All Reviews for Cultural Experiences

I had a wonderful experience packed with delicious lunch in a short time, conversations with maiko, and traditional entertainment. It's a must-do program for sightseeing in Kyoto.

短時間に美味しい昼食、舞妓さんとの会話、お座敷遊びとテンコ盛りの素晴らしい体験をさせて頂きました。
京都観光の必須プログラムです。

On the day of the event, it was unfortunately rainy and felt a bit cool, but I was able to escape reality for a moment while enjoying a delicious meal (I chose sukiyaki) at a riverside location with an outstanding view, accompanied by the dance and stories of the maiko. (Laughs) Of course, photography was also perfectly allowed!

I heard that out of the five riverside venues, four were open for guests, and we had four maiko come to us: Umetae and Fumikou from Kamishichiken, and Kikuyae and Kanesue from Miyagawa-cho. (Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I couldn't meet Fumikou... so sad.)

Above all, I was really pleased with the attentiveness and care of the staff. I highly recommend this place! Ladies! (Laughs)

当日は生憎の雨で少し涼しく感じられる天気でしたが、抜群のロケーションのなか川床で美味しい食事（すき焼きを選択）を頂きながら舞妓さんの舞やお話しでひととき現実逃避してきました～。（笑）　もちろん写真撮影もバッチリいけますよ！

聞いたところ5つある川床のうち4つ入客あった様で舞妓さんも、上七軒から梅たえさん・ふみ幸さん　宮川町から菊弥江さん・叶季（かなすえ）さんの4名が来てくれてました。（時間の都合でふみ幸さんとはお目にかかれませんでしたが・・・悲）


なにより、スタッフのみなさんの気づかい心くばりも嬉しかったですね～・・・ここ、お薦めですよ！奥様～♪（笑）

This event takes place in part of a studio on the second floor of a building. There are stairs outside in front of the building that go up to the studio. We arrived early, as recommended in the program description, but ended up waiting for the previous program to finish before we could enter. Before entering the studio, you need to take your shoes off and leave them on a rack.

Once inside, there are some rows of benches facing towards a low "stage" on one side of the room. After everyone has taken their seats, the maiko enters. The English translator for the maiko was very good. The maiko introduces herself, and there is an opportunity to have your photograph taken with her and receive a slip of paper with her name stamped on it (in Japanese, of course). After everyone has their photograph, the maiko performs two dances. Then there is a question-and-answer session, and then the maiko explains the rules for a drinking game. She and the translator demonstrated the game once, and then the maiko will ask a series of volunteers to come up to the front to challenge her. If you lose, don't worry--you can choose to drink a cup of water instead of sake!

All of this takes place just over a half hour, but it didn't feel particularly rushed. The maiko was very courteous with answering questions and it was fun to play the game against her. I felt like many of the people in our audience were too shy to ask questions or volunteer, but I would encourage people to not be too shy and enjoy themselves!

My grandchild requested to meet a maiko, and we were able to have a wonderful time at a reasonable price. Ume-san, who has been a maiko for a year, was impressive with her dancing skills that she has practiced since childhood. She is also very good at conversation. The experience included a tea ceremony and traditional performances, making it a rich and fulfilling experience. It was a great tour where we could meet the maiko up close, chat, and take commemorative photos. I highly recommend it.

孫が舞妓さんに会いたいとのリクエストで、リーズナブルな料金で素敵な時間を過ごす事が出来ました。
舞妓さんになって一年の梅さなさんですが、小さい時から習っていた踊りはさすがです。お話もお上手です。
お点前体験、お座敷芸と 中身の濃い内容でした。
舞妓さんと身近に会え、お話や記念写真も撮れて、お薦めのツアーです。

There were few participants, so I was lucky to communicate directly with Maiko. I'm glad I chose the S seat.

参加人数が少なく、まいこはんと、直接、コミュニケーションが取れてラッキーです。S席にして良かったです。

I had a precious experience with a very cute maiko. She mentioned that she had only been a maiko for less than a year, but both her dancing and conversation were professional. I will definitely participate again.

とっても可愛い舞妓さんで貴重な体験をさせていただきました。まだ、舞妓さんになって一年も経っていないとのことでしたが、踊りもお話もプロでした。また、必ず参加させていただきます。

I was able to experience the traditional tea ceremony, sitting room games, and dance performances up close, which allowed me to enjoy the essence of Kyoto even more. Additionally, the Q&A session with the maiko was great because I was able to hear things that are rarely shared. Next time I come with someone else, I would like to request this tour again.

