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Kyoto 9 Nov 2007
The is photo and the next one were taken at a shrine that is, I believe, called Kiyomizudera. It is on the side of the ridge on the eastern side of the city. At the end of the guided walking tour (near the base of the eastern ridge), the tour guide discussed several options for those who wanted to continue the walking tour (without him). I picked the option of going up to this shrine, which was at the top of a series of steep narrow uphill streets (the steps in this photo are perhaps 5% of the total vertical "climb" to reach the shrine). The last couple blocks (immediately prior to these stairs) were on a VERY narrow (and crowded) uphill street, lined on both sides with shops. I understand these shops had already been in the business of overcharging tourists for a few centuries at the time Columbus sailed (visitors were probably called something more like pilgrims back then, rather than tourists).
The guide said that people who chose this tour-extension option would probably see "geishas" on the way to this shrine. However, they aren't real geishas. Apparently, it is very popular, when Japanese couples visit Kyoto, for the woman to have a geisha "makeover" -- hair styling (or perhaps a wig), makeup, kimono, and special shoes (they appeared to be made of wood). I gathered this costs the equivalent of a few hundred $ (minimum; I suspect buying a kimono is like buying a boat -- or a computer -- there is no upper limit). I did indeed see about 8 or these geisha wannabes, each with a husband or boyfriend -- except for two who were walking together. I didn't try to take photos of any of these women. Later, it occurred to me there may be an element of fantasy fulfillment in this -- perhaps for both the husband/boyfriend and the woman. Back when Kyoto was the imperial capitol, it was apparently known for having a large number of geisha schools (and the best ones). Apparently a few of these are still in operation there.
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