, pronounced locally as Kamihichiken, is a district of northwest

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is the oldest

hanamachi A is a district where geisha live and work in Japan. Each typically has its own name, crest, and distinct geisha population, with geisha not typically working outside of their own district. usually contain (geisha houses) and (teahouses whe ...

(

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female J ...

district) in Kyoto, and is located just east of the

Kitano Tenman-gū is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

Shrine. The name Kamishichiken literally means "Seven Upper Houses." These refer to the seven teahouses built from the equipment and material left over from the rebuilding of the Kitano Shrine in Muromachi era (1333–1573). Kamishichiken is located in Kyoto's

Nishijin is a district in Kyoto spanning from Kamigyō ward to Kita ward. Though it is well-known as a district, there is no administractive area called "Nishijin".(jaWhat is Nishijin?/ref> Nishijin is notable for its textile production, and is the bir ...

area, which is known for traditional hand-woven textiles. The quiet streets of Kamigyō-ku are made up of dark wooden buildings, mainly (teahouses) and (geisha houses). Unlike the other remaining districts, which are located close to the city center, Kamishichiken is further away, and accordingly significantly quieter and attracts fewer tourists. The geisha of this district are known for being subtle and demure, few in number but each highly accomplished dancers and musicians. There are approximately 25 (apprentice geisha) and geisha in Kamishichiken, along with 11 teahouses. The district crest is a ring of skewered (sweet dumplings). On lanterns they appear as red circles on white paper (as opposed to

Gion is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...

, which uses a similar design, but with the reverse colors – white on a red background).

Events

Plum Blossom Festival ()

On February 25, the is held at

. In addition to the plum blossoms, the festival features an open-air , where tea and (traditional sweets) are served to 3,000 guests by geisha and .

Kitano Odori

The annual district-wide dance, the , is performed in April in the distinctive style of dance, sometimes called Kitano Kabuki.

Beer garden

, a

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

is open to the public at Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theatre during summer months, and offers a unique chance to be served by and geisha from July 1 until August 31 (from 6pm until 10pm); it also features traditional dances by the geisha in the evening.Geisha gardens in Kyoto
, 12 Jul 2010 – contact information

References

External links