Nakagyo Ward & Gion, Kyoto

We hit Nishiki Market, known as ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’, of about 130 shops along a 400meter arcade. An unbelievable array of plastic samples of the delicacies available - seafood skewers, sushi and sushimi, noodles, wagyu and egg, green onion omelette, tempura, caviar - amazing! The message was be polite, respect local culture, do not eat or drink while walking, eat at the store of purchase and ‘I’m troubled by garbage and dirt’. Onwards to Gion, the original entertainment district of Geisha and apprentice Maiko, ochaya (teahouses) and machida (traditional wooden merchant dwellings). I spotted a very elegant looking woman, a Mama-san who looked to me to be the real deal, and we observed discrete, elegant entrances, which put me in mind of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ - so intriguing. Tourism is an issue and some streets are closed.Lue lisää