May 7, 2008
Gion, Kyoto, Japan
As one of Japan's famous nightlife districts, you can find Gion on Hanami-koji Dori....which translates to "Narrow Street for Flower Viewing".
Gion Corner stages special programs in the ancient Japanese cultural arts. I deemed it perfect for my purposes - I had limited time but I wanted to see if not experience a slice (albeit a small one) of the different traditional forms of Japanese entertainment.
Here one could find short demonstrations of the following:
tea ceremony
koto (Japanese harp)
ikebana (flower arranging)
gagaku (ancient music and art)
kyomai (Kyoto-style dance)
kyogen (Noh comic play)
bunraku (puppetry)
There is a 30 minute tea ceremony following each nightly performance (twice: 7 pm and 8 pm) during March 1 to November 29 (except August 16). You do not need to reserve but you do need to come over early to buy the tickets (cash only) if you were not able to purchase them in advance at most hotels.
Tickets: 4000 yen including the tea ceremony...otherwise its 2800 yen.
Address: Yasaka Hall, Hanami-koji Dori, Shijo-sagaru, Gion.
Take Bus 4,5,17 or 205 to Shijo Kawaramachi from Kyoto Station.
Some of the videos I had taken of the performances are posted in the Video section and are accompanied with a short explanation of each clip.
Gion, Kyoto, Japan
As one of Japan's famous nightlife districts, you can find Gion on Hanami-koji Dori....which translates to "Narrow Street for Flower Viewing".
Gion Corner stages special programs in the ancient Japanese cultural arts. I deemed it perfect for my purposes - I had limited time but I wanted to see if not experience a slice (albeit a small one) of the different traditional forms of Japanese entertainment.
Here one could find short demonstrations of the following:
tea ceremony
koto (Japanese harp)
ikebana (flower arranging)
gagaku (ancient music and art)
kyomai (Kyoto-style dance)
kyogen (Noh comic play)
bunraku (puppetry)
There is a 30 minute tea ceremony following each nightly performance (twice: 7 pm and 8 pm) during March 1 to November 29 (except August 16). You do not need to reserve but you do need to come over early to buy the tickets (cash only) if you were not able to purchase them in advance at most hotels.
Tickets: 4000 yen including the tea ceremony...otherwise its 2800 yen.
Address: Yasaka Hall, Hanami-koji Dori, Shijo-sagaru, Gion.
Take Bus 4,5,17 or 205 to Shijo Kawaramachi from Kyoto Station.
Some of the videos I had taken of the performances are posted in the Video section and are accompanied with a short explanation of each clip.
- Jul 31, '08 6:06 PM
ReplyDeletedelete reply
hugzone wrote on Aug 1, '08
I suppose these are tourist versions. Although as a tourist, i wouldn't know what is "authentic" from the "commercial".
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hugzone wrote on Aug 1, '08
Shemay! Dami owls!
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 2, '08
hugzone said
Shemay! Dami owls!
conversation:
hugzone: Shemay! Dami owls!
cuh888: ...............
\(+ +)/
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 2, '08
hugzone said
I suppose these are tourist versions. Although as a tourist, i wouldn't know what is "authentic" from the "commercial".
after looking at this, I was remembering what Chito said about the dance of ZZ in Memoirs....and timing din showing kanina sa cable..
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chitoirigo wrote on Aug 2, '08
cuh888 said
timing din showing kanina sa cable..
Past 2 AM ka na nag-post nito! Di ka ba natutulog, CatH?
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faitherasmo wrote on Aug 2, '08
Ang ko kyot-o!
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 3, '08
chitoirigo said
Past 2 AM ka na nag-post nito! Di ka ba natutulog, CatH?
kapag weekend, usually 4 or 5 am ako natutulog na..hehehe...sarap mag surf...
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 3, '08
faitherasmo said
Ang ko kyot-o!
btw F8, may mahilig ka ba na animals kino-kolek din...fuera lang "men" hehehe....ibang animal yan..
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faitherasmo wrote on Aug 3, '08
cuh888 said
btw F8, may mahilig ka ba na animals kino-kolek din...fuera lang "men" hehehe....ibang animal yan..
