Cultural Experiences

Had an awesome time and would highly recommend. The restaurant is gorgeous and the staff extremely hospitable. The kaiseki dishes were very well liked by the three of us and their proprietary sake was excellent.

Our i... morenterpreter Peter was super chill and knowledgeable. Lastly our maiko, Kana Sue was fascinating to watch - the makeup, hair style, kimono, and all the meanings behind each intention of dress; the couple of dances she performed; and the hospitality services. Not to mention learning of her and many other girls' extremely committed lifestyle choice and what that entails to become a geisha was an eye opening seminar.

I would have liked to see some singing and instrument playing, but perhaps requesting a geisha over a maiko would have been prudent. An interpreter is necessary unless your fluent. Overall it was a highlight of my trip and I would do again.

Since I arrived early to the appointment, the instructor started the lesson earlier with little preparation needed which was very much appreciated.

The lesson itself was great. Even though English was harder for her, ... moreshe still communicated well how to play the instrument by demonstrating and giving verbal explanation, which helped me learn quickly. Since I had learned the song she had prepared for the lesson, she was flexible and had two other songs that I could play and I had a great time learning and playing the instrument.

She also gave me small sweets and took the time to talk to me after the lesson. She took the time to accommodate beyond what I had expected from the lesson, and I highly recommend her to anyone looking to learn.

Everything was perfect. The beautiful, elegant ambiance, the service, the food and the Geiko performance. We spent a marvelous time. Thank you all.

A really memorable and amazing experience with this Maiko Dance and dinner tour. We were escorted to a beautiful and spacious dining hall at Shozan Resort Kyoto. It is an incredibly lovely resort with a beautiful Japanes... moree garden. A traditional and a delicious Japanese dinner was served. (Menu: Saki dzuke “appetizer”, Ha sun “ha-sun assortment”, Otsukuri “sliced raw fish”, Ipoin “a dish”, Konami “small saucepan”, Agemono “fried food”, Gohan “rice”, Kounomono “pickle” , Mizumono “dessert”, While we were enjoying our dinner, a stunningly beautiful Maiko (her name is Kimisora, the meaning of her name is dream) came out onto the stage and performed a brief dance. Kimosora san talked about some geisha history and her own stories of how and why she becomes a Maiko. Kimosora san was fascinated about geisha and their stories when she was a kid and determined to become a geisha one day. She is a friendly and sweet and elegant lady. Her English is excellent. She also showed us her extraordinary beautiful kimono and her special makeup and hairdo. Surprisingly we were given an extra long Q and A time (at least 30 mins or so) with her and we could ask any questions. She answered every question attentively and precisely. At the end we could all take several photos with her. (A reminder to myself : never touch the geisha hands or their clothes and this is an absolute respect to a geisha). During the whole meeting I could also take many photos freely. Kimisora san gave us her name card at the end of the dinner. It was a really really wonderful and memorable evening. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who would like to meet a maiko in an extremely relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. If I ever visit Tokyo in the future I would join this tour again. A great and joyful life experience. My best wishes to Kimisora san and thank you Veltra for making my dream come true.

We went into it without prior knowledge of the venue, the actual setup or the details of the experience, and i was at awe of the arrangement and the experience, truly a once of a life-time experience you cannot miss if y... moreou plan to visit Kyoto!

The venue was superb, the restaurant being reserved solely for us, a genuinely private experience. However, I have to note that the initially, it wasn't a pleasant start due to a misunderstanding by the host restaurant staff. As the lead of the group I approached the front door of the venue, only to be shouted at by an elderly male saying that this is private and i have to leave. I tried to approach him to show him my reservation as i was trying to explain that we are the ones who booked the venue but his attitude got more aggressive and did not want to hear anything i had to say. I was not going to start the experience with conflict so i left and got in touch with the emergency number on the voucher, who immediately resolved the issue and the man later apologized for his behavior. I understand that tourist have been a bit of a hassle lately for Kyoto and hence do not take it personally, however for future reservations, please note of this and don't let it ruin your day.

As for the main experience, there are no words to summarize how magical, pleasant and lovely the rest of the evening was. The translator, an expert in Geisha Tradition was superb, providing us with a detailed history of the tradition and guiding us on how to enjoy the experience as it plays out. The shimasen, Gecko, Geisha and Maikos made us feel like honorary guests and provided us with the most authentic and personal experience we have ever enjoyed, a lovely mix of dance, song, food, entertainment and conversation. Although i say it is a once in a life-time experience, i will definitely book when i visit the country again!

The meal, dance, and game were all incredible. Our translator was great and provided fun facts and history of Geisha culture.