geisha
Authentic materials recreate the fashions of apprentice geisha, oiran courtesans, and even bridal kimono.
A more comfortable way to enjoy the festival season while out and about in your yukata summer kimono.
Foreign guests welcome at lobby lounge function that sidesteps the cost and pretense of orthodox geisha services.
Read More
The Hollywood Ghost in the Shell turned to master prop makers from Weta Workshop to achieve their detailed practical looks.
With the controversy over the model’s Vogue photos ongoing, has anyone bothered to check on how Japan feels?
The all-new Japanese-exclusive packages include limited-edition coloured chocolates that capture the spirit of Japan.
We’ve talked before about geisha as one of Japan’s distinctly female professions, so this time we’re going to share with you a few fun facts about the geisha and their floating world.
In Kyoto, Pikachu wears a kimono with a Ho-Oh design and a Vivillion-adorned hair accessory.
If you want to become a geisha, maiko, samurai or courtesan, gender is no barrier at this Asakusa photo studio.
If you’ve ever wanted to turn back time and step into the clothes of a well-dressed geisha, a pipe-smoking courtesan or a sword-wielding samurai warrior, we’ve found the perfect place for you!
They say that it’s rare to see a real maiko walking the streets of Kyoto, since these artists usually work at night and live in their own secluded world, far from the rest of Japanese society. In fact, if you spot a maiko strolling around Gion during the day, there’s a good chance she’s a tourist who’s undergone a fabulously elaborate makeover.
We took our Japan Wish competition winner Ashley to a studio in Kyoto’s Gion neighborhood to have a maiko-over and be transformed in an amazing process that yielded completely stunning results. Ashley was able to choose her own kimono and obi sash, and as part of the deal she was treated to a professional photography session and the opportunity to take a stroll around the streets of Gion in full maiko garb!
Just as with full-fledged geisha, it’s customary for maiko, as geisha apprentices are known, to wear a layer of white face powder, called oshiroi. But those who’ve seen one of Japan’s traditional entertainers close up often marvel at their smooth, healthy skin, remarking that they would be just as beautiful with all of those cosmetic coverings washed away.
But in much the same way that their polished speech and refined mannerisms are the result of years of training, maiko also have a careful routine they follow to keep their skin looking as delicate and pleasing to the eye as it does.
Kyoto now welcomes 50 million tourists a year who come to experience Japan’s traditional culture and architecture, plus catch a glimpse of the city’s famed geisha. But, as anyone who lives in a tourist hot spot knows, living there is not the same as a short visit.
As such, the following is a list of some of the things that Kyoto locals probably have the urge to remind tourists of from time to time, so allow us to shatter your illusions with some of the realities that come with living in Japan’s ancient capital.
‘Omotenashi’, the spirit of Japanese hospitality, became something of a buzzword at home and abroad when Christel Takigawa used the phrase in her speech to the International Olympic Committee in 2013.
And it’s in this spirit that Tokyo’s Narita airport plans to extend an especially warm welcome to international visitors this year, as it renews its Omotenashi Program of special offers and cultural events for transferring passengers.
In 1853, the rulers of Japan ended the country’s more than two centuries of isolation from the rest of the world. But while foreigners could now get into Japan for trade and commerce, it would take more than 10 years until Japanese citizens could leave the country, meaning that outside cultural influences were still slow to find their way into the half-opened nation.
As such, there’s a brief, time capsule-like period in which Japan’s culture was still almost entirely of indigenous origins, but foreign visitors had the technology to visually document it, as shown in these beautiful photographs of 19th century Japan.
MOST POPULAR
Now
A wild collab appears between Yoshinoya and Pokémon
First-time Pokémon player has an extra-dark theory about how to make money in Sword and Shield
Japan’s deep-fried ramen croquettes are here, and now it’s time to try them!【Taste test】
AKB48’s final original member, who had to shave her head, is leaving the group
Even anime industry insiders say they’re unable to contact execs from vanished anime studio
These policemen’s response to a young boy turning in a 50 yen coin he found will warm your heart
An entire Tokyo anime company has apparently disappeared, leaving artists unpaid for their work
New cat-friendly homes in Japan come specially designed for felines
Japan’s bonenkai parties are the worst thing about the end of the year. Here’s how to fix them
Nintendo’s Kirby is trying to eat pet rabbits in Japan【Photos】
Weekly
Japanese lawyer comments on legality of tattoo ban at hot springs, netizens share thoughts too- An entire Tokyo anime company has apparently disappeared, leaving artists unpaid for their work
- Japan’s bonenkai parties are the worst thing about the end of the year. Here’s how to fix them
Why do Pokémon Trainers “black out” when they lose a battle? This could be the real reason
Believe it or not, those aren’t pantyhose that this woman is wearing
High schooler “forced” to quit school sues Kumamoto prefecture for a single yen- AKB48’s final original member, who had to shave her head, is leaving the group
Watch as these Japanese cats treat their brand new, giant cushion with extreme suspicion
Pikachu is opening his own take-out Pokémon sweets shop in Tokyo!
New cat hotel in Japan lets you watch kitties right outside your window for entire stay【Pics】
Monthly
Japan’s cheapest hotel charges just 130 yen (US$1.20) for a room, with a huge, no-privacy catch
We visit the new all-you-can-eat KFC buffet restaurant in Tokyo
Japan’s pre-sliced cat-shaped bread: The greatest thing since non-kitty sliced bread
Harajuku Station will be demolished after the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
That time we got imprisoned in a Tokyo hostess bar- Japanese lawyer comments on legality of tattoo ban at hot springs, netizens share thoughts too
- An entire Tokyo anime company has apparently disappeared, leaving artists unpaid for their work
Japanese makeup tutorial shows how a middle-aged man can turn into a beautiful young woman
Manga about 40-something man’s relationship with daughter’s schoolgirl friend sparks controversy- Japan’s bonenkai parties are the worst thing about the end of the year. Here’s how to fix them
Yearly
Microsoft Japan’s experiment with 3-day weekend boosts worker productivity by 40 percent- Japan’s cheapest hotel charges just 130 yen (US$1.20) for a room, with a huge, no-privacy catch
Five reasons not to live in Japan (as chosen by Switzerland’s perviest otaku)
PewDiePie buys house in Japan, calls it “a dream come true”
Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene
Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog
Why do Japanese toilets have double hooks on their doors?
Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
You can now turn your smartphone into a Pokémon Pokédex thanks to Bandai【Photos】
Uniqlo announces new line of awesome Dragon Ball T-shirts and hoodies【Photos】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
These policemen’s response to a young boy turning in a 50 yen coin he found will warm your heart
An entire Tokyo anime company has apparently disappeared, leaving artists unpaid for their work
New cat-friendly homes in Japan come specially designed for felines
Japan’s bonenkai parties are the worst thing about the end of the year. Here’s how to fix them
Nintendo’s Kirby is trying to eat pet rabbits in Japan【Photos】
“25 Potential Culture Shocks from around the World” infographic offers tidbits of travel wisdom
New cat hotel in Japan lets you watch kitties right outside your window for entire stay【Pics】
Toyota goes full otaku, makes 40 kawaii mascots for every part of the car
Gorgeous Chinese woman creates one of Japan’s favorite mobile games, encourages microtransactions
Watch as these Japanese cats treat their brand new, giant cushion with extreme suspicion
Believe it or not, those aren’t pantyhose that this woman is wearing
The little-known inspiration for Princess Mononoke: A manga about a tribe in Papua New Guinea
Foreigner delights Japanese netizens with hilarious video about Japanese washlet toilets
-
