day Kyoto  (the Geisha district where Arthur Goldens novel is set) looked much  too modern to evoke the 1920s and 30s. So, a large set of the Gion  district was constructed outside of Los Angeles in Thousand Oaks,  California. The detailed set had real cobblestone streets, bridges,  a river, period buildings and antique props which evoked the period  described in the novel.