お茶の立てかた、お座敷遊び、踊りの披露、近くで観ることができて、京都らしさをより一層味わうことが出来ました。
また、舞妓さんとの質疑応答は、めったに聞くことの出来ない事が聞けたので良かったと思います。
次回、別の誰かと来る時は、このツアーをお願いしたいと思っております。

I have visited Kyoto multiple times on business trips and have seen all the temples and shrines, but I had never had the chance to interact with the okiya, maiko, or geiko, so I wanted to experience it at least once and signed up for this.

The duration was a bit short at 90 minutes, but with food and drinks included, the friendly maiko answered various questions and posed for photos multiple times. Considering that experiences at tea houses can be quite expensive, I was very satisfied to have this comprehensive experience at such a reasonable price.

This time, I was lucky because there were cancellations, and due to the season, there were fewer applicants, so we were able to enjoy the experience with just five participants. I would like to sign up again if I have the opportunity.

出張で何度も京都に訪れていて、寺社仏閣は一通り見ましたが、お座敷や舞妓さん、芸妓さんなどと接することには縁がなかったので、一度は体験したいと思い申し込みました。
時間は９０分と少し短いですが、料理とお酒が付き、気さくな舞妓さんでいろいろな質問にも答えてもらい、写真撮影も何回も応じてもらい、また、お茶屋などでは高額なことが、この料金で一通りの体験ができ、大変満足しています。
今回は、キャンセルがでたことと、季節柄、申込者が少ないことも重なり、５人の参加者でじっくり鑑賞できましたので、ラッキーでした。
また機会があれば申し込みたいと思います。

food and show was good ,but we could have done with a intererpreter in english on bus and dinner

I loved everything about this experience. I think it was well planned and it offered a lot of cool experience.
It offered more than I expected.
Maiko was professional, dinner was tasty and the views were amazing.

Maiko don't speak English; however, the staff translate everything. Maiko is so close, and it's a perfect experience about Kyoto.

maiko don't speak English however the staff translate everything. maiko is so close and it's perfect experience about Kyoto.

This is a wonderful plan that allows you to enjoy a valuable cultural experience with a maiko, including traditional games, dinner, and photography all at once. It was also very well received by foreign guests.

舞妓さんとの貴重な日本文化体験を、お座敷遊び、夕食、撮影と全て一度に楽しめる素敵なプランです。
外国のお客様にも大変好評でした。

We participated as a group of five, including my 10-year-old daughter and my 79-year-old grandfather, and everyone said they wanted to come back. We took a lot of photos, had conversations, and played games. While watching the dance, I truly felt it was a luxurious time. Considering all the experiences we had, the price felt very reasonable. We are extremely satisfied!

79歳のおじいちゃんから、10歳の娘を含む5人で参加しましたが、全員また来たいと言っていました。写真もたくさん撮ってもらったし、お話しも出来たし、ゲームもやりました。踊りを見ている時はとても贅沢な時間だなと、しみじみ感じました。これだけ体験できてのお値段にしては安く感じました。大満足です‼︎

After an half hour bus ride to the venue, dinner was served following by a show with single maiko. It's a decent performance lasting 15 minutes. The photo taking session with maiko by individual guests took the longest time for the night's activities.

Maiko was very beautiful and graceful . Her performance was great. I enjoyed it very much. The tour was a little rush. After we finished dinner we only had 15 mins left to shop and walk around the garden. The staff in the restaurant was polite and nice. I only wish they could introduce in both Japanese and English (They only speak Japanese so we had no idea what was going on)

I had a wonderful time at the lunch with the geisha, where I was able to see the real performance of the geisha twice, and there was also a Q&A session.

お座敷舞妓さんランチで本物の舞妓さんの舞も2度も見れ更には質疑応答もありで楽しい時間を過ごせました。

The facility itself was located in a corner of a building and had no charm at all, but it was a great opportunity to see the maiko up close. I think the Q&A session was a rare chance. I learned about the struggles of the maiko. I was surprised at how composed they were, even though they are still in their teens. The photo session, dance viewing, and a little bit of geisha play were very memorable.

施設自体は、ビルの一角で全然風情のないところでしたが、舞妓さんを間近で見られるとてもいい機会でした。
特に質疑応答は、めったにないチャンスだと思います。
舞妓さんの苦労などがわかりました。
まだ１０代なのに、とてもしっかりしていて、びっくりしました。
写真撮影、踊り鑑賞、ちょとした芸妓遊びはとても思い出になりました。

This is a tour where you can meet adorable maiko at the lowest price. After having tea, you can take a coveted two-shot photo. If you have time, I think it would be great to participate.

