
The Belasco Theater, at 1060 South Hill Street, stood in for a Kyoto Dance Hall. Interestingly, locations in downtown Los Angeles also feature in the movie. Many of the film’s interior scenes were filmed here at the studios, located at 10202 West Washington Boulevard. Ventura Farms is located at 235 West Potrero Road in Thousand Oaks.Ī portion of the filming took place a lot at the world-famous Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City in Los Angeles County. The set contained a river, and even multiple cobbled streets, which were connected by lanes and recreated the Geisha District (Gion District) of the Japanese city, as well as other locations seen in the film. A crew of 150 worked on building a large and detailed set made to look like pre-war Kyoto. The film was shot majorly on a 2200 acre ranch called Ventura Farms in Hidden Valley in Thousand Oaks in southeastern Ventura County, California. Let’s take a closer look at the film’s specific filming locations. The production of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ lasted from September 29, 2004, till January 31, 2005. However, the need for authenticity made filming in Japan essential to the film, and lensing took place in the Land of the Rising Sun near the end of the filming schedule. Several locations across Ventura, Los Angeles, and multiple other counties were subsequently used for filming. They, therefore, decided to film in California, where most of the production was carried out on massive, detailed sets and in the studio. The filmmakers, however, found present-day Japan too modern to recreate the vintage aesthetic needed for the film. Curious about where ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ was filmed? We’ve got you covered.


The multi-Academy Award-winner, including one for Best Cinematography as well, continues to be revered for its iconic scenery and intricate backdrop that brought Sayuri’s journey as a Geisha to life.
