Gion Corner (Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan)

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

Gion Corner is a programme of traditional Japanese performing arts and culture staged in the Gion district of Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto. It began in 1962 as a theatre in the Yasaka Kaikan building, created as an evening attraction for visitors. Since March 2023 the performances have been held in the small theatre of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo, after a closure that began in 2020.

In about an hour, the programme introduces seven traditional arts: tea ceremony, flower arrangement, koto, court music (gagaku), kyogen comic theatre, Kyoto-style dance (kyomai) and either bunraku puppet theatre or noh, depending on the period. A maiko gallery at the entrance displays items such as a maiko's obi sash and okobo footwear. The programme is run by the Kyoto Traditional Arts Promotion Foundation, and printed programmes are prepared in twelve languages.