Enjoy the Maiko Experience and Traditional Culture in the Ancient Capital from the Hotel Lounge

Maiko, apprentice geisha, stroll the streets of Kyoto dressed in kimono and their glossy hair in traditional nihongami style. During the day, they practice traditional performing arts such as nihon-buyo (traditional Japanese dance) and shamisen. In the evening, the maiko make their way to the ozashiki (geisha gatherings) alongside geiko to grace the banquet with their lovely presence.

Intergate Hotels offers an immersive customer experience by promoting local attractions in collaboration with the people involved in local industries. Hotel Intergate Kyoto Shijo Shinmachi invites a maiko to host a monthly event for visitors to learn about Kyoto’s cultural history.

Kyoto city has 74 designated traditional industries, 70 percent of which maiko participate in as part of their usual routines. During these events, visitors can experience Kyoto’s rich cultural scene by interacting with maiko and enjoying their performances.

Maiko wear various items provided by Kyoto’s traditional industries, such as a kyoyuzen furisode kimono and obi, made of Nishijin-ori fabric, and flower-adorned hairpins and braided obijime. From head to toe, the beauty of Kyoto is captured by the handiwork of artisans. Delicate and artistic, these beautiful items are at their most attractive when worn and used.

“The charm of Kyoto is the history that's deeply rooted in the city,” says maiko Toshi Eri. When asked which traditional items are her favorite, she says, “I like them all, but I especially like the flower-adorned hairpin.”

Changing monthly, cherry-blossom motifs on the hairpins are abundant in April.

“I think it’s wonderful that I’m allowed to wear something a normal girl wouldn’t be able to wear”.

The guests gathered that day were all meeting maiko for the first time. As they watched the maiko dance in front of them and listened to the entertaining explanations about the maiko way of life and Kyoto’s traditional industries, their nervousness gradually melted away. As they enjoyed the ozashiki games, the guests grew bold enough to ask the maiko some questions.
After settling down from all the games, they watched a maiko dance in the light of warosoku (Japanese candles).

In the past, when there was no electricity, people spent their nights by the light of Japanese candles. A warm orange color, Japanese candles have a large flame that flickers even in the absence of wind. The makeup said to look the most beautiful in this light is white makeup. The culture of maiko and geiko has a history of more than 400 years, and the white, full-face makeup is a tradition passed down from generation to generation.

Maiko’s dances appear even more beautiful and delicate in the flickering light of the Japanese candles. The swaying shadows reflecting on the folding screen combined with the ethereal beauty of the performance is breathtaking.

Before and after the event, there is a souvenir corner where visitors can conveniently purchase items made by the hands of Kyoto’s artisans. Small-sized Japanese candles, straps of kyo-kumihimo (braided cords) or kyo-koma (wooden spinning top), and other items that can be used even in conjuction with a moden lifestyle.

An evening with a maiko dressed and performing in a traditional manner may seem extraordinary for people accustomed to modern life. In Kyoto, traditions have been passed down from generation to generation, and many are still alive today. Why not open the gate to ancient times through Hotel Intergate Kyoto Shijo Shinmachi?