Where can I photograph fake geisha in Kyoto?
I've read about tourists who go to Kyoto to get made up to look like geisha or maiko. Over half a million a year according to Foreign correspondent, and mostly Japanese, based on some makeover houses lacking English language support.
Where and when is the best time to photograph fake geisha/maiko? Criteria include likelihood of finding such individuals, having a photogenic background, and being in a location where they're more likely to agree to be photographed. A time and place where real geisha don't frequent is also good, but this article indicates when the real ones are active.
There's also women who are paid to dress up as maiko to pose with tourists. That's not what I'm after either.
Best Answer
From the Foreign Correspondent story:
In Kyoto's most exclusive districts, the real geisha are disappearing but fake ones are thriving.
I gather the exclusive district they're talking about is Gion. It is the hub of Geisha culture and has many exclusive Geiko teahouses. I'm guessing you'd see a lot of people dressing up as Geiko around the major festivals there and cherry blossom season as well. If you were going to dress up as Geiko, Gion is the place to flaunt it.
Pictures about "Where can I photograph fake geisha in Kyoto?"
Quick Answer about "Where can I photograph fake geisha in Kyoto?"
- Gion.
- Ponto-cho.
- Miyagawa-cho.
- Kamishichiken.
Can you take photos of geishas?
Authorities in Kyoto banned tourists from taking photographs in its most popular geisha districts after complaints that travellers were hassling geiko, the regional term for geisha. The photography ban was introduced in the city's Gion district. Tourists flouting it face fines of up to 10,000 yen (Dh337).How can you tell a real geisha?
Know how to distinguish between a geisha and a maiko Hair: A geisha wears a wig while a maiko doesn't. A maiko wears more ornaments called Kanzashi in her hair. Makeup: A maiko wears heavier red makeup on her eyes and pink blush on her cheeks. Kimono: While a geisha wears a simple kimono, a maiko wears a bolder one.How do you spot a geisha in Kyoto?
The best places to see geisha in Kyoto are Hanami-koji-dori in Gion (the section between Shijo-dori and Kennin-ji Temple) and at the Shijo-dori end of Pontocho. The best time to see them is around dusk (early evening), especially on weekends and holidays. You probably won't see any on Monday evenings.Where can I take pictures in Kyoto?
10 Best Spots to Photograph in KyotoPhotographing a Geisha in Kyoto, Japan.
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Answer 2
The walk up to Kiyomizu Dera is a tourist bazar, there are several 'make you up as a Geisha' places along that walk and you are likely to see the customers of those shops out prancing around. You'll know immediately that they are fake if they are giggling and chatting amongst themselves.
April/May (cherry blossom season) and August (festival season) being the highest tourist season in Kyoto for Japanese would be the times to find the most Japanese tourists from outside Kyoto dressing up like geisha.
Answer 3
You could considered hiring an amateur model sending them to one of the studios to have them made up and then taking them to the location you would like to photography them against.
This has advantages of you can choose the specifics of appearance of the subject as well as specific locations.
You probably need to ask a question on photography.se for a standard Japanese model disclosure forms, so you then own all the images. They also might be able to track down model agency's in Japan. I had a quick look but google uk wasn't returning anything helpful.
The down side, its not going to be cheap.
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Images: Satoshi Hirayama, Satoshi Hirayama, Tima Miroshnichenko, Christiano Sinisterra