When the history of burlesque in Japan is written, Kyoto deserves a chapter of its own.

When it comes to performance art, the obvious and immediate association for Kyoto is with the demure gestures and movements of geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha).

But peel back the curtains a little further, and you see that the city has a vibrant cabaret scene that helped produce renowned burlesque performers such as Erochica Bamboo, a former winner of the Miss Exotic World Pageant staged annually in the United States.