JAPAN | Saturday, 12 January 2013 | Views [314] | View Smaller Image
Kyoto, Japan: In the Gion district, a chef washes the pavement in front of his restaurant in preparation for the evening crowds. This age-old tradition continues throughout Japan today, symbolizing that a shop is clean and making it more inviting to passersby. The lazy tranquility that currently enrobes Gion belies the frenetic energy that will soon course down its cobbled lanes, as the neighborhood is one of the few remaining areas where geisha continue to live and work.
