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Side Trips

Kyoto's culture

By JANET K. KEELER
Published December 11, 2005

The mysterious and beautiful world of Japanese geishas is not just the stuff of Hollywood movies. Visitors walking the cobbled lanes of Kyoto's Gion district are likely to see the white-faced women in kimonos clicking and clacking along alleyways in their wooden platform shoes.

The stunning costumes and lovely scenery of Memoirs of a Geisha, which opens in Tampa Bay area theaters Dec. 23, might spur interest in travel to Japan, and specifically Kyoto.

If so, there is plenty to see in the cultural heart of Japan.

Besides the geisha, the imperial capital is known for its handmade crafts and traditional old world teahouses. The city has 17 shrines and temples that have been named World Cultural Heritage Sites, but it may be the geishas who hold the most interest for visitors.

Geishas are women who are trained in classical dance, and other arts, in order to entertain men of high standing. They are not prostitutes as some suggest.

Where once there were thousands of geishas in Kyoto, the number has fallen to about 200. The geisha houses on Hanami-koji are not open to the public, but you may be able to hear the music coming from within and spot a maiko (apprentice) going to classes. The Yasaka Shrine and its colorful paper lanterns and the Minamiza Kabuki Theatre nearby are worth a look.

Is your interest piqued? Resources to help plan a trip:

* For information about touring Kyoto, visit the Kyoto Prefecture Web site, www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en and look under cultural experiences.

* Kintetsu International Travel Consultants is offering a Kyoto excursion for $1,229 per person, including round-trip air and five nights in Kyoto, with an option of a two-day add-on. Travel can take place between January and March. For more information and a listing of departure cities, go to www.japanforyou.com or call toll-free 1-800-422-3481.

* The Women's Association of Kyoto, www.wakjapan.com 81-75 212-9993, an international exchange group, arranges numerous personal requests - including tea ceremonies and traditional crafts experiences. All members assigned to Americans speak English.

* Nancy Craft, director of tour planning at Esprit Travel of Los Angeles, arranges personalized tours for independent travelers, and can also arrange such activities as a private tea ceremony, or visits to a washi paper artist or to a gallery specializing in contemporary fiber art. Craft, who was an artist in Kyoto for six years, can be reached at 970 728-0161, or by e-mail at nancy@esprittravel.com

* The Japan National Tourist Organization in New York can be reached at 212 757-5641, or visit www.jnto.go.jp

- Information from the Associated Press and New York Times was used in this report.

[Last modified December 9, 2005, 08:38:03]