Maiko and Wedding

We headed for Kyoto on Friday. We had free tickets to a maiko or 'apprentice geisha' performance. It was performed in a very old looking temple/ theatre in the old geisha/entertainment distrit of Kyoto-Gion. Before the show we got to eat traditional Japanese green tea and sweets in front of a maiko. (see picture)

I didn't know what to expect but it was great. Really fascinatiing, there were shamisen players and strange singers. The maiko were incredibly graceful, like nothing I've ever seen before. There was one older lady in the performance and she was downright scary.



Today was my friend Genki's wedding. We took him drinking last night. Good times. We had some pre drinks then went to a club in Umeda. It ended up with the groom climbing power poles, putting cones on his head and running into walls and 8 of us on top of a building for a good photo op. I don't know how we got up there.
Today was the wedding, my alarm didn't work but I miraculously woke up at 11, I missed the wedding, but it wasn't too late for the party. Japanese wedding parties are great, good food, speeches, tears, drinks and entertainment. After that was finished we headed for another party at an izakaya. All you can eat/drink. I was relieved to get home at 10.30. I was pretty buggered.