Kyoto's stages and three hot springs in Kyoto Prefecture
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Each of Kyoto's five geiko districts stages its own dance programme in spring and autumn. In autumn 2026, Gion Higashi's Gion Odori runs 1–10 November at Gion Kaikan (two shows a day), and Kamishichiken's Kotobuki-kai runs 12–18 November. At the small theatre of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo, Gion Corner presents seven traditional arts, including kyomai dance by maiko, in about an hour every evening at 18:00 and 19:00 (Tuesday to Friday only from 1 December to 11 March).
Three hot springs in Kyoto Prefecture pair well with the stage. Arashiyama Onsen is inside Kyoto city, about 11 minutes from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama on the JR Sagano Line. Yunohana Onsen is in Kameoka: about 20 minutes by rapid train to Kameoka Station, then about 25 minutes by bus. Kitsu Onsen is on the west side of the Tango Peninsula: about 2 hours 30 minutes by train from Kyoto Station to Amino, with Kitsu Onsen one stop further. It is not a day-trip distance from the city, so plan at least one night in Tango.
Spa-town geisha on stage — Atami and Yamanaka
The Atami Geigi Kenban (geisha hall) stages 'Yumemachi Odori Hana no Mai' every Saturday and Sunday in its own theatre. Tickets are ¥2,500 including tax (free for pre-school children); reservations get priority, by phone on 0557-81-3575. In 2026 the show took a break from 1 August to 6 September. From Atami Station take a bus bound for Momijigaoka for about 10 minutes to Shimizu-cho. Call the hall to confirm the start time.
In Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa, the Yamanaka-za theatre presents 'Yamanaka-bushi Shiki no Mai', sung and danced by the town's geisha, all year on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 15:30 for about 40 minutes. Adults ¥700, or ¥1,000 including entry to the Kiku-no-yu public bath next door. It is about 30 minutes by Kaga Onsen Bus from Kaga-Onsen Station (¥430).
Kusatsu's yumomi and dance
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Spa towns also have dances of their own. At Netsu-no-yu in Kusatsu Onsen you can watch yumomi, the stirring of hot spring water with wooden boards to cool it, together with dances to the Kusatsu-bushi folk song, for ¥700. Trying yumomi yourself costs ¥300 (age 6 and up). Tickets go on sale 30 minutes before each show; no advance booking. It is a minute's walk from the Yubatake.
Ideas for the future
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We have not found any regularly scheduled, publicly bookable evening of Kyoto geiko or maiko dance at a hot spring inn in Kyoto Prefecture. A dance-and-stay evening at a Yunohana inn, and a short Japanese dance class paired with a soak, are listed here as ideas only. Neither is scheduled and neither can be booked.
Browse all onsen
経済特区 · CC0
Arashiyama Onsen
嵐山温泉
Kyoto · 100 Onsen to Know Japan — No. 71
A few minutes' walk from the Togetsukyo bridge, faintly milky water drawn from 1,200 m underground waits at the end of a Kyoto sightseeing day.
Mti · CC BY-SA 3.0
Yunohana Onsen
湯の花温泉
Kyoto · 100 Onsen to Know Japan — No. 70
About an hour from Kyoto Station by train and bus: a quiet valley spa called 'Kyoto's inner parlour', with radon-bearing water where wounded samurai are said to have healed.
VinayaMoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kitsu Onsen
木津温泉
Kyoto · 100 Onsen to Know Japan — No. 72
Kyoto Prefecture's oldest spring, by tradition, lies on the Sea of Japan side of the Tango peninsula, a long rail ride from Kyoto city, and it even bubbles up on the station platform.
663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0
Atami Onsen
熱海温泉
Shizuoka · 100 Onsen to Know Japan — No. 56
More than 500 sources give about 20,000 litres a minute at an average of 63 °C; from the foot bath outside the station to the geyser up the hill, the whole town is built on hot water.
663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0
Yamanaka Onsen
山中温泉
Ishikawa · 100 Onsen to Know Japan — No. 41
In the gorge town where Basho praised a scent of hot water that needed no chrysanthemums, the Kiku-no-yu public bath still sits at the town's navel.
Aspere · CC0
Kusatsu Onsen
草津温泉
Gunma · 100 Onsen to Know Japan — No. 25
Thirty-two thousand litres a minute of pH 2.1 acid water rise in the middle of town and cool as they run down wooden channels.
