Masaki in her morning kimono and very subtle make-up
Masaki, one of the more famous geishas in Kyoto
Okada-san, one of the last remaining samurai wearing the traditional armour, holding a duelling katana
A geiko (a Kyoto geisha) shot in front of a 150yr old gold leaf shoji screen
Masaki performing a complex move, involving a special way of holding the kimono sleeve
Mr Aiba, one of the Kobaien workers responsible for "gathering smoke", the process of collecting soot for the ink
Mr Hashiwada, one of the experts in the Kobaien ink stick factory, mixing the glue which will become ink
Masaki with her morning kimono preparing for the make-up process
Norie-san, an expert in the Japanese tea-ceremony, preparing
The booths where ink sticks are moulded are almost sacred in Kobaien
Masaki in front of the house spiritual alcove
Geishas are the epitome of elegance and grace in everything they do, even a simple tilt of the head
While geishas are known for providing laughter and happiness, there's a lot of spirituality involved in the profession
Japanese snow monkeys congregate in the heated water pools to combat the freezing cold outside
When a geisha goes outside in the sun on foot, they almost always carry an umbrella
Masaki displaying the elaborate way in which geishas sit, here before a garden in a 150yr old merchant house
Moulding the ink paste into ink sticks requires years of experience and in Kobaien, it takes more than 5 years before you're even allowed to touch the paste
Combining an external gaiety and an internal sadness is the epitome of the geisha
Despite being 94yr old, Okada-san can wield his ancestors' sword with speed and confidence
