During April’s Miyako Odori (都をどり), local geisha give performances of traditional dance at the Gion Kōbu Kaburenjō (祇園甲部歌舞練場), a theatre near the south end of Hanamikoji-dōri. This is also the venue for a touristy display of traditional arts known as Gion Corner (ギオンコーナー). Though it’s far better to spend a little extra to see the real thing, this is an opportunity to see brief extracts of court dance, bunraku puppet theatre and the slapstick kyōgen.
Gion north of Shijō-dōri consists mainly of high-rise blocks packed with clubs, bars and restaurants. But walk up Kiritoshi, one block west of Hanamikoji-dōri, and you eventually emerge into another area of teahouses, known as Shinbashi (新橋). Although it only comprises two short streets, the row of slatted facades reflected in the willow-lined Shirakawa Canal makes a delightful scene, day or night.