What is the difference between a maiko and a geisha?

A maiko is an apprentice geisha. You can recognize her by the colorful long-sleeved kimono, white makeup, and elaborate hairstyle, while a fully trained geisha wears a more subtle kimono and usually skips full makeup except on special occasions.

What are ozashiki parlor games?

Ozashiki asobi are traditional games played at Japanese banquets. The maiko teaches you the rules and then plays a round with each guest, which is often the most lighthearted part of the afternoon.

Will I get to see the rest of the temple?

Yes, as time allows. After the second dance, your guide leads a short tour of the Buddhist hall, its altar, and the Japanese garden, which are not normally open to the public.

Smart casual clothing works well, and the tour operator asks guests to avoid very casual outfits such as beachwear. Comfortable socks are a good idea since you'll be on tatami mats without shoes.

Maiko in a green kimono kneeling and bowing beside a vase of cherry blossoms

Maiko in a green kimono and floral hair ornaments holding a ceramic sake flask

Close-up of a maiko's green kimono and gold brocade obi with a decorative clasp

Guests watching a maiko perform a traditional dance in a tatami room at Koun-ji Temple

Kyoto

Kyoto: 90-Minute Geisha (Maiko) Show in a Zen Temple

English

1 hour and 30 minutes

(8)

Join a maiko, an apprentice geisha, for an intimate performance inside Koun-ji, a Zen temple near Nanzen-ji that is usually closed to the public. Watch two traditional dances, play ozashiki parlor games with her, ask your questions through an English-speaking guide, and take photos together in the tatami hall.

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Reviews

Kyoto: 90-Minute Geisha (Maiko) Show in a Zen Temple

8 reviews

Powered by TripAdvisor

1/1

Unique Kyoto experience

It was such a wonderful experience to meet a Maiko, see her perform, play games and ask her questions! If you see them on the street in Kyoto, you shouldn’t photograph them, so this feels like a rare opportunity and I learned a lot.

Nicole F

October 14, 2026

Beautiful experience!

I had a great time and beautiful experience meeting the Maiko , seeing her performance and playing traditional games with her. The guides did a perfect job explaining and showing us everything.

michu s

October 14, 2026

Nicole F

October 14, 2026

Unique Kyoto experience

It was such a wonderful experience to meet a Maiko, see her perform, play games and ask her questions! If you see them on the street in Kyoto, you shouldn’t photograph them, so this feels like a rare opportunity and I learned a lot.

michu s

October 14, 2026

Beautiful experience!

I had a great time and beautiful experience meeting the Maiko , seeing her performance and playing traditional games with her. The guides did a perfect job explaining and showing us everything.

Itinerary

Koun-ji Temple

59 Nanzenji Kitanobocho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Koun-ji is a Zen temple beside Nanzen-ji, founded in the 13th century and normally closed to the public. The whole experience takes place here: you meet your guide at the entrance, then settle into a private tatami room for two dances by the maiko, parlor games, questions, and photos. As time allows, you finish with a look at the Buddhist hall and the garden, which was redesigned by the celebrated landscape gardener Ogawa Jihei VII.