Transform into a maiko with kimono, white make-up and traditional hairstyle, with a studio photo session; experience from around 3.000 ¥.
The henshin experience, or transformation into a maiko, lets you experience from the inside the aesthetics of Kyoto's apprentice geisha. In the studio, professionals dress you in a silk kimono, apply the characteristic white make-up and place a traditional hairstyle or wig with ornaments on you; the result is spectacular and the subsequent photo session, in a Japanese-style room or a garden, is kept as a memento in a small album. You can choose from more than a hundred kimonos and, on some plans, go out for a walk of about half an hour through the streets of Gion and Higashiyama to take photos with the temples and lanes in the background. The basic experience starts at around 3.000 ¥ and rises according to the extras (outdoor walk, number of photos, plans for couples). It is advisable to book in advance, especially in high season, and to arrive on time because the make-up and dressing process takes a while. The studio is in the Higashiyama area, near the main temples of eastern Kyoto.
