is one of the or

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...

districts in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. means "Shrine River", referring to the nickname of the

Kamo River The is located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The riverbanks are popular walking spots for residents and tourists. In summer, restaurants open balconies looking out to the river. There are walkways running alongside the river, and some stepping s ...

just south of Shijō. During the Gion Festival the (divine palanquin) of Yasaka Shrine used to be purified in the waters of this river. Miyagawa-chō trademark consists of three interlocked rings, symbolizing the unity of the shrine/temples, the townspeople, and the teahouses. What is now Miyagawa-chō was a place where entertainers gathered.

Kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

was performed in many small theaters on the banks of the Kamo River. Some of the

teahouses A teahouse or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel, especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment that only ser ...

were even boats that operated in the river. As kabuki was just then developing into a mass entertainment spectacle as known today, the area was very popular and Miyagawa-chō quickly grew into a full town of teahouses. The association with kabuki has gone, but the Minami-za kabuki theatre of Kyoto still stands on its historical spot on the east bank of the Kamo River. Today, Miyagawa-chō has its own , or theater where geisha dances are performed.

External links

Kyo Odori
Annual Dance Festival in Miyagawacho
Debuted Maiko in Miyagawacho

References

Geography of Kyoto {{Kyoto-geo-stub

See also

External links

References