More than a glimpse

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Today we walked the southern Higashiyama walking tour. It's a five kilometer walk through the heart of Kyoto's sightseeing district. We walked Chawan-zaka (teapot lane), Sannen-zaka, (a charming street lined with our wooden houses, traditional shops and restaurants), Ishibei-koji the most beautiful street in Kyoto, Maruyama-Koenig (park) and the Kodai-ji Pagoda.
In the evening we headed to Hanami-koji in Gion with the hope of catching a glimpse of a Maiko or Geiko. As it turned out we arrived just as they were going to their next appointments. We saw many, sometimes two or three at a time. However, as a group was walking toward us we asked the client if he would mind if we took a photograph (they are usually very camera shy and difficult to photograph). To our amazement, the client agreed and the Maikos obliged. This is extremely rare as Maiko generally go to great lengths not to be photographed. We felt very privileged.

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