This website is to provide information about maiko of Kyoto, Japan, to non-Japanese overseas.
Welcome to the world of Maiko!
Thank you for visiting our site. This site was created to introduce Geiko and Maiko in Kyoto, which are part of the Japanese culture, to people outside of Japan.
What is Maiko? We will post all sorts of information about their customs, kimono fashions, work practices, and so on.
♦Geisha? Geiko? Maiko?
It’s not easy to understand what is Maiko in one word, is it? Many people might be wondering how does it differ from Geisha.
The word “Geisha” may be more widely known than “Maiko” around the world, but not many people use the word “Geisha” in Kyoto. In Kyoto, they say “Geiko”, and not “Geisha”, to name the professionals who entertain guests with their dance or shamisen play, after learning their skills through hard practice. These names get confused because there were also high-class prostitutes called “Oiran” in Yoshiwara red-light district — and that was a similarly glamorous profession in the old days, although it was a clearly different profession from Geiko.
Maiko are the girls who are training to become Geiko.
Their day-to-day training is extremely tough, but they make every effort to reach their dream of becoming independent professionals. They are a truly valuable legacy of the Japanese culture.
How do they live & work, where do their unique charm, beauty and Japanese character come from?
♦Kyoto Sightseeing & Maiko
There are 5 entertainment streets, such as Gion Kobu,
Gion Higashi, Miyagawa-cho, Ponto-cho, Kamishichiken.
We can meet Maiko around these places.
The chances of seeing them are higher on
Friday evenings, before their work on stage.
The Maiko you see in the daytime are likely the tourists
experiencing Maiko dress & make up.
In Kyoto, you can experience being a Maiko. Usually,
you need to book in advance, and you can feel as if you were a Maiko with the typical Maiko-like white make up, a rented kimono, Japanese wig, and accessories; and you can walk around the streets in Kyoto. There are rental shops with English speaking staff to help foreign tourists, so it might be worth trying.
Shimohachiken in Kyoto is a small but historical entertainment street. People there were concerned that they had only one Maiko, Momoha (Tomoko Tahata). One day, a girl called Haruko (Mone Kamishiraishi) came to Shimohachiken and said that she wanted to become a Maiko…
You can win Maiko’s traditional accessories and goods!
Find your favorite Maiko goods!Go to Maiko Shop!
