The Gion district of Kyoto, home to most of the remaining geisha (called geiko here) in Japan, is what most tourists think of when they think of Kyoto.  Though the wooden buildings have undoubtably burned down several times since the district’s birth five centuries ago, Gion emanates with history like no other place in Japan. Part of that comes from the fact that geiko move quickly through the narrow streets on their way to evening appointments as they have for centuries. If you don’t photograph a real geiko in Gion, fear not; tourists dressed as geiko are plentiful and your friends at home won’t know the difference.