20 Famous Movie Scene Locations That You Can Actually Visit

5/20

Memoirs Of A Geisha – Kyoto, Japan

The world was mesmerized by the bestselling book of the same name, so it was no surprise when Memoirs of a Geisha was turned into a movie. In this epic period drama set in Japan, 9-year-old Chiyo is sold into servitude at a geisha house in Kyoto, only to become the most famous geisha ever known.

The movie went on to win Best Cinematography, and while a lot of this film was shot in California, some of the scenes could only be filmed in the authentic atmosphere of Gion, Kyoto, the epicenter of geisha culture.

• 

• 

The city’s most famous sites are beautifully shot in the movie, especially the hundreds of red torii gates at Fushini Inari Taisha and the iconic pagoda at Kiyomizudera Temple. Be warned that these sites are incredibly crowded with tourists, so you may have to wait some time to get a clear shot of the red gates without dozens of people in them.

If you stay in the Gion district, keep your eyes peeled for a real geisha, who just might silently slide open a wooden door, and walk down the street in full kimono. It’s a bit of a cliche to say it’s almost like something out of a movie!