How to be a (fake) Geisha in Kyoto

A couple of days ago, in Kyoto, while I was strolling through the beautiful, traditional district of Higashiyama, I suddenly found myself in front of a loud and happy group of 3 geisha. Noticing my camera, they immediately started posing for me with the usual "V" sign... Now, what is wrong with this picture? (^_^)

Of course, they were no geisha nor maiko. They are tourists, having a good time while using the services of a company that can "transform" you into a geisha for a few hours. If you want to do the same, you will find them right in Higashiyama, among the shops and restaurants (their billboards are also in English), the price tag for an hour is around 15000 yen, of course including dressing and makeup. And the makeup was really good, the girls even had their teeth blackened! (^_~)

If you don't want to spend so much, but still want to dress traditionally in Kyoto, you can choose just to rent a kimono... Those are different companies and the price will drop to about 5000 yen per day.