#tsudaro

[missmyloko]

November 7th, 2023: Congratulations to Kyoto's newest maiko on the occasion of her misedashi! Honoka (穂乃佳) of Tsurui (つる居) in Gion Kobu has debuted under natori geiko Sayaka (紗矢佳), also of Tsurui! She is Gion Kobu's second misedashi of the year and Tsurui's newest debut since Erika in 2021. Her outfit features waves and pine with lucky treasures and her obi features a gorgeous shippō pattern ^^ おめでとうさんどす穂乃佳ちゃん ^o^! Image is courtesy of Gion Tsudaro.

[missmyloko]

June 3rd, 2023: Another geiko has appeared in Gion Kobu! Katsuemi (佳つ笑) of Odamoto (小田本) is celebrating her erikae! Her erikae had to be postponed a day due to heavy rains in Kyoto, but it was all worth it in the end. She is the first imōto of Katsue (佳つ江), also of Odamoto, to have her erikae and the second erikae within a week for the bustling district. Her outfit features folding fans with fancy cords and a golden pine obi ^^ おめでとうさんどす佳つ笑さん ^o^! Image is courtesy of Gion Tsudaro.  

[missmyloko]

A Random PSA on Places to Interact With Maiko and Geiko in Kyoto

This is probably my most asked question, and I admit that without knowing where to look it can be EXTREMELY hard to find reputable places to meet maiko and geiko. So, here’s my list of places where you can meet at interact with maiko and geiko! Prices will vary depending on what options you choose, so please be aware that some places will have different prices based on what you’ll be getting ^^

Highly Recommended

These are places where numerous friends of mine have gone and have always had an excellent time.

Shigemori’s Maiko Theatre (舞妓シアター): $30 - $120 Per Person An absolutely excellent bang for your buck, it includes a meal, tea ceremony, and dance performance by the maiko and geiko of Shigemori (しげ森) in Miyagawa Cho! There’s also ample time to take pictures and ask questions too! You can book this directly through their website.  Kimono Tea Ceremony Maikoya: $125 - $250 Per Person A great place to visit as it offers both a chance to meet maiko and geiko in an intimate setting, but also has a mini museum where you can check out real items used by maiko and geiko! You can book through their website which is fully in English and carries a high recommendation from Trip Advisor.

Enchanted Time With Maiko: $190 Per Person One of the newest yet most in-demand experiences due to their wonderful staff and great atmosphere, this is an excellent place to go for people who are interested in maiko and geiko yet don’t really have much knowledge about the karyukai. It takes place in the lovely Enraku restaurant, so enjoy traditional cuisine while being entertained by maiko! You can check out their plans and book directly on their website. 

Gion Hatanaka (祇をん畑中): $200 Per Person The most highly recommended establishment from everyone that I’ve spoken to for their excellent service and hospitality! You can easily book them through many travel websites simply by Googling “Gion Hatanaka Geisha Dinner” or through this website here ^^ Tomikiku Ochaya (富菊お茶屋): $350 Per Person In the heart of Gion Higashi, they are home to the wonderful Tomi girls (Tomitae, Tomitsuyu, and Tomichie) who you can dine with directly at their ochaya without a referral! They offer a traditional ozashiki experience, so if you really want to know what an ozashiki in an ochaya setting is like then look no further! You can browse their plans on their website, but unless you speak English then you will have to set up your reservation via your lodging house.

Recommended

I either don’t know anyone who’s gone here but have heard good things or have not heard anything bad about them.  Gion Tsudaro (祇をん津田楼): $35+ Per Person Available for both lunch and dinner, Tsudaro is an authentic ochaya located in the heart of Gion Kobu. All food is fresh and representative of traditional kaiseki fare (dishes that use fresh, in-season ingredients). Plus, there are courses that also have maiko and geiko present! You can go there for lunch or dinner without seeing maiko too, but why not go for the full experience? You can book directly via their website ^^ Kamanza (金座) - $45 - $85 Per Person A new spot that’s growing in popularity due to their food and service, its plans are an excellent value! You can choose to either have a set meal plan or choose your own meal and eat as much as you like! You can also opt to hire on an extra maiko or geiko for your time too! You can check out their great English website here ^^ Exclusive Kyoto: $150 - $500 Per Person This service has also been around for quite a while and has excellent connections. They have packages that range from simply hanging out at a bar with maiko and geiko, to dinner, to full blown ozashiki. They have all occasions to meet your budget, and with great reviews you can’t really go wrong! You can book directly through their English website. Koan Hanare (弘庵はなれ): $180 - $300 Per Person A brand new service that just started at the beginning of August, It has the whole package including dinner, a show, time to speak with a maiko via a licensed interpreter, ozashiki games, and time for pictures. You can also pay a bit more to have your own personalized ozashiki experience for you and your friends! Their English website is kept up by their interpreter and all questions are fielded by them in a quick and timely manner! Mosaic Machiya’s Maiko Service - Price Varies The Mosaic Machiya, whose friendly staff are wonderful to work with, can help set you up in a meeting with maiko and geiko to meet your budget. You can contact them directly on their website to book a unique experience that you’ll never forget! 

