Step back in time — for a day

For two and a half hours in midtown Kyoto partake in the Japanese world of old — hair, make-up, kimono and hakama turn one to the past, to the samurai and geisha. Welcome to Jidaiya make-over and photo studio.

The setting is relaxed, and though all staff are Japanese, language does not seem to pose a problem as you are led from one room into another and silently transformed into the floating world of an age gone by and the memory of it is realized in a glossy photo which is yours to take home. The staff are friendly, professional, and obviously enjoy their work.

Meet with Tareek Lee Holmes, 26 years old from New Jersey, USA (aka TK) and Samantha Harris-Hughes from Brisbane, Australia. (aka Sammy). As TK and Sammy enter the Jidaiya Studio the quiet somber curtain of Kyoto is lifted and the strong energetic presence of these two internationals fills the room; they're laughing, excited, and happy to be here.
Kansai Scene asked the models what piqued their curiosity in the samurai and geisha?

“Ads on the subways, the TV programs,” explains TK. “The movie Samurai. It's everywhere.”

Sammy said, “I had some friends who returned from Japan and they told me that I definitely had to have a geisha photo made of myself if I ever came here.”

The time for make-up is about 40 minutes. For the geisha, first cherry pink base is applied, covered by the traditional white foundation creating the soft cherry blossom flush to the geisha's face. A soft pow-der is lavishly brushed over. Liner for brows and eyes, shadow, mascara and a deep crimson touches the lips but also the brows lightly and corners or the eyes, acting as highlighting points.

For the Samurai a creamy coffee-toned base covers the face but full make-up is applied for brows, eyes, and lips; features are heightened and made strong through shadow. The make-up artist lays down her brush, the first step has been completed.

"It's gorgeous, so artistic." Says Sammy in almost a whisper, more to herself then to anyone else. She is captured by the drama. Sammy's hair is then neatly wrapped in a sliver of silk and covered by the traditional geisha hairstyle in the form of a wig.

TK's hair too, is wrapped but he's given a samurai's wig, which has a shaven forefront and boasts a long ponytail.
They're both having fun which is what Jidaiya is all about. Enter- tainment, a time to enjoy the new, in something as old as the tradi-tional people's wear and fashion of an era past. The next step is the dressing of the hakama for the Samurai and the gorgeous kimono for the Geisha. Sammy's body is wrapped in layer upon layer of the long sleeved inner kimono as followed by the outer silk kimono.

Today Sammy will wear the momoji design with the famous nishijin ori obi, which is woven using golden threads. The kimono itself is an elaborate work of art completely made by hand. And again she falls to a whisper. "It's so intricate, all the fine detail, it's incredible." she says breath-lessly. Two of the staff together dress her in just ten minutes. In the adjacent room TK dons the garb of the Samurai; a striped silk hakama with tabi and geta. He wields a sword, immersed in his own private drama.

With the dressing finished, the second step is complete. And onto the photo session. The room is set up with a full backdrop, profession-al lights and camera. It's high tech equipment.

The photo session is the high point of the make over and the samurai and geisha are enjoying it. And then it's time to undress, apply the cold cream to the make-up and return to oneself.

“Japanese culture is beautiful,” says TK. “Every little part of it means something.”

The studio owner's wife, demure as you would expect, comments on the current kimono boom. "I didn't think the kimono would come back but it seems young people like it; they would like to try and expe-rience the past tradition. Many people come here five or six times, and not only the young, but all ages, from young to old".

Jidaiya
103-1 Ohashi-cho, Ohashi Higashi-iru, Sanjo-dori, Higashi Yama-ku, Kyoto
Z 075-771-1075 (reservation is requested)
www.jidaiya-kyoto.com

Text & photos: Kirofumi Nakanishi