A memorable meal with Japan’s iconic entertainers in the birthplace of Geisha culture
2-3 hour private experience
Location: Kamishichiken, Kyoto
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
Meet the master
What you’ll do
Lunch
Enjoy a bento lunch, with entertainment provided by 1 maiko. Play Ozashiki Asobi (traditional geisha games) and top things off with a photo-session!
Dinner
Enjoy a luxurious 10-course Japanese kaiseki meal with unlimited drinks (Beer, sake, cocktails, soft drinks) with entertainment provided by 3 geishas (maiko, geiko, and one Jikata, a shamisen specialist). Play Ozashiki Asobi (traditional geisha drinking games) and enjoy dance performances! Top things off with a photo-session.
About venue
Held at an ‘invitation-only’ geisha lodging/teahouse, this is an exclusive experience showcasing the ultimate in Japanese hospitality.
What to wear
Smart-casual or semi-formal dress is recommended.
Who can attend
Children are welcome to join. Children aged 5 years and under can join for free. Children 6 years and above will be charged the full rate. The teahouse is not wheelchair accessible.
What else you should know
You are welcome to take photos--just kindly refrain from shooting during performances. Time is set aside at the end to capture special memories.
Access
35 minutes from Kyoto Station.
Otherworldly beauty
With their white-painted faces, crimson lips and ornate kimonos, geisha are instantly recognizable as a symbol of Japan, though still shrouded in mystery. Not courtesans, but master entertainers, they are classically trained in the arts of traditional Japan music, dance, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and conversation. Their training is rigorous, with a one year trial period as a ‘shikomi’ before being accepted as a ‘maiko’ (an apprentice geisha) at age 15 or 16, after which they continue honing their skills for another four years or so until becoming full-fledged geisha. Living communally in lodging called ‘okiya’, where maiko are trained, they are managed by an older woman, a former geisha herself, called an ‘okamisan’ or ‘okaasan’ who they are indebted to under contract. In the evenings, they attend private dinner parties at an ‘ochaya’ or teahouse, delighting guests with their otherworldly beauty and unparalleled hospitality. For guests to enter an ochaya to be entertained by geisha, they must be referred or invited, adding to the mystique surrounding the traditions of the geisha. Kyoto boasts the oldest and most authentic geisha culture, and catching a glimpse of a maiko walking to her next dinner appointment has left many a traveler breathless. We invite you to take one step further, into this exclusive and magical world, to personally interact with a geisha yourself.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 7 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
