2020 Kamogawa Odori Tickets (May 1-24) reviews, Kyoto tours & activities, fun things to do in Kyoto | VELTRA

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2020 Kamogawa Odori Tickets (May 1-24)

Overall Rating

4.57 4.57 / 5

Reviews

21 reviews
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A fun way to get a taste of more traditional Japanese culture

Reviewed by: Avyncentia, 2019/06/16

This was a great show! The dancers were talented, the comedy was funny (the acting was clear enough that I got the gist of it, despite not speaking any Japanese), and the scenery and costumes were beautiful. The seats were comfortable and better than I expected given the price. The theater wasn't too difficult to find and it's in the heart of Pontocho, which is an older area of Kyoto. I would highly recommend attending this show or similar if you get the opportunity!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/05/24
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Great authentic experience!

Reviewed by: Brooke K, 2019/06/08

So grateful we got to see this traditional experience. We had amazing seats and the performance was very unique. Definitely would recommend to others.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/23
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Excellent!

Reviewed by: Danielle, 2019/06/07

An amazing experience - one of the few opportunities to witness geiko and maiko perform. The dance was lovely and enchanting - a very uniquely Japanese experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/23
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Kamogawa Odori - Once in a Lifetime

Reviewed by: Brandon, 2019/05/29

The Kamogawa Odori performance is fantastic. It's incredible to see Geisha's perform - truly a once in a lifetime experience. The tea ceremony and photo-op were also very nice.

My ticket was in the first couple of rows, so I had a great seat the whole time. Everything is in Japanese (which I prefer due to its authenticity) but they had a program that had a short synopsis in English.

The performance itself was very well done with simple but beautiful set design and the iconic Geisha dress.

You absolutely need to 1) Travel to Kyoto and 2) Go to Kamogawa Odori (come in May!)

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/22
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Awesome

Reviewed by: mel, 2019/05/29

Priceless experience....Veltra make it easy and affordable for us....tq

You should try it!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/05/20
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Fantastic; no problems whatsoever

Reviewed by: Someone, 2019/05/26

I wasn't sure about VELTRA... But everything went perfectly! Email confirmation arrived quickly; Easy to show the coupon printout and swap for tickets; Accurate location instructions.

The show itself was extremely impressive, in a beautiful theatre space, and absolutely authentic. Besides tourists, there were LOTS of locals all dressed up to enjoy a quality performance.

I would 100% recommend using VELTRA's service if you want to see traditional Japanese theatre - so much easier than the official theatre website.


One caveat: dialogue is all in Japanese. If that bothers you, you need to broaden your mind.

Oh, and the barrage of souvineers beforehand was a little unexpected - But nothing that could possibly diminish the overall experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/05/24
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Magnifique

Reviewed by: Daniel,san, 2019/05/26

Cette représentation était spectaculaire et très intéressante du point de vue culturel! À voir absolument !

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/24
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Great

Reviewed by: Fil, 2019/05/24

Great experience! A real geiko and maiko show in pontocho

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/20
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Lovely tea, excellent performance.

Reviewed by: Virginia, 2019/05/24

I really enjoyed this experience. A large group of attendees were served tea and a tea sweet while a beautifully dressed maiko performed the tea preparation part of the tea ceremony. Then we could take pictures of two maiko. The performance included a play and a series of dances that were beautifully performed in gorgeous costumes. Even though I don't speak Japanese, I still had a pretty good idea of what was going on from the dance movements. I had an excellent seat. Wonderful experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/22
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Traditional experience with WOW factor!

Reviewed by: Helen Adams, 2019/05/23

We will not forget this performance. It was exciting to watch from beginning to end. The performers, the show direction, the sets were all fantastic. The costumes were magnificent. There was a small downside, and that was the tea ceremony was very rushed. We were herded in and herded out, and this made us wonder why this was significant in any way.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/21
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Lovely afternoon show!

Reviewed by: Bintara, 2019/05/21

We had a good time at the show. It was a small theatre and the show was not particularly grand, but it was a really nice and cosy performance. Loved it!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/05/19
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Nice to see

Reviewed by: Andie, 2019/05/20

The overall experience went well. This is basically the traditional Japanese play, it only happens in a few days in May, and it's not very touristy. Most people going were actual locals, dressed in kimono. There were a few tourists, dressed more casual, but very few.
We knew that we wouldn't understand any of it. But the play itself, more the second part with the traditional dancing, was very pretty, and didn't involve much dialogue.
The tea ceremony was very rushed, and you are expected to eat the sweet and drink your tea very fast, and couldn't enjoy properly the act of the geisha actually "preparing" it.
Overall, I am glad we did it, and it was an experience to remember. But if you expect a long tea ceremony, please go elsewhere. This one was no more than 5min.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/18
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Unique Cultural Geisha Experience

Reviewed by: Erik and Alison, 2019/05/19

The tea ceremony was rushed and a non-event but the tea was real macha with a delicious cake. You keep the cake plate as a souvenir.
We did the photo op after the tea ceremony - it was OK.
The performance is outstanding and well worth the price of admission. Very professional, exquisite costumed and live orchestra.
Highly recommend this if you are in the Gion area.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/17
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A must do!

