Kimono Rental at Higashi Chaya: Prices, Return Times and Booking in English
Wearing a kimono through Higashi Chaya is the one photo almost everyone comes here for, and the rental shops sit inside the district itself — you are dressed and on the lattice-fronted street within minutes, with your luggage left behind the counter.
The thing that catches visitors out is not the price. It is the return deadline. Decide that first, and everything else falls into place.
The short answer
- From ¥3,850 (tax included) for the basic set: kimono, obi, accessories and dressing
- Hair styling is extra — ¥1,760 and up, and it usually has to be booked in advance
- Same-day return is 18:00. That is before the district’s best light in the warmer months
- Next-day return costs ¥1,100–¥2,200 and is the single most useful thing to add
- Cards work at Tsubaki (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), plus QR and e-money. Useful, because many small shops in the district are cash-only
- There is an English website and an English booking form at Tsubaki. You do not need to phone in Japanese
- Dressing takes about 30 minutes, or 45–60 in busy periods
The two shops inside the district
Both are on the same street as the teahouses, a few minutes’ walk apart.
| Kimono Rental Tsubaki | Kanazawa Kirara (Higashi Chaya main store) | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic plan (tax incl.) | ¥3,850 | ¥3,960 |
| Hair styling | — | ¥1,760 (simple) / ¥5,500 (formal) — book 2 days ahead |
| Next-day return | ¥1,100 per person, return by 15:00 the next day | ¥2,200, return by 12:00 the next day, to either store or your hotel front desk (within Kanazawa) |
| Luggage | Free storage; large cases ¥550 | Suitcase storage ¥660; luggage delivery ¥550 (next-day-return customers, central Kanazawa) |
| Hours | 9:00–18:00 | 9:00–18:00, open daily |
| Address | 1-3-2 Higashiyama, 2F | 1-3-18 Higashiyama |
| Payment | Cash, credit card, QR, e-money | Not confirmed — ask when booking |
| English | English website and booking form | Not confirmed |
Kirara has a wider range of plans if you want something beyond the basic set: ¥5,720 for its Kirara plan, ¥7,590 for the retro plan, ¥5,720 for men and ¥4,400 for children.
Work backwards from the return time
This is the part worth planning, and it is specific to this district.
Higashi Chaya looks its best after the sun drops and the lanterns come on. With a same-day return at 18:00, you are handing the kimono back before that happens for much of the year — and the shops and teahouses have already closed by then, so there is nothing else pulling you away.
- Daytime photos only → same-day return is fine. Book the earliest slot: the street is genuinely empty in the morning and crowded by midday
- You want the evening street → pay for next-day return. ¥1,100–¥2,200 buys back the whole end of your day
- You have an early train the next morning → check which next-day deadline. Tsubaki takes returns until 15:00; Kirara until 12:00. If you are leaving Kanazawa at 9:00, neither works unless the hotel-desk return applies
Kirara’s hotel front desk return is the quietly useful option here: you leave the kimono at your accommodation instead of walking back across the district.
Rent here, or near Kanazawa Station?
| In the district | Near the station | |
|---|---|---|
| Upside | Dressed and photographing within minutes; luggage stays at the shop | Change on arrival; convenient for a departure train |
| Downside | You travel from the station in your own clothes | A bus ride in an unfamiliar kimono — about 10 minutes plus a 5-minute walk |
Kanazawa Station to Higashi Chaya is roughly 10 minutes by bus and 5 minutes on foot (see the access guide for routes, fares and IC cards). If your goal is time spent in the kimono rather than time spent travelling in it, renting in the district is the better trade.
What to build around it
Allow 30–60 minutes for dressing and about two hours for the street; that is already half a day. If you add one thing, add an indoor booking early — the district closes early, and the two teahouses you can enter both shut in the 17:00 hour.
- Inside a teahouse — tatami rooms photograph well with a kimono, and both close before the evening light
- Gold leaf workshop — about an hour indoors, and a reliable fallback if the weather turns
- Kazue-machi — the quiet district across the Asano River, with far fewer people on its stone-paved lane
FAQ
Do I have to book in advance?
Same-day rentals are sometimes possible, but hair styling slots are the bottleneck — Kirara requires hair styling to be reserved two days ahead. If hair matters to you, book both together.
Can I book in English?
Yes, at Tsubaki. It runs an English site with a web reservation form; you send your date, time, name, phone number, gender, size and chosen plan. Phone bookings are Japanese-language.
Can I pay by card?
At Tsubaki, yes — Visa, Mastercard and American Express, plus QR payments and e-money. For Kirara, confirm when you book. Carry some cash regardless: many small shops around the district do not take cards.
What happens to my suitcase?
It stays at the shop. Tsubaki stores everything but valuables free of charge and charges ¥550 for large cases; Kirara charges ¥660 for a suitcase. You walk the district empty-handed.
What if it rains?
You can still wear it. Tsubaki provides wagasa umbrellas and rain zori in bad weather. Kanazawa is one of the rainiest cities in Japan, so this is a real consideration — and note that the stone paving gets slippery, which matters more in zori than in your own shoes.
Is winter too cold for this?
No, but ask for the extras. Tsubaki offers haori jackets and shawls, and recommends bringing your own low-necked thermal underlayer and leggings. Snow soaks the feet, so keep walking distances short on those days.
Are there children’s and men’s kimono?
Yes. Tsubaki stocks children’s kimono for ages 1–12 (70–150 cm). Kirara lists a men’s plan at ¥5,720 and a children’s plan at ¥4,400.
How long does dressing take?
About 30 minutes at the fastest — roughly 10 minutes each for check-in and choosing, dressing, and hair. Allow 45–60 minutes in peak season, and arrive a little before your slot.
※ Prices, hours, options, payment and language support verified 28 August 2026 against the shops’ official sites. They change — confirm when you book.
- Kimono Rental Tsubaki — English page — FAQ (prices, hours, address, next-day return, luggage, rain and winter provision, children’s sizes, payment methods, dressing time)
- Kanazawa Kirara — plans and options (plan prices, hours, address, hair styling, next-day return, luggage)
Nearby
- Getting to Higashi Chaya — buses, fares and whether your IC card works
- Inside a teahouse: Shima and Kaikaro — the two you can enter, and when they close
- Gold leaf workshop — booked, indoors, about an hour
- Kazue-machi and Nishi Chaya — the other two districts
Start from the Higashi Chaya Guide for the district as a whole.