663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsTheatre · Kyoto
Gion Corner
ギオンコーナー
Gion Corner is a small theatre in Gion that shows a sampler of Japanese traditional performing arts in under an hour. It's made for visitors who want a first taste of several arts in one evening.
The programme moves quickly: a tea ceremony and flower arranging on the side of the stage, koto music, the court dance bugaku, kyogen comedy, bunraku puppets or noh depending on the season, and Kyoto dance by maiko. It isn't a deep dive, but it's easy, fun and right in the heart of the geisha district.
What to see and do
Trainee geiko perform Kyoto-style dance. For many visitors this is the high point.
A short classical comic play whose slapstick works without translation.
Bunraku puppetry or noh theatre, alternating through the year.
A pricier seat includes matcha and a sweet during the performance.
What’s on
Good to know
- Buy tickets online in advance, especially in spring and autumn.
- In winter (1 Dec–11 Mar) the show has six arts and a maiko photo time afterwards.
More art nearby
Kyoto National Museum
Treasures from Kyoto’s temples and court, in a red-brick hall that opened in 1897.
Nicholas & Debra Jewell · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsKawai Kanjiro’s House
The home and climbing kiln of a folk-craft potter, kept the way he left it.
Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMinamiza
Kabuki started on this riverbank in the early 1600s. Minamiza is Japan’s oldest kabuki theatre.
663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMiyako Odori
Every April, geiko and maiko of Gion dance a spring programme on stage.