The first of August is a very special day in Kyoto’s Gion district. Named after a term which designates the first day of the eighth month of the ancient Japanese calendar, Gion’s Hassaku is a special opportunity to see many of the “Geiko” (a local term in Kyoto for geisha) and “Maiko” from Japan’s most renowned “Hanamachi” or geisha district.
We arrived a bit before 10, and it was already crowded. I mean, the main street, Hanamikouji, was packed with photographers. Many of them have been there for quite a while, seated, waiting. The day was particularly hot and humid. And nothing was happening.
We moved around, went to another location. In front of a famous teahouse (ochaya) more photographers were waiting. Back on the main street, we could see some maikos driving by in taxi, but none yet walking around. Then, a couple of them, wearing a gorgeous kimono arrived and walked by. All the photographers jumped and pushed each other to take pictures.
Two maiko entering a chaya (teahouse)
A geiko (geisha) walks around with her “team”
With this heat, I wonder how the maiko, covered with thick make-up and wearing such heavy kimono, do it. Impressive. The scene repeated itself a couple of times — as soon as a maiko arrived, photographers forgetting any manner and only thinking about their picture, pushed each other. This somehow annoyed me very much. We just left.
