japan Geisha

Private Geisha Entertainment and Delicious Japanese Cuisine at a Traditional Ochaya in Gion, Kyoto

Overview

As one of Kyoto’s five historic entertainment districts, Gion Higashi has long been a center for leisure and relaxation for weary temple and shrine visitors, and a mecca for the merchant class to gather socially. Here, geiko (as full-fledged geisha are referred to in correct Kyoto parlance) and maiko (young apprentice geiko) regale and delight their clientele with song, dance, conversation, and ozashiki-asobi (traditional party games). These elegant entertainers remain beloved embodiments of Japan’s traditional culture and history, and in this experience you can enjoy their charms yourself while dining on sumptuous Japanese cuisine at the teahouse Ochaya Man.

Key Features

・Enjoy watching traditional dance performance by a maiko accompanied by shamisen lute played by a geiko
・Experience traditional party games (ozashiki-asobi) with geiko and maiko at an ochaya private banquet house in the historic nightlife entertainment district of Gion Higashi
・Dine on a freshly-prepared hot meal provided by the in-house traditional Japanese restaurant while taking in the dance of the geiko and maiko

*Please note that requests for specific geiko and maiko cannot be accommodated

Details

A Teahouse Carrying Traditional Leisure into a New Era

The Ochaya Man teahouse, designed by international interior designer Yasumichi Morita, sits in a corner of Kyoto’s Gion Higashi district. Its first and second floors feature a bar and a traditional tatami room, while the third floor houses a ryotei restaurant, which is an unusual luxury for an entertainment district teahouse.

Traditional entertainment districts are very exclusive by nature, turning away all first-time visitors without a referral. Ochaya Man however exclusively accepts Wabunka customers through Exclusive Kyoto.

Masami Ueyanagi is the fourth-generation okami, or proprietress, of Ochaya Man. As such, she was raised to be a maiko from as far back as she could remember, and made her debut as a dancer at age four and as a singer at age nineteen. After extensive performance experience, she became a full-fledged geiko to train as successor to her family teahouse, and currently runs it along with its okiya residence for maiko and geiko, and its ryotei restaurant. She has also made it her life’s work to train maiko to carry on traditional Japanese culture, as living symbols of Kyoto and its history.

An Evening with Geiko and Maiko

Delight in dinner while enjoying an elegant traditional Japanese dance performed by a maiko to shamisen lute accompaniment by a geiko, and even enjoy conversation with the geiko and maiko alongside ozashiki-asobi traditional tatami room games and entertainment. This is a rare opportunity to interact with real geiko and maiko up close.

Geiko and maiko are distinct roles. A maiko is a young apprentice geiko, and is distinguished by youthful flashy kimono designs, elaborate traditional Japanese coiffures, white-painted skin with red and black eye makeup and crimson lipstick – a unique and unmistakable beguiling look. Geiko on the other hand are full-fledged masters of their craft who dress in more muted kimono colors with more modest make-up, with an overall aura of calm and refinement.

The elegance of traditional Nihon-buyo dance is a highlight of ozashiki-asobi merrymaking. Geiko and maiko dress in sumptuous kimonos and obi sashes that highlight their allure. Close attention to their gestures and every movement – from their facial expressions to how they sit to how they walk and wield their fans – reveals a supple grace that can only be earned by daily training.

Warm Traditional Fare Fills the Belly and Nourishes the Soul

Ueyanagi runs a traditional ryotei restaurant within the Ochaya Man teahouse. This plan features a course dinner of sumptuous Japanese cuisine delicately and artfully served and made from seasonal Kyoto ingredients, such as carefully curated local vegetables, seafood, meat. The teahouses of Gion typically rely on catering from outside restaurants, but Ochaya Man serves hot food made fresh at the full-fledged in-house kitchen.

Alcoholic beverages are available (guests are free to choose among the drinks included in the plan), so you can delight in drinks poured for you by geiko and maiko along with your delicious dinner.

A refreshing tipple only enhances the special evening

The mannerisms of geiko and maiko embody Japanese aesthetic sense. Pay close attention to the way they hold sake vessels and pour drinks and you will discover an obsessive care for refinement down to even the tiniest detail. Their warmth and loveliness transports you from the daily grind to a world of joy and comfort.

Exclusive Geisha Experience in Private Luxury

Your meal is followed by a chance to chat with your geiko and maiko, and ozashiki-asobi tatami room games and entertainment. This is a rare opportunity to interact with these traditional entertainers up close, in a luxurious tatami space with the feel of a cozy hideout, a world apart from the ordinary.

Delight in simple party games with geiko and maiko

The highlight of this plan is the chance to experience the traditional banquet entertainment culture of Japan, replete with song, dance, and ozashiki-asobi traditional party games and entertainment. Rhythm games that follow the sound of the shamisen lute are addictive in their trickiness, and the demure charms of your geiko and maiko party companions will soothe your weary heart. Enjoy the mellifluent melodies and the harmony of song and dance, and the chance to take photos with geiko and maiko.

The “200 Points” – an Experience of the Depth of Japanese Hospitality Culture

“Feel free to ask any questions you may have,” says Mistress Ueyanagi, “such as about the background or reasons behind the three centuries of customs and manners of our entertainment district, or the lives of geiko and maiko. We strike for hospitality where a perfect score is 200, not 100, to bring joy to our guests. Many say the experience has changed their whole outlook.

Geiko and maiko who embody the traditional beauty of Japan and connect it to the present day

Ueyanagi’s hope is for guests to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and the flow of the experience with all five senses, enjoying the depth of Japanese aesthetics and culture through their interactions with geiko and maiko. Sophisticated company and expert hospitality are sure to be a balm for the soul. Enjoy a special evening engrossed in the hospitality culture unique to Kyoto’s historic entertainment districts.

Ochaya Man / Exclusive Kyoto

Ochaya Man
Located in Gion Higashi near Kyoto’s famous sightseeing destination Yasaka Shrine, Ochaya Man’s proprietress Masami Ueyanagi was raised to take over as the fourth generation head, training as a maiko and making her debut as a dancer at age four and as a singer at age nineteen. Today, she helms the family business as proprietress while continuing to work as a singer and dancer herself. She is passionate about passing on the traditional arts of dance, nagauta singing, and ohayashi instrumental accompaniment to the next generation of traditional entertainers.

Exclusive Kyoto
To both preserve the historic traditions of Kyoto’s nightlife entertainment districts and provide guests with a deeper experience of local culture, Exclusive Kyoto offers a variety of experiences to interact with geiko and maiko.
Traditionally, ochaya private banquet houses do not accept first-time visitors without a referral, but Exclusive Kyoto makes it possible for Japanese and overseas visitors alike to enjoy an authentic and luxury geisha experience at one.