Gion - Okonomiyaki & Maiko

After a short rest we took the Kyoto subway to the Gion district, where after a few false starts (restaurants are busy and tiny) we wound up at an okonomiyaki/teppanyaki restaurant that was great. Of course, part of the fun was watching all the Barrett boys try to eat dinner parked on a cushion on the floor. (OK, that was mostly enjoyable by me.) Also I had never tried beef tendon before, it's totally delicious. Tender and tasty.

After dinner we walked around this historic district, which has been beautifully preserved and is lighted with lanterns at night. The weather cooperated, it cools off here at night. The district is very lively with lots of clubs and restaurants, lots of guys in suits (bouncers I assume) manning the doors.

We saw 3 maiko (apprentice geisha) and I created a lot of angst with my crew by photographing one, which is supposedly a big faux pas. They are very easy to spot, their faces are extraordinarily white and their hairstyle is intricate. I justified by selfishness by pointing out that others were doing the same, but my family was not buying it. What can I say, they're right.Read more