Kyoto Kimono Rental Yumeyakata Gojo — Local services in Kyoto

I am so incredibly happy that I was able to book this experience for my family and I. I originally booked a kimono rental through another shop but after doing more research, decided to cancel it and look for another store that offered professional photo packages. I stumbled upon Yumeyakata and decided to go with them based on so many of their positive reviews and the beautiful professional photographs.

We booked the Kimono Rental & Location Photo Plan and the Maruyama Park Package and added on hairstyling for my mother and I.

The photography packages can be a bit costly but honestly, I think they are definitely well worth it if you or anyone on your trip is good with a camera lol. This was an experience that my family and I will remember for years to come and especially so with these beautiful pictures.

I booked our reservation very early on, like early February and we booked for April 4th and for the earliest time slot they had for the photoshoot. I would HIGHLY recommend for anyone doing the photo package to book in advance in order to reserve the earliest timeslot as this will allow you to beat the majority of the crowds while having your pictures taken. I chose Maruyama Park for our photo spot as I was hoping the cherry blossoms would be in full bloom by then (which they were as you can tell from the pics). I booked their earliest timeslot which was 9am, which meant the kimono process would start right at 9am and we did not arrive to Maruyama Park until around 10:30-11am or so. So keep this in mind as the kimono dressing (and hair/makeup if you add it on) takes quite a while. There were still people at the location, but the crowds definitely grew around 12pm and so on.

The dressing process was also very streamlined. They give you a bag to place all of your stuff in and then you get to choose your kimono. They go off of your height, so I would also recommend to ask them in advance what their selection is for your height. I'm 4'9 and my mom is 5ft and their selection for our height was a bit small but we were able to find ones that we liked. I also wish I did a bit more research on the kimono styles that are currently trending, as after walking around quite a bit I did feel like the one I was wearing was a bit more 'old-school'. The kimono that are currently trending with a lot of girls right now I think is the 'retro/vintage lace style' and a bit more minimalistic. I'm still happy with the kimono I chose though as it came out beautifully in the pictures, but I definitely would have done a bit more research before choosing lol.

As for our photographer, we went with Morimoto Yoshino-san. I chose her based on her portfolio and I am so glad I decided on choosing her as our photographer. She was so encouraging, patient and sweet. My mom and brother were a bit nervous beforehand as they didn't know how to pose but she helped all of us with posing and our facial expressions. She went above and beyond to get all the best angles and shots. I would definitely recommend her if you decide to go with the photo plan package here and will also be recommending Yumeyakata to anyone I know who plans on traveling to Kyoto.

Thank you so much to the Yumeyakata team and our photographer Yoshino-san for making one of our first experiences in Japan such a positive one that me, my mom and brother will cherish...

I considered many companies and settled for Kyoto Kimono Rental Yumeyakata Gojo after being in contact with them prior to booking and reading their reviews.

Our contact via phone and email I experienced as quickly and swiftly with some help from a Japanese friend. We confirmed everything via email and I booked via their website to confirm per their system as well.

Prior to my booking they confirmed and reassured me they had kimonos available in my size and that they were simple and elegant. Sadly upon the day of arrival they said I couldn't wear any of the "standard package" kimonos due to me being 'too tall' and it would have looked weird. The tailor of the shop said I wasn't allowed to wear these so I only had a selection of very childish, pattern full or interesting kimonos. Or, there was one last option and that was to update to their most expensive package and choose from their traditional kimono's.

I ended up upgrading and paying 3times as much for my experience. I do think the upgrade was worth it, yet this could have been avoided with clear and honest communication from their part.

After choosing my kimono, robes and accessories I got to the dressing part. That took them around 40min since it's a different package from the standard one. The dressing was done with extreme care- and eye- and attention to detail which I greatly enjoyed.

After being dressed I got escorted down to have my hair and makeup done.

I chose from the premium hair package and that took the lady not more than 15min to do. The make-up got applied at the same time as the hairdresser was doing my hair. The makeup stylist gave me options for make-up and I said: natural and to your opinion what is beautiful and matching with this kimono. I loved how she took that to heart and she really put some good effort into it. She even made a tiny brush with lipbalm/lipstick for me to take away for reapplying on the day.

I am happy I paid 1100 yen extra for the 9:30 time mark so it wasn't as busy as it got after 10am.

I greatly appreciate their honesty on the day itself regarding the sizes of what could fit me, but would have appreciated a more clear communication. I do recommend this company to anyone who would like to rent a kimono with the full package of hair and makeup included. They really honestly do a great job at it and they are as smooth and fast as a well oiled factory! Sadly they didn't have any photographers available so I had to book those services elsewhere.

They also have a good number system for when returning the kimono and picking up your own clothes and items. The undressing was done within 10min.

See photos of how beautiful the traditional kimono...

This was a hard one to decide the rating. On one hand, they accommodated an extra person last minute in our reservation and it was budget friendly. On the other, the dressing was quick and impersonal.

Shop: it’s a standard older store. We noticed most places in Kyoto are older though. 2 floors (at-least the areas we saw). Once you check in, a tiny elevator takes you up to where you pick kimonos. Then it’s like a few steps to changing area then other steps to get back down. It was an interesting layout.

Kimono options for plus size: very very limited. I had maybe 6 to pick from. I’m not sure if it was just the time of the day or their selection for plus size was that limited. My husband also had limited options bc of his height. I did have a lot of options for the waist belt.

Accessories: you can pick from a purse selection and shoes. I opted to keep my boots on.

Hair: super quick and SO CUTE. I didn’t do make up option.

Dressing (& undressing at the end of the rental): this was the reason I took off 2 stars. It was just… interesting. Kinda rushed and I felt kinda judged by the lady dressing me. At one point she huffed and went to pick another belt to put on me. She kept talking to me in what I assume is Japanese. I tried saying multiple times I was sorry but didn’t understand. She’d mumble and continue speaking. When I was returning the rental, there were other workers in the area and she did the same thing. Would talk to me, but this time she’d talk to the other ladies- say something to me then look back at them. It was just weird and her facial expression did not look too thrilled either. Both times were fast. Like they had a time limit to dress you and get you out. Could be a positive thing for some people, I just thought it experience would be more personalized.

Quality: I don’t have any other experience to base this on but they were hearty and kept us warm. Thicker than what u thought the fabric would be. No tears. I was able to wear it comfortably for 5 hrs. I didn’t wear the shoes so no opinion there.

Kimono Experience: we loved frolicking around Kyoto in a Kimono. Other than the awkward dressing, the experience of wearing a Kimono is something I’ll never forget. We paid for a 1hr photoshoot thru Get Your Guide. These are some of the images from our session. The Kimono colors were perfect and stood out exactly how I hoped with the old timey, historical vibes of Kyoto. We also did a tea ceremony with them.

I don’t know if I’d use this place again, there were so many options for rentals in Kyoto. I may try another next time. This is fine if you’re looking for budget friendly and a quick in and...