These images were all taken in two annual trips in autumn to Kyoto. In Kyoto, geishas are called geikos and young geiko apprentices are called maikos.


It is very difficult to capture on film a real geisha. The real geisha walks very fast. even with her platform sandals, and can usually be seen only at night. She rarely poses for photographers as she will then be late for her appointment.


Most of the people in this gallery are tourists dressed up as maikos or geikos who want their pictures taken by their friends. They also allow others to shoot them if you ask them nicely. My strategy was to offer to take pictures of them with their own cameras and then ask them permission to take their photos with my camera. I don't speak Japanese and I had to do this with my body language.

Fortunately I was able to shoot two real maikos outside the Tokyo Station. Look at my other gallery, "Drink a cup of matcha".

I was also able to take some shots of children in traditional attire as they were brought by their parents to the shrine to ask for blessings. Some of them were shy. Others were hamming it up.