Tune Into Kyoto—— Feminism Born in the Geisha District, Faith Born from Emptiness

What can you get from this tour?

💁🏻This is a small group tour,
with a maximum of 6 people.
You can expect fluent English, detailed explanations,
personal conversation with the guide,
and recommendations for nearby cafés and restaurants after the tour.

（Also, since I study fashion design, if you are a fashion lover too, I have a long list of fashion spots nearby for you to explore, including places related to clothing, vintage shops, textiles, and local style.🥳）

What are we going to talk about in this tour?

In this tour, 

we will mainly focus on 

geisha culture, local religion, Japanese Shintoism, and Buddhism.

🍵🍡🌸👘

In the first half of the tour, we will walk through Pontocho Alley and Gion, two of Kyoto’s most famous historical districts, and talk about geisha culture.

“When you think of geisha in Kyoto, what is the first image that comes to mind?”

Perhaps it is the pure white makeup,
the beautiful manners, the refined Japanese dance and music,
and an atmosphere of elegance, mystery, and tenderness.

But behind this beautiful image,
the effort, discipline, and personal cost required from these girls are far beyond what most people can imagine.

When modern feminism, the Me Too movement, and Japanese geisha culture meet each other, what kind of powerful vibration will be created?

Behind the beautiful districts that have existed for hundreds of years, these girls also have their own voices.

Whether you have heard about geisha culture before,
or know almost nothing about it,
you are very welcome to join this tour as long as you are curious about these women and about Japanese culture.

Here, we will begin from the historical roots of geisha culture, 
and gradually look at the whole picture of this world. 
We will spend some time removing the layers of mystery around them, so that you can understand not only the beautiful mask, 
but also the challenges and struggles faced by the women behind it, as living human beings.

🎎📿🏯🎋

In the second half of the tour, we will walk through Yasaka Shrine and Chion in, and talk about Japanese Shintoism and Buddhism.

For many people,
Japanese shrines and temples may seem extremely solemn, sacred, and majestic.
They can make visitors feel respect, awe, sometimes even distance.

But on the other side of these places, which were once symbols of faith and political power, Japanese religion also hides many surprisingly funny and charming stories.

The relationship between Shintoism and Buddhism is also deeply tangled, almost like the relationship between Dr. Frankenstein and the monster he created. They are connected, complicated, inseparable, and not so easy to explain in one simple sentence.

In this tour, we will deconstruct these grand symbols almost like taking apart a Lego toy, piece by piece.

By doing so, you will be able to see the simple, lovely, and very human sense of faith hidden underneath these historical remains built up over centuries.

This is a tour about learning how to read the city, through its streets, women, gods, temples, stories, and quiet contradictions.