Dreamy Kimono Rental Kyoto Gion Shijo — Local services in Kyoto

Difficult to find the place initially, but found it eventually. It’s on the first floor, the stairs is from the small alley road. Nice cozy place, many kimonos to choose from. There are different price ranges from standard 6,600yen to premium 8,800yen (these are the ones with laces). Student price is cheaper 3.300yen.

The lady boss is Chinese, speaks mandarin, Japanese and English. The lady dressing us is Japanese, very experienced in the job. You can choose many add-ons at the neck, and waist (ribbons, lace etc etc) she doesn’t really tell you, so you have to choose yourself. I didn’t ask initially, but my daughter did so her look was very beautiful. So later on I asked her to add on at my waist but she didn’t on my neck. She also stuck some heat pads on the back and the soles of the feet to keep us warm in the cold! That helped.

We made appointment at 11am but had to wait about 30-40mins before getting dressed. There were two walk ins after us, and the lady boss allowed them to choose the kimonos the same time as us, which I thought was not right because it’s a first come first serve basis. So we had to quickly choose and “book” our kimono, bags and accessories before it was snatched up! It would have been better if there was a proper queue system.

The lady boss did the hair and styling, lots of choices with accessories. No make-up provided so come all ready made up! Book an early slot, you get to rent the kimono the whole day, return before 5.00pm. There’s a beautiful bridge and walk path nearby with great photo opportunities. One of the reasons why I chose this location to rent. Slippers, scarves provided if you ask, and we also asked for a fan and umbrella. So have a good look around, and don’t be afraid to ask what...

Dreamy kimono rental is a gem! My friend and I arrived 15 minutes after store-opening on a busy Saturday, and were greeted warmly and accommodated quickly. They have a big selection of colorful, eye-catching kimonos in different sizes. (My friend is VERY tall and slender, whereas I'm average-height, but currently wear size 14 in pants and a D-cup... so I'm chunky by kimono-standards.) We both found kimonos to fit us, and the dresser perfectly adjusted them on both of our body-types.

They are QUICK and efficient! One person had their hair done while the other was dressed...By the time we were leaving, the store was filling up quickly. Their sign says walk-ins are welcome, but I recommend making a reservation if you can - just to save time so you can spend the rest of the day walking around beautiful Kyoto! It's within close walking distance of Gion Corner - so lots of amazing photo ops!

HIGHLY recommend! Their rental times and prices are so reasonable. The staff was warm, helpful, and multi-lingual.

Thank you DREAMY, for a...

We walked in without a reservation, but the staff were kind and welcoming, and we were happily accommodated.

I had been told by several people to arrive early at kimono rental shops since the more stylish or cute designs tend to get taken quickly — but that wasn’t an issue here. The selection was great, and I especially loved the kimono designs. They were beautiful without being overly flashy, which I really appreciated.

I noticed that many of the customers were Chinese tourists and despite the staff having limited English, they were extremely helpful and made the experience smooth and enjoyable.

Also price wise we paid 9,900 yen for a couple set and the basic design. But again the designs were still great. The free hair style was also beautiful.

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend...