Kyoto | Gion Merchant Houses

Kyoto Teahouse Architecture Sado Tea Ceremony

Gion Hanamachi's Machiya 'Merchant Houses'

Gion is a preserved historic-district in the Higashiyama Ward of eastern Kyoto. Gion is situated in a low-lying area at the foot of Yasaka Shrine, between the east-bank of the Kamo River, and the Higashiyama Mountains.'

The traditional architecture of Gion, called 'Machiya' dates back to the Edo period, from 1600 to 1867. Machiya, or 'merchant townhouses' were designed to be very narrow at the street, with most of the building extending towards the back.

Although narrow looking form the street, the houses of Gion are deceptively deep. The narrow design of a the Geisha-okiya 'Geisha family houses,' and machiya 'kimono-merchant houses' was a clever wsay of avoiding property taxes during the Edo period, which were based on the width of the house at the street.

Japan has some of the oldest intact wooden structures in the world. Unfortunately, the "great fire" of Tenmei 8 in 1788 destroyed most of Kyoto's wooden structures. Fire notwithstanding, temples such as the Horyu-ji in Nara (c. 1650) have withstood the ravages of time, rivaling the age of many stone buildings and monuments.

To prevent the spread of fire from one house to another, small firewalls and wing-walls called 'udatsu' were added to the section of roof that joins two dwellings together. The udatsu eventually became a decorative feature, with the addition of a ornamental-tile cap. Another unique feature of the machiya roof is the highly ornate ridge-end tiles called oni-gawara.

The Gion Hanamachi (Geisha District)

The 'Gion' area is considered a 'hanamachi,' or "flower-town" geisha-district with five distinct sub-districts, or gohanamachi known as: Gion Kobu, Gion-higashi, Kamishichi-ken, Miyagawa-cho, and Ponto-cho. Gion Higashi and Gion Kobu are both famous for their teahouses where the Geiko entertain well-healed clients.

In the kimono-merchant district the private residences, royokans and teahouses or 'okiya' are hidden behind a bamboo gate, or 'genkan,' which leads to an inner courtyard garden.

During the month of July the entire Gion district is closed to car traffic for the month-long Gion Matsuri festival, where many of the merchant townhouses leave opent their genkan for the public. The Gion Matsuri festival is one of the most important holidays in Kyoto.

The Kyoto Ryokan in Gion

A ryokan is a very traditional style of Japanese inn that dates back to the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The ryokan was meant to serve travelers, and featured minimalist rooms floored in tatami-mats, futons, and communal bathing in a onsen hot spring bath. A guest to a ryokan would wear yukata or robe.

Kyoto and the surrounding countryside is one of the few places remaining in Japan that still has this type of traditional guest inn. Some of the more expensive ryokan still serve the traditional multi-corse Kaiseki Meal.

Books on Traditional Japanese Architecture

The Courtyard Gardens of Kyoto's Merchant Houses

The Japanese House: Architecture and Interiors

The Hidden Gardens of Kyoto

Landscapes for Small Spaces: Japanese Countryard Gardens

Japanese Fortified Temples and Monasteries AD 710-1602 by Stephen Turnbull

The Japanese Bath