Haller. Yun lang ang gusto ko. Second choice: penguins. Hehe.
I don't really collect but I find them awfully cute.
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 3, '08
faitherasmo said
Haller. Yun lang ang gusto ko. Second choice: penguins. Hehe.
I don't really collect but I find them awfully cute.
timing, ilang beses na tong Happy Feet on cable this week....
they are really awfully cute...sayang wala dito..sarap pisilin...
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ReplyDeletestormlizard wrote on Aug 3, '08
I only spent one day in Kyoto, so must return. I did not stay there as I was based in Himeji, where I stayed for 14 days, from Himeji I visited Kobe twice, Akashi city once Kyoto once, and Osaka as said before. The rest of the time was well used in Himeji.
John. The hotel I used was Comfort Hotel Y72,000 for 14 nights with breakfast.
John.
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 3, '08
stormlizard said
only spent one day in Kyoto, so must return. I did not stay there as I was based in Himeji, where I stayed for 14 days, from Himeji I visited Kobe twice, Akashi city once Kyoto once, and Osaka as said before. The rest of the time was well used in Himeji.
John. The hotel I used was Comfort Hotel Y72,000 for 14 nights with breakfast.
hmm....the most beautiful castle in Japan in Himeji...this is cool, am getting tips re those places I haven't visited...I pretty much stopped at Tokyo after my Nagasaki-Osaka-Kyoto-Nara-Tokyo stops...leaving Narita back to the Philippines...
am looking forward to your posts and pictures for your October trip...
as for Comfort Hotel...I was thinking 4-5K yen for a hotel night stay..well not bad...ok, maybe I was taking my trip during Golden Week and its aftermath :-)
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stormlizard wrote on Aug 3, '08
For Tokyo "Ueno - Asakusa" I can reccomend "Oak Hotel" it caters for both Japanese and Westerners. I stayed for 4 nights Y17,640 without breakfast. Online connection in each room, customer available PC in foya. www.oakhotel.co.jp
John.
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 4, '08
stormlizard said
For Tokyo "Ueno - Asakusa" I can reccomend "Oak Hotel" it caters for both Japanese and Westerners. I stayed for 4 nights Y17,640 without breakfast. Online connection in each room, customer available PC in foya. www.oakhotel.co.jp
John.
great! I wasn't able to go to Ueno park...and my Tokyo stay was marred by rainy days..so definitely I see myself visiting Tokyo again *cross fingers*..thanks for the tip...very helpful for people like me to who like to plan budgets and accommodations properly...
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stormlizard wrote on Aug 4, '08
I had one very wet day there, Typhoon effect, sadly it was a day when a friend from Kanagawa came to visit me, we spent most of the time in restaurants, otherwise fighting with our umbrellas.
John.
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 4, '08
stormlizard said
Typhoon effect, sadly it was a day when a friend from Kanagawa came to visit me, we spent most of the time in restaurants, otherwise fighting with our umbrellas.
oh dear...the same as me..it even extended to the days of my Disneyland trip...and all our photos showed us bundled up against the rain...
I miss the food..your post about the restaurants just had me sighing...happily or despondently...or at the same time :-)
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stormlizard wrote on Aug 4, '08
I guess I must think myself lucky as it was the only day with rain during my 31 days in Japan, all the others were hot and sunny.
\=^_^=/
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meannlim wrote on Aug 10, '08
wow! mala memoirs of a geisha pala itong blog/album mo!
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 11, '08
stormlizard said
I guess I must think myself lucky as it was the only day with rain during my 31 days in Japan, all the others were hot and sunny.
\=^_^=/
the friend I stayed with told me that usually the weather changes from week to week...so your almost a month's worth of sunny days was such good timing...
or...hmm...maybe I should go over there during the months where its not expected to be rainy at all :-)
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cuh888 wrote on Aug 11, '08
meannlim said
wow! mala memoirs of a geisha pala itong blog/album mo!
eh? por dios, por que? hehehe
if I had more time, I'd have also stalked geishas on the street, but the practical side won over...