Booking
| Gion CornerBookable | Seven traditional arts in about an hour, including kyomai dance by maiko, tea ceremony, ikebana, koto, bugaku and kyogen. In the winter season you can take a photo with a maiko after the show. Run by the Kyoto Traditional Performing Arts Foundation. | Daily at 18:00 and 19:00. Tuesday–Friday only from 1 Dec to 11 Mar (no shows on holidays). Closed 16 Jul, 16 Aug and 26 Dec–4 Jan | ¥5,500 general (23 and over), ¥6,600 premium seat, ¥6,050 tea-ceremony seat (tax included) | 2026-10-09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gion Odori (Gion Higashi)Bookable | Gion Higashi's autumn performance by geiko and maiko; the 2026 theme is water. Two shows a day at Gion Kaikan, about an hour each. Tickets arrive as an exchange number by email. | 1–10 November 2026, 13:30 and 16:00. Online sales on the official shop until 28 October, then at the box office from 30 October | ¥6,000, or ¥7,000 with tea | 2026-10-09 |
| Suimei-kai (Pontocho)Bookable | Pontocho's autumn dance recital by geiko and maiko at the Pontocho Kaburenjo, about two hours. | 15–20 October 2026, from 15:30 | ¥5,000–10,000 (per the Kyoto City Tourism Association) | 2026-10-09 |
| Kotobuki-kai (Kamishichiken)Bookable | Kamishichiken's autumn recital at the Kamishichiken Kaburenjo, about two hours. Check the official site for how to buy. | 12–18 November 2026, from 16:00 | ¥10,000 (per the Kyoto City Tourism Association) | 2026-10-09 |
| Miyako Odori 2027 (Gion Kobu)Bookable | Gion Kobu's spring performance in the Inoue school of kyomai, at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 on 6 January 2027 and cannot be bought yet. | 1–30 April 2027, 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30 | ¥8,000 first class with tea, ¥7,000 first class, ¥5,000 second class | 2026-10-09 |
| Atami Geigi Kenban 'Yumemachi Odori Hana no Mai'Bookable | Dance and song by Atami's geisha in the kenban theatre by the Hatsukawa river. Reservations by phone get priority. | Saturdays and Sundays (no shows 1 Aug–6 Sep in 2026). Confirm the start time by phone | ¥2,500 including tax; pre-school children free | 2026-10-09 |
| Yamanaka-za 'Yamanaka-bushi Shiki no Mai'Bookable | Yamanaka's geisha perform nagauta, the Yamanaka-bushi folk song, kouta and a lion dance. Next to the Kiku-no-yu public bath. Enquiries 0761-78-5523. | All year, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 15:30–16:10 | ¥700 adults, ¥350 children; ¥1,000 including Kiku-no-yu bath entry | 2026-10-09 |
| Netsu-no-yu yumomi and dance showBookable | A yumomi demonstration with Kusatsu-bushi dances. Tickets on sale 30 minutes before each show; no reservations. | 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 15:30, 16:00 and 16:30 (extra or cancelled shows on some days). Yumomi experience 11:30–12:50 on some days | ¥700 adults, ¥350 children; yumomi experience ¥300 | 2026-10-09 |
| A dance-and-stay evening at Yunohana Onsen (idea)Proposal | An idea for an evening of Japanese dance and an overnight stay at a Yunohana inn in Kameoka. Not scheduled; cannot be booked. | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | 2026-10-09 |
3 days: Arashiyama's waters, Gion's stages, then Kitsu Onsen in Tango
Tickets come to ¥11,500 per person (Gion Odori ¥6,000 + Gion Corner ¥5,500, checked October 2026), plus train fares and two nights' lodging (fares and room rates not confirmed)
| 1 · 09:30 | Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama, then walk to the Togetsukyo bridge | JR Sagano Line | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · 10:30 | Bathe at Fufu-no-yu, Arashiyama Onsen's day bathhouse | Walk (a few minutes from the south end of the bridge) | |
| 1 · 13:00 | Head to Gion | Hankyu Arashiyama and Kyoto lines to Kyoto-kawaramachi (change at Katsura) | |
| 1 · 16:00 | Watch Gion Odori at Gion Kaikan (1–10 November 2026) | ¥6,000 | |
| 1 · 19:00 | See the seven arts, including maiko kyomai, at Gion Corner | Walk within Gion | ¥5,500 |
| 2 · 09:30 | Kyoto Station to Tango, getting off at Yuhigaura-Kitsu-onsen, one stop past Amino | JR San'in Line and Kyoto Tango Railway (limited express plus connection) | |
| 2 · 13:00 | Rest your feet at the station foot bath Shirasagi-no-yu, then check in at a Kitsu inn | Walk (the spa starts at the station) | Foot bath free (non-passengers need a platform ticket) |
| 3 · 08:00 | Walk on Yuhigaura beach | Walk | |
| 3 · 11:00 | Return to Kyoto Station | Kyoto Tango Railway and JR (connection plus limited express) |
Day trip: Yamanaka Onsen's public bath and the Yamanaka-bushi dance
About ¥1,860 per person from Kaga-Onsen Station (bus ¥860 return + ¥1,000 show ticket with Kiku-no-yu entry; checked October 2026)
| 1 · 13:30 | Kaga-Onsen Station to Yamanaka Onsen | Kaga Onsen Bus, Onsen-Yamanaka line (stop 2 at the front exit) to Yamanaka Bus Terminal | ¥430 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · 14:15 | Bathe at the Kiku-no-yu public bath | Walk | Included in the ¥1,000 show-and-bath ticket |
| 1 · 15:30 | Watch 'Yamanaka-bushi Shiki no Mai' at Yamanaka-za (weekends and holidays) | Next door to Kiku-no-yu | |
| 1 · 16:40 | Back to Kaga-Onsen Station | Kaga Onsen Bus | ¥430 |
These features connect to J-Catalyst's food and entertainment work, but unless marked as a partnership or available, nothing here is yet a partnership or bookable through us.