Miyako Odori

Today we headed into Kyoto to get cultured.

I had booked tickets to see the famous annual Cherry Blossom Dance. So excited! I had read about these before in books and now I was actually going to see one in real life, performed by real geiko and maiko.

The Miyako Odori was first performed in 1872, where the top geiko and maiko of Gion would entertain the public with their dance performances every Spring.

Once in a lifetime opportunity, so we opted for the Special class ticket with tea ceremony. Before the show, we were served green tea and a Japanese sweet. We also got to keep the dish as a souvenir. The theatre was gorgeous, really old and traditional. The backdrops, kimonos, music, lighting - the whole ambience took me to another time and place. It was such an experience. Some may say it's become too much of a tourist trap or lost it's history but most of the people there were Japanese. I was just too excited and absorbed in it all to care. It was just the thrill of being able to experience for myself what I had read about before.
Highly recommended kids - two thumbs up.

After that we walked around Kyoto, did some shopping, then headed back into Sanner for izakaya. So buggered, but so cultured. hahaha or so we think.