Geisha Makeover Experience
Geisha makeover experience at Kyoto GION AYA
We have a studio and garden that was renovated from a real teahouse, and even outdoor shoots.
A photographer who is familiar with the postures and gestures of Geisha and Maiko,
We will carefully pose and take photos to capture the best moment.
The tatami room studio inside the store is a room that was used as a real teahouse parlor during the Taisho period. Scrolls and Japanese clocks displayed on the tokonoma alcove and staggered shelves will further enhance your maiko look.
This is an original GION AYA studio that uses Kyoto Karakami (handmade Japanese paper) as a backdrop. This special studio allows for a variety of photo shoots, with lighting that beautifully reflects women against a backdrop of "traditional patterns" that have been passed down since the Edo period.
The shop's garden studio is a small courtyard garden typical of Kyoto townhouses, where you can enjoy a gentle atmosphere. It is filled with natural light during the day, and is fantastically lit up at night. The roof can be removed and retracted, so you don't have to worry about shooting on rainy days.
The colours of the seasons make the maiko's appearance even more beautiful.
Makeup staff will accompany you during outdoor shoots, so you don't have to worry about your makeup or clothes getting messed up.
The location of the shoot will change depending on the photographer. The photographer will guide you to the best location for the shoot, taking into consideration the number of people passing by at the time and the lighting depending on the time of the shoot.
Our staff are well-versed in how Geisha and Maiko look, and will carefully pose you in the way you lower your shoulders, tilt your head, and hold your umbrella or basket to create the most beautiful pose for the photo you choose.
The poses for the photo shoot may be subject to change. The photography team will brainstorm ideas and come up with a wide variety of poses to meet the customer's desire to be photographed in a certain way.
Each plan includes 10 minutes of free time for photo shoots, during which you can spend time in your room, the courtyard, or the entrance hall after the shoot and take photos freely using your smartphone etc.
When you wear a maiko kimono, 10 minutes seems long but it's short. If you can imagine what your 10 minutes will be like by looking at photos of past customer experiences, I think you will be able to spend your time meaningfully.
We have made various efforts to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy strolls and outdoor photo shoots on hot summer days.
In addition to lending out Japanese parasols, we also offer services such as hydrating before you head out, using ice packs to cool you down during photo shoots, placing your obi high and tight to prevent sweating, providing towels to wipe away sweat, and providing small folding fans, so you can enjoy the coolness of Kyoto in the summer sunshine.
It snows less and less in Kyoto every year, so it is difficult to take photos with a snow-covered background, but the "light" is different during the winter maiko experience. Photo spots where the light is too strong in summer will have a softer impression in winter because the light is backlit.
The best part is being able to take photos with the softest, most elegant light of the year.
