Alice in Kyoto Forest

When she was just seven years old, Alice Shirakawa's parents died in an accident, leaving her completely alone in the world. Though her aunt brings her to her home in Tohoku, Alice sees herself as a burden on the family, as her uncle seems to hold contempt for her. Her only solace is in the world of books and fairy tales, through which she happens to learn about geisha and how apprentices known as maiko can begin training at her age.

In response to her apprenticeship request, an old man arrives the next day to escort the hopeful 15-year-old to Kyoto, the city she called home eight years ago. Located within the city is Momojiya, the okiya in which Alice will train to become a geisha. But as Alice gets tangled up in a series of curious occurrences, she finds that the "Kyoto Forest" she has entered is a world entirely different from the hometown she once knew.