Gion Kaikan, Theater in Gion, Kyoto, Japan

Gion Kaikan is a theatre in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, with 502 seats. Its pale, vertically ribbed upper facade has small rectangular windows and a shallow central gable; below it, a large tile mural shows pale figures, carts and patterned panels in muted pink, green and cream. Dark characters reading 祇園會舘 are mounted across the mural's lower edge, and shopfronts and entrances, including the pink and white よしもと 祇園花月 sign, run along the street level.

The building opened in 1958 with a tile mural on its exterior wall that has remained since then. It was designed by architect Masachika Endō. From 2011 it hosted Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu shows, and film screenings ended on 30 March 2012.

Every November the hall hosts Gion Odori, the dance recital of the Gion geisha districts, staged by maiko and geiko. From May 2011 it also served as Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu, a comedy venue run by Nikko, before that run ended. The name Gion Kaikan simply marks it as the Gion hall on Higashi-oji Street.

The building stands on Higashi-oji Street near Yasaka Shrine in Gion. Keihan Main Line Gion-Shijo Station is a five-minute walk away; Hankyu Kyoto Line Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station is about ten minutes on foot. The 502-seat hall hosts Gion Odori every November, so autumn visits should be planned around that event.

The building's exterior keeps a tile mural from its opening in 1958, mounted on the wall above the street-level shopfronts. It is the feature most passers-by notice before reading the large characters 祇園會舘 across the lower edge.