Kyoto is one of my favorite cities in the world. Timeless treasures with just enough of modern Japan mixed in here and there. Whenever I have friends or clients visiting Kyoto, I always tell them that they could spend their entire trip in Kyoto and not run out of things to do or sights to see.
That being said, just visiting Kyoto and seeing the sights might not be enough, you need some extra experiences. One experience that I have recently started to recommend is to stroll around Kyoto or go to a meal wearing traditional Japanese clothes like Yukata or Kimono. Not only is it fun and great way to learn about Japanese culture, but it has been great for photographers visiting Kyoto.
There are quite a few places to rent traditional Japanese clothes, but I always use Yume Kyoto. The staff is very helpful, friendly and eager to recommend places to see, whether you want go off the beaten path or not. Another great thing about Yume Kyoto is the location of the shop is very convenient, just next to Yasaka Shrine on the edge of Gion. If you are renting the clothes for a portrait session, there is an option for hair styling, even though they do not do make up.
Recently I have had clients wear the clothes to dinner in Gion and also for a portrait session in Kyoto. Of course you can walk around Kyoto and if you are lucky see Japanese people enjoying Kyoto this way, having your own model makes finding them much easier! Be warned though, you could easily start to draw a crowd in some places! For our portrait session, we started out in Yasaka Shrine, then went to Maruyama Park which is behind the shrine. After that we crossed the street to go to Gion before finally heading to a smaller shrine off the Path of Philosophy called Honen-in. The first three locations are easily within walking distance, but you will probably want to use a taxi or bus to get closer to Honen-in.
