Geisha Girls

Click here for more photos of our maiko (geisha under 20 years old) girls.
MAYA'S ACCOUNT
The very first thing you do is take off your shoes and put on these un-comfertable slippers. You are lead into a circular room here you will spend the better part of the next two and a half hours. You are robed in a light cotton robe that is low in the front and back. You are lead to a row of chairs set in front of mirrors. Your hair is put into a fishnet hair net. Your entire face is then painted bright white except for a space between the base of your hairline and the top of your spine. This is slightly uncomfortable as your windpipe is pressed to get the desired look. Then you chose your kimono so the white will dry. My kimono was deep blue with pink sort of star streaks filled with flowers and cool patterns. Your chosen kimono is set aside and then it's back into the make-up chair. the eye shadow is pink and lined in red. Your lips previously white are turned deep red and perfectly shaped. Then on comes the kimono. They put a red flowered wrap around your waist that will look good under your kimono. Then lots of things are tied and tucked around your waist so that once your kimono and obi are on, your body will be all one thickness. With this done they wrap a gray cloth around your head to keep sweat off the magnificent head dress decorated with flowers and various ornaments. You know those flip flops you always see with kimonos, yeah you put those on too. Then your picture is taken twenty times with various fans, parasols and orbs. This is an accomplishment in and of itself as the photographer only speaks Japanese. The only truly difficult part of this process is getting the make up off, which you do yourself. This is really neat and totally worth it, so if you are ever in Kyoto go to Yumekoubou Studio.

SKYLAR'S VERSION
Yesterday me and Maya were made in to geisha.
At the very start, you have a white dressing robe and white kimono socks on.
Then they put a hairnet on you so your hair doesn't get painted.
Then they put white make up all over your face, except one place on spot on your neck they don't cover.
The lady said, "It's cold" and it was. They put black eyebrow liner in your eyebrows so that they were black.
She put black mascara on. Then they paint your red lipstick on.
You go and pick a kimono; they are very colorful and there are a lot to choose from.
When you put the kimono on, you feel like a princess because there are so many women dressing you.
It was kind of hard to breath and it was tight. Then they put a black wig on you with all these decorations in it. It looks like the wig is really connected to your head. You put on your flip-flop like shoes and go to the next room and you have to wait a while because there are already people in the photo shoot room. Some of these Japanese ladies asked to have our picture taken with them. People kept telling me and Maya we were so "cute" when they walked passed.
The kimono and wig were very heavy.In the photo shoot room, we got pictures taken with parasols, fans and orbs (balls), tall shoes and a basket. The pictures that you'll see attached are only the ones that my dad took of us. The professional photos won't be ready for a month.
It was so much fun!