The main stage for hospitality in the glittering Kagai entertainment district is the Ozashiki banquet. Geiko - as geisha are known in Kyoto - and maiko, or trainee Geiko, refine their skills over years in dance and other performing arts to present at Ozashiki. In this world, Shikitari customs and etiquette are dictated by strict protocol drilled into the girls by their elders in their daily lives. A Shidashiya caters meals for Ozashiki. A Yuzenshi dyer creates unique maiko kimono. Many people live within the culture at the heart of the Kagai.

Sen-no-Rikyu (1522-1591) began the chanoyu, or tea ceremony, that is practiced today, 400 years ago. His simple, rustic wabi philosophy is still discernable in the designs, movements and mindset. In Uji, Kyoto, the year's first shoots from shaded tea plants are ground into a fine powder to make the koicha tea used in the ceremonies. Artisans use time-honored methods to craft the chanoyu utensils. People immerse themselves in this art in which each bowl of tea is considered a once in a lifetime encounter.