CULTURE DEPARTMENT
Culture & etiquette
Geisha and maiko, tea ceremony, kimono, and how to be a respectful guest.
10 guides live in this department — more added weekly
All culture & etiquette guides
Geisha & Maiko in Kyoto: Etiquette for Visitors
The real difference between geiko and maiko, where you might see them in Gion, and how to behave if you do.
Japanese Tea Ceremony in Kyoto: What to Expect
What chanōyū actually involves, what a visitor experience looks like in practice, and the basic etiquette to know going in.
Kimono Rental in Kyoto: A Practical Guide
How kimono rental actually works in Kyoto, what to expect, and how it's different from a working maiko you might see in the street.
Kyoto's Festival Calendar: A Month-by-Month Guide
The major festivals and seasonal events that shape Kyoto's year, and roughly when each one falls.
Onsen & Sentō Etiquette: A First-Timer's Guide
What to actually do at a Japanese hot spring or public bathhouse, and the etiquette rules that trip up most first-timers.
Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging Basics
What sets ikebana apart from Western floral arranging, and why Kyoto is home to its oldest and largest school.
Kyoto's Traditional Crafts: What to Look For
Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, Nishijin textiles, and the other traditional crafts that make Kyoto shopping genuinely different.
Everyday Public Etiquette in Kyoto
The small, mostly unwritten public etiquette rules that make daily life in Kyoto run the way it does.
Watching Geiko & Maiko Perform: A Booking Guide
How to see a genuine, consensual geiko and maiko performance in Kyoto, rather than encountering one on the street.
Kyo-kotoba: Kyoto's Local Dialect
Why Kyoto has its own distinct way of speaking Japanese, and a few phrases worth recognising as a visitor.
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