Kyoto - Maiko Makeover

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All the decorum and grace of a real Japanese Geisha

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With a grasp on the bus system now, Jas and I headed back up to the hills where Kiyomizu is located. We got off the bus at the bottom of the hill, walked up the steep road then took a hair pin turn and scrambled half way back down on even steeper steps to Studio Shiki, I had an appointment to be turned into a Geisha in training.

While Jas was asked to wait in the reception area, I was ushered into a long, narrow changing room, with a row of lockers on one side and sinks on the other. As soon as I walked into the room, a dozen Japanese girls at various stages of make-up removal turned from the mirrored sink wall to gawk at the only Gaijin in the room, mmm... awkward. To avoid further embarrassment, I quickly stripped off and dressed in the disposable gown and tabi socks I was given and headed up stairs to the make-up room. When I walked into that room, I was whisked into a bathroom and redressed in the gown. I had put it on like a medical gown, with the opening at the back, when (quite logically) it was supposed to be worn like a Kimono, with the opening at the front. Further embarrassment stealthily avoided, well done Heather.

Studio Shiki's idea of grace and decorum

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The ensuing  make-up and costume rooms were much like a musical chairs  assembly line. Properly gowned, I was asked to take a seat and shortly my hair was tied back, put in a net and a purple cap was tied around my head, each process performed by a different person. Then I was moved to the next seat where my face was cleaned and dried, in the next seat my face and neck were painted white then dusted. Lips and eyes were made up in the next seat then I was escorted to the costume room where I picked out my kimono and obi. In this room, rather than seats, there were Xs marked on the floor, as you move from spot to spot another piece of clothing, padding or binding is added until finally you are crowned with the head piece, a different style for each season. Being autumn, mine had orange maple leave dressings. My sister, who had her photo shoot in Spring had cherry blossoms on hers.

Geisha shoes of death

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Onwards to the photo studio and without a word I was coaxed into half a dozen very  precise poses, with various props, but "no smiling!!" as the girl next in line kindly translated for me. Try to not smile when someone is miming it to you by smooshing their cheeks in and pulling their lips down into a frown. When the photo shoot was all done I was set free to walk around Kyoto for 15 minutes in all my fake Maiko glory while my prints were processed.

With the similtaneous  torment and delight of Studio Shiki behind me and a unique set of photos in my hand, Jas and I headed back to Sakarai then off to Yagi for a night of Karaoke.