Do NOT Recommend

As can be gleaned by the title, these places have bad reputations and should be avoided. Links to their services will not be provided.

Gion Taotei (ぎをん桃庭) Extremely rude staff, a very tiny venue, and completely rushed, it’s a waste of your time and money to go here.

[missmyloko]

May 30th, 2022: A new maiko is born! Katsuhide (佳つ秀) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu is celebrating her misedashi! She is the first imōto for geiko Katsuhana (佳つ花), also of Odamoto, and the first misedashi for Gion Kobu this year. She’s wearing a beautiful kuromontsuki with waves, ships, and treasures of the Shichifukujin and a golden obi with karabana! おめでとうさんどす佳つ秀ちゃん ^o^! Image is courtesy of Gion Tsudaro. 

[missmyloko]

In the post of gion tsudaro,of the misedashi of katsuhide what is the objet of the third image?

The object in the third image is the sashigami that'a given out to customers and businesses that announce the debut of a new maiko (they're also sent out for erikae). They list the name of the girl celebrating, her onesan, her okiya, the date, and the name of the person they're meant for ^^

[missmyloko]

March 10th, 2020: Another new batch of maiko have debuted in Kyoto! The celebrating girls this time are Yuzuha (柚子葉) of Tama (多麻) and Katsukoma (佳つ駒) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu and Fukuharu (ふく晴) of Kikumasa (貴久政) in Miyagawa Cho! Yuzuha is the imōto of natori geiko Fukuha (福葉) and the second Tama maiko to debut this month! Katsukoma is the imōto of Katsuhina (佳つ雛) and is also the second maiko to debut from Odamoto this month! Fukuharu is the first imōto for natori geiko Fukuka (ふく佳) and first debut from Kikumasa in just over a decade! All three girls had to endure pouring rain once again as Kyoto endures a small bout of March showers that will swiftly bring spring flowers ^^ おめでとうさんどす柚子葉ちゃん、佳つ駒ちゃん、とふく晴ちゃん ^o^! Images are courtesy of Kiyomizu Karaku, Gion Tsudaro, and My Kyoto Photo.

[missmyloko]

March 2nd, 2020: Congratulations to Katsuume (佳つ梅) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu on the occasion of her misedashi! She is the first imōto of geiko Katsutomo (佳つ智) and the second of seven new debuts for Gion Kobu within the next month! With her debut and the upcoming debut of Katsukoma we’ll be seeing Katsuharu and Katsumomo switching to ofuku too ^^! おめでとうさんどす佳つ梅ちゃん ^o^! Images are courtesy of Gion Tsudaro. 

[missmyloko]

December 9th, 2019: It’s been a big day for the Kyoto karyukai! There were three misedashi and one erikae across three different kagai! Katsuhana (佳つ花) of Odamoto (小田本) celebrated her erikae in Gion Kobu to much fanfare. Over in Miyagawa Cho Toshieri (としえり) of Komaya (駒屋) and Kimimitsu (君光) of Toshikimi (利きみ) celebrated their misedashi and look exuberant in front of their mokuroku! Finally, Hideyoshi (秀好) of Masamiya (雅美家) in Pontocho became the fourth debut from the Masamiya okiya in 2019, which can only be described as a bumper year with a bright future! These will be the final misedashi for the year, but there’s still one erikae left to round out the decade ^^! おめでとうさんどす佳つ花さん、としえりちゃん、君光ちゃん、と秀好ちゃん ^o^! Images are courtesy of Gion Tsudaro, Komaya Okiya and Ochaya, Koxtutan, and The Pontocho Kabukai.

[missmyloko]

Hi! Do you know how to make a reservation of a course that includes a maiko in Gion Tsudaro? Their website information is really vague and doesn't specify clearly if maiko are present.

I’m not too sure either. You’ll have to get someone to contact them directly and ask ^^

[missmyloko]

May 22nd,2018: Congratulations to new maiko Katsuemi (佳つ笑) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu on the occasion of her misedashi! She is the first imōto of Katsue (佳つ江), also of Odamoto, who became jimae last year less than six months after having her erikae! Katsuemi is the third maiko to debut from Odamoto this year and the tenth so far for Gion Kobu! おめでとうさんどす佳つ笑ちゃん ^o^! Images courtesy of Gion Tsudaro on Instagram.