Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [282]
Gion Odori (; 561-0224; Higashiyama-ku-Gion; admission/with tea ¥3500/4000; shows 1pm & 3.30pm) Held at Gion Kaikan Theatre (Map) near Yasaka-jinja; 1 to 10 November.
Kamogawa Odori (; 221-2025; Ponto-chō-Sanjō sagaru; normal/special seat/special seat with tea ¥2000/3800/4300; shows 12.30pm, 2.20pm & 4.10pm) Held at Ponto-chō Kaburen-jō Theatre (Map), Ponto-chō; 1 to 24 May.
Kitano Odori (; 461-0148; Imadegawa-dōri-Nishihonmatsu nishi iru; admission/with tea ¥3800/4300; shows 1pm & 3pm) At Kamishichiken Kaburen-jō Theatre (Map), east of Kitano-Tenman-gū; 15 to 25 April.
Kyō Odori (; 561-1151; Kawabata-dōri-Shijō sagaru; admission/with tea ¥3800/4300; shows 12.30pm, 2.30pm & 4.30pm) Held at Miyagawa-chō Kaburen-jō Theatre (Map), east of the Kamo-gawa between Shijō-dōri and Gojō-dōri; from the first to the third Sunday in April.
Miyako Odori (; 561-1115; Higashiyama-ku-Gion-chō South; seat reserved/nonreserved/reserved with tea ¥3800/1900/4300; shows 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm & 4.50pm) At Gion Kōbu Kaburen-jō Theatre (Map), near Gion Corner; throughout April.
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HOTEL BARS
Some of the best bars in Kyoto are inside hotels. These are usually very easy to enter and you will have no communication problems. Here are our favourites:
Orizzonte (Kyoto Hotel Okura;) This is a restaurant by day, lounge by night (usually from 7pm to 11pm). The view over Kyoto here is stunning.
Sekisui (Hotel Fujita Kyoto;) Open from 5pm until 1am, this basement-floor bar really looks out over water falling onto stones (hence the name, which means ‘stone and water’).
Tōzan Bar (Hyatt Regency Kyoto;) We love this cosy and cool underground retreat below one of Kyoto’s best hotels. It’s worth it to go just to marvel at the design. It’s open from 5pm until midnight.
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Geisha Entertainment
If you want to see geisha up close and personal, one of the best ways is at Gion Hatanaka (Map), which offers the Kyoto Cuisine & Maiko Evening (541-5315; www.kyoto-maiko.jp; Yasaka Jinja Minamimon-mae, 505 Minamigawa, Gion-machi, Higashiyama-ku; per person ¥18,000; start time 6pm, every Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat & selected dates). Here, you can enjoy elegant Kyoto kaiseki food while being entertained by real Kyoto geiko and maiko (geisha and apprentice geisha).
Kabuki
Minami-za Theatre (Map; 561-0160; Shijō-Ōhashi; performances ¥4200-12,600; irregular) In Gion, this is the oldest kabuki (stylised Japanese theatre) venue in Japan. The major event of the year is the Kao-mise Festival (1 to 26 December), which features Japan’s finest kabuki actors. Other performances take place on an irregular basis. Those interested should check with the TIC. The most likely months for performances are May, June and September.
Karaoke
Jumbo Karaoke Hiroba Kawaramachi Branch (Map; 231-6777; 29-1 Ishibashi-chō, Sanjō dōri, Kawaramachi Nishi iru, Nakagyō-ku; per person per 30min by/after 7pm from ¥140/340; 11am-6am) If you feel like giving the vocal chords a workout with the Japanese national pastime (karaoke), then head to this popular ‘karaoke box’ in the Sanjō shopping arcade. They’ve got enough English songs to keep foreign guests entertained.
Musical Performances
Musical performances featuring the koto, shamisen and shakuhachi are held in Kyoto on an irregular basis. Traditional performances of bugaku (court music and dance) are often held at Kyoto shrines during festival periods. Occasionally contemporary butoh dance is also performed in Kyoto. Check with the TIC to see if any performances are scheduled to be held while you are visiting the city.
Nō
Kanze Kaikan Nō Theatre (Map; 771-6114; Sakyō-ku-Okazaki; admission free-¥8000; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun) This is the main