可愛い舞妓さんに最安値で会えるツアーです。
お茶を飲んだ後はあこがれの2ショツト
時間があえば参加するといいと思います。

It was truly wonderful. The price was reasonable, but the quality was by no means lacking. The maiko, Fuku, was very kind and beautiful. It was a valuable experience. My family and I are discussing wanting to visit again with a different plan.

本当に素晴らしいものでした。お手頃価格ですが、決して内容が雑というわけではなく、舞妓さんのふく那さんがとても優しく美しく。。貴重な体験が出来ました。また違うプランでお邪魔したいと家族で話しています。

I had the pleasure of spending a delightful time with a real maiko, Fuku Yuri, from the tea house and accommodation, Hori Ya, in Miyagawa-cho, while enjoying a catered lunch box. She performed two beautiful dances, "Seasons of Kyoto" and "Gion Kouta," and even answered questions about being a maiko. Although not everyone participated, we got to experience the feeling of being a wealthy patron through the tea house play (Konpira Funafuna). Plus, photography was allowed, and we even got to take two-shot photos together!

If you're visiting Kyoto, this is a must-do! It's a low-barrier event, perfect for first-timers, so I highly recommend it to everyone!

Lastly, unlike the occasional fake maiko you might see, real maiko are rigorously trained in etiquette and manners, so their presence and demeanor are truly remarkable, making it hard to believe they are just teenagers!

舞妓さんは宮川町 堀八重(お茶屋兼置屋)の”ふく友梨”さんが来てくれて、昼食の仕出し弁当を食べながら”ホンモノ”の舞妓さんと楽しいひと時をすごさせて貰いました。
華麗な装いで、たおやかな舞を二曲も（今回は「京の四季」と「祇園小唄」）披露してもらえて、舞妓さんに関する質問にも答えてもらえたり・・・全員ではないですがお茶屋遊び（こんぴら舟々）でお大尽気分を味わえたり？・・・それに撮影フリーですし、おまけに2ショットまで撮ってもらえちゃいます～！
京都に来たらコレでしょッ！！・・・ってくらい初めてって方にも敷居の低いイベントなので皆さんも是非ぃ～～♪

最後に：たまに見かけるなんちゃって舞妓と違ってホンモノの舞妓さんは行儀作法からして厳しく指導されてるので、とても10代とは思えぬほどに佇まいからして雰囲気が違いますよ！

Great event, excellent experience (wish some of organizers spoke at least some English - but we came to enjoy their culture so have to expect... and have some patience - but after we settled everything was outstanding).

Tickets were waiting for us so we could skip the line. The event it self was totally worth it. We got decent seats, not the best...we booked 2 weeks in advance so I'd recommend booking earlier if you want the good seats.

Tea ceremony was worth it, it's a bit rushed and can't see much if you're not in the first 2 rows, so try to wait by the entrance to be the first ones in. You get a small amount of good matcha, a little sweet thing and you get to keep the saucer the it's served on.

We didn't pay any extra free for booking via Veltra so props to Veltra for this!

10/10 would book through Veltra again.

Beautiful! Very hepful English speaking staff. The music was also lovely.

I reserved my place weeks ago before the dance and when i came the womens from the office where not nice at all.
I went into the theather and i had to seat on A PLASTIC CHAIR. Really ?
I paid 4000 yens and everybody has a confortable seat and me not.
This is not possible. Yes it s touristic but please...

After that the dance was nice , i mean special. I recommaned because we can t see this everdays. The old womens who sang and played instruments for the geisha and meiko were really goods.

Thank , olivier Shaw.

This was an amazing experience even without understanding Japanese. The Geiko and Meiko performed dance/acting performance to a set theme and live music is also played. Some of the stage backdrops were very beautiful as well. At the end they threw signed a fabric with all the names of the performers out and we were lucky enough to catch one. I highly recommend going to a performance like this at least once!

Amazing. When I arrived I was directed to the counter where the reserved tickets were, I then went to watch the tea ceremony, which was amazing. Then we were led to the theatre, I was given a seat in the front row - the odori was amazing - great dancing, beautiful costumes, music and singing was amazing. If you are in Kyoto in early November please go to this.

Tout était parfait, l'accueil, le spectacle incroyable ! C'est l'un des meilleurs moments que nous ayons passés à Kyoto. Merci.
Je recommande à 200 % !

What a fabulous show, highly recommend seeing these amazing talented women. A cultural show not to be missed. Colourful, mesmerising and wonderful experience. You wanted to get up on stage and learn the dances.

We were invited into tea ceremony with some mochi dessert and a little
Spectacle was amazing despite no any Japanese language skills. Show is so unique that is worth it's price and time spent.

Ordering was easy, as was exchanging the voucher for the tickets. We had great seats on the 7th row and all in all this was a great experience.