Rental Kimono Okamoto Yasaka Shrine — Local services in Kyoto

So far the worst experience in Japan!!! While my wife was trying the kimono upstairs, I was waiting sitting at one side of the stair since there was no waiting area. After about 10 minutes there came down a female employee, all of sudden, speaking to me very rudely "You stand up! No sitting here!" I was very confused and also a bit pissed off. I was sitting there and the other staff said nothing and I did see people sit there too. (They have video surveillance). Besides, there was no prohibition sign there. I tried to make an argument and she simply replied "no English" and kept saying some Japanese words, which I didn't understand. I made a compromise and moved away because clearly she had no intention to communicate and I didn't want to be bothered while waiting for my wife. But before we left, I asked her name and she refused to tell me while speaking some Japanese words. I assumed she meant why and told her using Google translator that I would make a complaint against her since she was very rude and impolite. She still refused and tried to ignore me by attending her business. I won't let it go so in the end a senior staff came downstairs apologizing to me, explaining that she didn't speak English well etc. To be honest, I didn't buy it. Speaking English not well is one thing. Being rude is another. You can tell if people are talking to you politely or rudely, no matter what language they speak. I have met many Japanese staff speaking little English but always behave politely and proactively and try to communicate. The process has always very pleasant and smooth. In fact, she did understand what I am saying but simply refused communicate. I finally got this woman's name (as your service provider she didn't want to tell you her name, so weird) with the help of the senior staff. I won't expose her name here but will write a formal complaint to their customer services. You are being rude first and try to play foolish and innocent later. No way.

Finally, a piece of advice to the chef of this shop. Train your staff how to talk normally! I don't even expect politely! Set up a waiting area. If that is not possible, put a clear sign saying it is not allowed to sit...

Honestly I don't know where to begin, but this was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do this.

My friends and I rented kimonos for the day and we visited the nearby temples. The process was very easy, we walked in, confirmed our reservation and they walked us through the different packages. We chose the package where we picked our kimono, belt, and bag. And we chose from a couple of hairstyles that came with the package.

There were so many pretty kimonos to choose from and belts to pair with. I liked all their options. And all of the staff were helpful redirecting us to our appropriate sizes. The kimono fitting was very impressive and a special experience in itself. The ladies knew what they were doing, and they did it very professionally. It felt like the making of a princess during the fitting lol. I was wowed the whole time.

Lastly, they did my hair afterwards and the final result was so stunning. The kimono fitting was amazing but the hair and accessories? Wow. My favorite part was choosing the accessories, the vision really came to life and better than I pictured. I had so much hair for a high bun but it stayed in place all day. I kept telling the lady that styled my hair how much I loved it and it looked amazing. When we came back to return our kimonos, I even took a picture with her because she (along with the other ladies) made my overall experience so special hehe.

Thank you for taking care of us so well and helping us feel cute and welcome. I will recommend this place to everyone and I will definitely come back one day....

Difficult experience that prompted me to write my first review of anything, ever. The shop itself is relatively well located-- easy access to photo spots in downtown Kyoto.

Although they advertise a lot of variety, as a plus sized and tall girl, they only had about 20 options for me to choose from. My male partner had even less in the S size. There were a few ladies working the floor, but none tried to assist me even though I asked for help for each step (choosing inner, outer, obi, and tie). I can only imagine the issues someone who can't speak Japanese would have.

When I went to pay, I asked about their clearly advertised summer special for half priced services. First, the cashier confirmed she knew of the coupon. Then, she suddenly said that it didn't exist about two minutes later. It's clearly displayed on the website, but I paid the full price as to not argue. Unfortunate when it's $20 USD difference.

I did a photoshoot with their recommended assistant company (which was fun!) though it was raining. The photographer asked, "You went to Okamoto-san, right? Why didn't they give you an umbrella? They give them for free on rainy days..." So, I may have been jipped out of that as well.

Overall, if you're in a relative hurry to get dressed in a kimono and don't mind a bit of a cluster trying to choose, the hair setting and fitting was fine. I just wish my experience had been a bit more special as it was my first time in kimono and in Kyoto. With all the surrounding competition I'd not recommend this location to any foreign-born...