Braving the rain - Strolling through Kyoto's Gion district

Some of you might recognise the pictures from... oh dear, three years ago!? Now there is an article to go with. Written for Taiken Japan: http://taiken.co/single/braving-the-rain-strolling-through-kyotos-gion-district. Enjoy!

The Yebisu Temple

I came across this temple while walking around in Kyoto, I don't know its real name or what it is dedicated to, but there were many beer cans scattered here and there. Not the trash kind of beer cans. It is quite common in Japan to find offerings of beer or sake on ancestors' tombstones, but this seemed a bit different. All Yebisu beer? By the candle stands?

This is not a nazi sign, by the way, it is the symbol for "temple". The Swastika has been around for centuries and was used in many civilizations before the one that we sadly know best.

Gion - One afternoon, One morning (4)

The entire series can be viewed at Scribd.

Gion - One afternoon, One morning (3)

Gion - One afternoon, One morning (2)

Gion - One afternoon, One morning (I)

I am taking you to Gion for a new series of street photos. Gion is an old district of Kyoto, built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the Yasaka shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in Japan. The region is both a major tourist hub and a popular nightlife spot for locals. Streets vary dramatically in character, and quiet traditional streets lean upon modern ones. I hope you will share my umbrella. There will be more...


For Carina

The polaroid frames were provided by fuzzimo, thank you!