Editing Gion (section)

{{short description|Geisha district in Kyoto}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2021}}
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[[File:150124 Gion Kyoto Japan01s3.jpg|thumb|Hanamikoji street]]
[[File:Gion Higashi Tsunemomo.jpg|thumb|Gion Higashi ''geiko'' Tsunemomo surrounded by paper lanterns|alt=A geisha with lit paper lanterns behind her.]]
{{Nihongo|'''Gion'''|祇園}}{{efn|In [[Historical kana orthography|traditional kana spelling]], Gion is spelt {{lang|ja|ぎをん}}, which in modern orthography is {{lang|ja|ぎおん}}. The first kanji in the name's kanji spelling, {{lang|ja|祇}}, is properly as {{lang|ja|示}} + {{lang|ja|氏}}, but is often written as {{lang|ja|ネ}} + {{lang|ja|氏}} instead, and on computers depends on the font used. Occasionally {{lang|ja|'祗'}} ({{lang|ja|示}} + {{lang|ja|氐}}) is seen, but this is a mistake, as these are distinct characters.}} is a district of [[Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto|Higashiyama-ku]], [[Kyoto]], [[Japan]], originating as an entertainment district in the [[Sengoku period]], in front of [[Yasaka Shrine]] (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known [[hanamachi|geisha districts]] in all of Japan. Gion is the Japanese translation (via Chinese ''Qiyuan'') of the Buddhist term [[Jetavana]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jetavana Monastery|url=https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/J/11|access-date=2021-08-24|website=Nichiren Buddhism Library|publisher=[[Soka Gakkai]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Muller|first=Charles|date=2010|title=祇園精舍|url=http://www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/pcache/79id(b7947-5712-7cbe-820d).html|access-date=2021-08-24|website=Digital Dictionary of Buddhism}}</ref>  [[Yasaka Shrine]], located in this district is the center of the [[Gion faith]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=kyotokankoyagi |date=2021-01-06 |title=Gozu Tenno and Yasaka shrine: The Deity is still alive in the fear of COVID-19 牛頭天王英語で説明 |url=https://kyotokankoyagi.com/gozutenno-en |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=ヤギの京都観光案内/KYOTO GOAT BLOG |language=ja}}</ref>

The [[geisha]] in Kyoto do not refer to themselves as geisha, instead using the [[Kansai dialect#Regional differences|local term]] {{Transliteration|ja|'geiko'}}. While the term geisha means "artist" or "person of the arts", the more direct term {{Transliteration|ja|geiko}} means essentially "a woman of art".