Enjoy a private lunch or dinner with a geiko (as geisha are known in Kyoto) or maiko (apprentice geiko) in a traditional Japanese villa set in a private garden, once the home of a prosperous local family. You’ll enjoy traditional kaiseki cuisine (a multi-course series of dishes which emphasize seasonality and elegant simplicity), and be entertained by the geiko with dance, music and traditional games. In earlier times, the opportunity to meet geisha was very much the preserve of the elite but now geisha attend private functions and appear in public performances, though even today most Japanese will not have met a geisha in person. The villa also has a teahouse so you can also enjoy a traditional tea ceremony if you wish. During the summer months, the unusual seasonal dish of nagashi somen, noodles which are served in chilled water along bamboo pipes, is also available.