoto's best known geisha district, which grew up in front of Yasaka Shrine to serve travellers and pilgrims. In its lanes of wooden teahouses, especially along Hanamikōji, a geiko or maiko may pass on her way to an evening appointment.
- Where
- Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 35.0035, 135.7750
Get the Gion stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Gion. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Kyoto volume with your photos and a note.
Near Gion
Yasaka Shrine 0.3 km
A Shinto shrine at the east end of Shijō-dōri, once called Gion Shrine and the centre of the Gion faith. It is dedicated to Susanoo and his consort, and each July it hosts the Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's most famous festivals.
Ponto-chō 0.6 km
A narrow lantern-lit alley of teahouses and restaurants running beside the Kamo River, and one of Kyoto's geisha districts. In summer the restaurants on its river side build wooden platforms out over the water for dining.
Kōdai-ji 0.6 km
A Rinzai Zen temple in Higashiyama, founded by Nene in memory of her husband, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Its gardens, designed by Kobori Enshū, are a Place of Scenic Beauty, and its precincts a National Historic Site.
Chion-in 0.8 km
The head temple of Jōdo-shū, the Pure Land school founded by Hōnen, who taught that reciting the name of Amida Buddha brings rebirth in his Pure Land. Its Sanmon is one of the largest wooden gates in Japan, and its great bell is rung by a team of monks at New Year.
Nishiki Market 0.8 km
A narrow covered market street in downtown Kyoto, one block north of Shijō Street, crowded with small stalls and shops. It is where the city buys its pickles, tofu, fish and sweets, and is often called Kyoto's kitchen.
Kiyomizu-dera 1.3 km
A temple in the eastern hills of Kyoto, one of the few that predate the city's founding as capital, dedicated to Kannon. Its great wooden stage juts out from the main hall on tall pillars over the slope, and below it the Otowa waterfall runs in three streams.
Heian Shrine 1.6 km
A Shinto shrine in Sakyō, built in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of Kyoto's founding. Its main buildings are a scaled-down copy of the old imperial palace, and a giant red torii stands over the road in front.
Sanjūsangen-dō 1.8 km
A Tendai temple in Higashiyama whose long wooden hall holds 1,001 statues of the thousand-armed Kannon, standing in rows around a great seated figure. Its name means hall of 33 bays, after the spaces between its pillars.
More famous places to visit in Kyoto
Questions
Where is Gion?
Gion is in Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Yasaka Shrine (0.3 km), Ponto-chō (0.6 km), Kōdai-ji (0.6 km).
How do I get the Gion stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Gion and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Kyoto volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Gion before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Kyoto volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.