In the 2016 Keihan cherry blossom viewing itinerary, a trip to Kyoto’s night cherry blossom lighting event "Gion Shirakawa Sakura Light Up" was arranged. Finally, I saw the stunning night cherry blossoms in Gion. The large number of tourists on the scene was also really amazing. I did not expect that from 2017, The lighting event that has been held for 27 consecutive years has come to an end. I don’t know when it will restart. Let’s take a look at the last beautiful figure of Gion Shirakawa Yozakura in 2016!
Transportation: How to get to Gion Shirakawa?
Gion Shirakawa is close to Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Main Line, and nearby Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line. You can take a direct train from Osaka to Gion Kyoto within an hour. Gion Shijo Station is next to Exit 1 of Gion Shijo Station. Entrance.In addition, there is a Shijo Keihanmae stop near Gion Shirakawa, but if you are departing from Kyoto Station, it is recommended to take a number of bus routes that pass through Shijo Kawaramachi Station, and then walk across Kamogawa.
Shirakawa is the north-south canal in Kyoto. The Shirakawa-side road between Higashiojidori and Hanamikojidori is called Shirakawa Kita-dori, and the distance between Gion Tatsumi Bridge and Kote-dori (Yamato-Odori) is called Shirakawa Nandori. Cherry blossoms in Gion Shirakawa The road is mainly located on both sides of the road of Shirakawa Nantong, which is also an important traditional building preservation area in Kyoto.
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▲ Gion Shirakawa is close to Exit 9 of Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Main Line.
▲ The entrance of Gion Shirakawa is facing Yamato Ojido and Kamogawa, and is close to the Shijo Kawaramachi business district.
Night lighted up cherry blossom road in Gion Shirakawa
After exiting the station from Exit 9 of Gion Shijo Station, you can immediately arrive at the entrance of Gion Shirakawa at Yamato Odori. Between Ogawa Odori and Yamato Bridge, it can be said to be the most beautiful section of Shirakawa Night Sakura in Gion. This is a short stretch of road. The cherry blossoms on both sides are lush and close together, creating a beautiful cherry blossom tunnel, which is also the most crowded area, and it also makes Yamato Bridge often have a situation of pedestrians and vehicles competing for roads.
Then walk all the way from Yamato Bridge to Gion Sunda Bridge. Although the density of cherry blossoms is low, there is no interference from traffic. Under the lighting of the river and the restaurant lights, it presents a completely different style. At this time, you can slowly Walking on the stone road until the end of Tatsumi Daming Shrine, savor the unique charm of Kyoto.
▲ The cherry blossoms are the densest between Yamato Odori Street and Yamato Bridge, and the stone road between Yamato Bridge and Sunda Bridge is accompanied by the river of cherry blossoms.
▲ The Shirakawa entrance of Gion from Exit 9 of Gion Shijo Station is a popular cherry blossom viewing spot.
▲ The cherry blossoms on both sides of this short section of road close together, forming a beautiful cherry blossom tunnel.
▲ The red parasols under the cherry blossom road create a very interesting view of cherry blossoms.
▲ Tatsumi Daimyoji Shrine in front of Tatsumi Bridge in Gion is the end of Shirakawa Sakura Road in Gion.
▲ Gion Shirakawa is surrounded by tea houses and restaurants, and the facades of the shops are quite calm and low-key.
Postscript: Gion Shirakawa stopped lighting at night
The Gion Shirakawa Night Sakura event is called Gion Shirakawa Night Sakura Light Up, and it has been hosted by the Gion Gion Prosperity Society in Kyoto since 1990. This association is composed of 60 local shops and is designated for the preservation of Kyoto’s traditional buildings. District, often becomes a film and television shooting scene.
Since March 2017, taking into account the traffic chaos during the night cherry lighting period, coupled with the limited budget of maintenance personnel and activities, the 3 consecutive years of lighting events have come to an end. Wendy and Anya visited in 27 Gion Shirakawa Night Sakura has also become the last memorial!
Safety considerations and budget constraints were the two main reasons that finally brought the Gion Shirakawa light-up event to an end. In fact, Wendy felt that the real factor behind it was that the economic benefits of tourists who came here to enjoy cherry blossoms at night were not high!Gion Shirakawa is an open space, and entrance fees cannot be charged. The surrounding restaurant is not dominated by foreign tourists who enjoy cherry blossoms outside. I am afraid that it will disturb the elegant dining environment of the guests in the restaurant. It is better to stop the event.
In any case, even if the night lighting event comes to an end, Gion Shirakawa is still very beautiful during the day, and the traffic here is very convenient. It is recommended that you can arrange a visit during the cherry blossom viewing period.
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◎ Gion Shirakawa Tea House Village
– Address: 〒605-0085 Motoyoshicho, Higashiyama District, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
– Official website: http://www.gion-nawate.com/sakura/
