Later that evening we decided to explore Kyoto's historic Gion district—one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.
As we stood outside in the cold, perusing the menu, we were called into one of the local eating establishments. A man helped us remove our shoes and sat us on the floor at a low bar. The food was delicious. We felt welcome. Other restaurants were not so welcoming. One had a sign posted that read, "NO we do not speak English. We do not serve fish."
A geisha is a traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses. Their wide skills include performing various arts such as Japanese classical music and traditional dance, witty games and conversation, traditionally to entertain male customers, but also female customers today. The most literal translation of geisha into English would be "artist", "performing artist", or "artisan". Another name for geisha, perhaps more fitting, is geiko, which translates specifically as "Woman of Art."
—source: wikipedia
Wandering the streets in search of the elusive geisha.
We should have done our homework since most geisha leave for their evening engagements around 5:45 p.m. It seems we were too late!
We found a lonely little bar at the top of a building, with a decent selection of Japanese Whiskey.
A little nightcap and back to the hotel for some r 'n' r.
Sounds like a lovely evening and so nice you got a warm welcome after that one sign. Interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThat was interesting about the sign "No..." Glad you found some where you could eat and feel welcomed! looks like a fun evening!
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