Reviewed by: Karen C , 2019/05/17

If you are lucky enough to be in Kyoto while this is on, go! Fabulous!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/15
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Excellent performance!!

Reviewed by: Then0madneverrests, 2019/05/16

It was one of the best cultural experiences. Even though i dont understand Japanese I enjoyed it thoroughly. You can buy the English synopsis of the play at the theatre itself. I faced no problem and I just went to the ticket counter and exchanged the voucher.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/14
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Serendipity to a new high

Reviewed by: Unexpected, 2019/05/08

We understood the Web page to be offering a demonstration of the Sado (tea ceremony) by Maiko. This was not to be. What we dis see was a superb performance of Maiko dances and period orchestra with voices performing a tribute to Japan's new era just commenced the week we were in Kyoto. Awesome talent and display of Maiko skills in song, dance and artistry of the animated gesture. The 182nd annual performance by this group. A mempry to treasure.

Reply from activity provider

Hello Unexpected,

Thank you for bringing our attention to this matter. After confirming with the provider, we were told that the tea plan comes with free tea before the show begins, but that a tea ceremony will not be held. We have updated our page to reflect these changes.

We are grateful for your honest review. We value our customers' opinions and reviews like your help us improve our services. We hope you had a lovely time in Japan and we hope you consider booking with us again the next time you travel.

Sincerely,
VELTRA.com

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/05/05
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Spectacle du 02/05/19

Reviewed by: Jean-Sébastien, 2019/05/06

Un très beau spectacle, émouvant dans sa seconde partie avec notamment l'orchestre à gauche de la scène.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/05/02
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2019 Kamogawa Odori Tea Ceremony and Geisha Show

Reviewed by: Miles, 2019/05/05

Outstanding geisha performance and tea ceremony. Exchange vouchers for tickets an hour before tea and show. Well organized.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/05/01
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Overall it was a positive experience, especially with regards to the show

Reviewed by: Carola, 2019/05/05

Overall it was a positive experience, especially with regards to the show.
The photo session and the tea ceremony, a joke for tourists, was disappointing
I recommend buying tickets only for theater and geisha dances

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/05/02
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Guidelines for foreign tourists could be a lot better

Reviewed by: Kevin, 2019/05/05

There was no issue in finding the location and to get the ticket at the booth with the voucher from Veltra. I purchased Special Seat without the tea ceremony.

Thereafter, we were ushered into a hall where the tea ceremony was held. I did not know it was that when I was in the queue. When they serve tea, they realized that I didnt purchase with it and they asked me to purchase a separate ticket for it (though it was in my intention to opt out). There was no briefing during the tea ceremony as to what was supposed to happen in the process.

After that we went into a room while waiting to enter the performance hall. Although I bought a special seat unfortunately I was given the second last row of the hall. There were staff walking around with signs in Japanese which I figured later they were renting out translator machines. The group of staff while walking around with those did not mention anything in English nor were there any signs in English whatsoever.

The performance was split into 2 sections. The first was like a drama and it was difficult to enjoy the show without translation. The srcond brief was more on dance and it wad quite beautiful.

Staff could be more conversational in English throughout. A lot of foreign tourists were lost in their way from the tea ceremony to the performance as well.

Reply from activity provider

Hello Kevin,

Thank you for leaving a review.

We sincerely apologize for the tea ceremony mix-up. We have since relayed your comments to the provider. Please rest assured that we are taking steps to ensure that the same mistake does not happen again.

As for the devices that you saw, those are actually audio devices that provide explanation of the scenes in Japanese. As they only cater to Japanese people, the signs were written in Japanese only.

Again, thank you for taking time to write us a review. We value our customers' opinions and reviews like yours help us improve our services.

We hope you had a lovely stay in Japan.

Sincerely,
VELTRA.com

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/05/03
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Rare Opportunity to Watch Geisha

Reviewed by: MaryWilder, 2018/06/13

I would recommend this show to anyone who is in Kyoto during the performance period and who would like to see authentic geisha. The costumes and dances were beautiful and well worth the expense. Know beforehand that the show has speaking parts in Japanese with no translation, but an English programme is available for purchase. I opted for electronic tickets through VELTRA and had no issues picking up tickets from the box office. Our tickets included a tea ceremony, where we received delicious tea, a sweet, and a souvenir plate.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/05/09
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