Geisha At Asakusa: A Great (and Free) Way To Meet

Geisha At Asakusa: A Great (and Free) Way To Meet Them at Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Geisha are truly one of the most mysterious, beautiful, and enigmatic aspects of Japan.  These entertainers are not as common as the typical tourist might think: nearly a century ago they numbered around 80,000, but in today's Japan their number has dwindled to less than 2000, spread out across the cities and various corners of the country.

Most of today's geisha are in Kyoto, but that scene made news recently in 2019 with many Kyoto tourists harassing them for photos while they were out and about, without their permission.  One of the most important pieces of advice I could ever give a fellow gaijin photographer: always ask for permission if ever unsure.  Those incidents only served to make them more elusive for the casual fan.

To see a Geisha in person can be very difficult/expensive.  There is a great, free, and easy way though...

To see a Geisha in person, one could attend one of their paid performances, but obstacles such as the price (relatively high) and the language barrier can serve to keep the typical tourist away from Geisha.

One of the geisha during their performance at Asakusa

Aside from festivals (which can be hit/miss depending on your schedule, crowds and the type of festival), there is a great, free option in Tokyo where you can see, meet, and even photograph several geisha at the same time.

The Asakusa Culture Tourism Center located just across the street from Asakusa's Kaminarimon Gate, hosts a 45 minute event twice on some Saturdays during the year, especially spring/summer timeframe.  The event time have been at 13:00 and 14:30, with free tickets distributed at 10:00 in the morning on the same day at the first floor lobby area.  Arrive early at 10:00 to avoid missing out!

Tickets come with assigned seating.  don't worry too much about figuring it out on your own, as onsite staff will check your ticket(s) and guide you once you get to the event area.  Then, you can enjoy the event!

The event is truly beautiful in its presentation; the Geisha do not disappoint in their appearance nor in their performance of dancing and demonstrating one of the games they play.  Photos and videos here are allowed and encouraged, as long as you don't use flash.  And at the end, you can have your photo taken with the Geisha as a group!

For the price (free) and the impact/value delivered by the Geisha and event, I highly recommend this one!  

Unfortunately, it seems that I was able to attend the last event of 2019.  Keep your eyes on the website for the Asakusa Culture Tourism Center and/or this website to find out info on their future geisha performances.

Recommendations:

- With tickets in hand, plan to be at the event venue (6th floor) early, 10-15 minutes or so.  Limited access (small elevator) can cause some delay in actually getting there, unless you're willing to walk up the stairs.
- Line up really early, before 10:00, if you want to have front row tickets for the event.

Specifics:
Asakusa Culture Tourism Center - Geisha Appearance/Performance
Cost: Free
Location: