missmyloko

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine! Hope you are well. Just wondering if you know who these are (and which okiya they belong to):

Instagram dot com /tv/C5nDMSGyW-G/?igsh=MW1veDdlenZ6dzZuZg==

The hashtag says gion so maybe? But I thought this was really fun and cool. In fact, I’d like to see more of these from my fave geimaikos (not sure if they’re even allowed to entertain this way?).

They're Fukusono (ふく苑), Fukuyū (ふく侑), and Kotsuru (小つる) (and shikomi) of Shigemori (しげ森) in Miyagawa Cho. Geimaiko parties can get quite wild and karaoke ones like these happen all the time ^^

[missmyloko]

Who is the geiko at 7:40? Thank you! Youtube video qm2QpN-yI1I

That's Mariko (槇里子) of Nishimura (西村) in Gion Kobu ^^

[missmyloko]

Greetings, Myloko! I came across an old post of yours about the monthly colour pairings in maiko attire. (/post/190074180853) Which colours did you take into account - the base colour(s) of their kimono and obi? Or the colours of the motives as well? In case of lined kimono, the colour of the lining? It is a very interesting topic in my opinion!

The base colors of the kimono and obi are what are taken into account. Motifs and lining are ignored ^^

[missmyloko]

What is the oldest active okiya in Kyoto right now?

Records for okiya aren't as easy to find as ochaya, but Masuume, Odamoto, Dainui, Daimonji, and Dai Ichi are all over 100 years old ^^

[missmyloko]

Hey! I’m feeling kind of nostalgic and I wanted to rewatch my favourite geisha documentary and I can’t find it anywhere! It was called “a tale of life and honor: life in gion” and I was wondering if you knew where to watch it?

Thank you so much.

Unfortunately NHK takes down their documentaries after 1 year of hosting it on their website, so unless someone copied it and uploaded it somewhere else you're out of luck :(

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine 👋😊

I had to admit that I wanted to ask you this question long time ago, but I was too afraid of being disrespectful.

On 3rd March, Two maiko had debuted in Yuzawa.

One thing that caught my attention was that the nigongami looked disheveled, and the quality of their shironuri seem lower than the make up I've seen in other maiko, geisha, geiko, geigi, hangyoku...

I decided to ask you today because I've seen the person from the Instagram account @geishamaiko has talked about them.

I don't know if by the time you are reading this the story is still available and I don't think that it is correct to add the image here, so I will write you what the post in his story says:

"I agree that many areas of Japan can recover their Kagai. but it cannot be done by copying Kyoto."

"The girls can't make a debut with a hairstyle like that. It is very ridiculous."

"They can't dance smiling and looking around. To maintain tradition there must be a basis. It becomes a tourist spectacle imitating Kyoto"

Also, he added this link, where you can see them dancing.

https://local-tv.marketplace.rakuten.co.jp/abs/mov/240308_02/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabWEZGHeZhGRZPbah5Nqg7q4owq-BMvWLcVQoXbHJvIl3fQS0H3X9XeDjA_aem_AWU7tnBrKcxInP7znxencSeIqo0BlopsYbGjj8HyHWymGke6mHO84xpt-ezevos_Ye31NzmjeOOLTAUWQmHNeIYR

With that being said, what is your opinion about their situation?

Yuzawa's geimaiko population is relatively new as they've undergone a revival project to keep the traditions going there with new blood. This isn't uncommon for small pockets of geisha in rural areas across the country and most are even being helped by their local governments to do so. Yuzawa's traditions are based on Kyoto's, with their girls even wearing some kimono and obi previously owned by Kyoto okiya. They learn the Okamoto style of dance, but will also dance the Gion Kouta as seen in the video. This was the first time they've ever done a misedashi ceremony like the ones done in Kyoto, so they were trying it out as a way to show off their current members and to drum up some support for the new girls. Obviously the new maiko didn't look perfect as they didn't have professional makeup artists doing their oshiroi (the girls themselves likely did it) and their hair was likely done by their onesan (I don't think Yuzawa has a nihongami specialist, but I could be wrong), but overall it was a decent presentation, and as long as the girls and the guests had a good time then that's what mattered. To say that they can't dance while smiling or looking around just shows how uneducated the commenter is as traditional dance isn't as stiff or unfeeling as they seem to think. Yes, the Inoue style, who follows the Noh tradition, doesn't show much emotion at all, but other styles that follow the Kabuki tradition, such as Okamoto or Umemoto, can and do. This is why the finale of the Kyo Odori, which is choreographed in the Umemoto style, promotes a very expressive style of dance where even the singing of the lyrics to the song is encouraged! So, sometimes you just need to stop and analyze what's going on instead of just criticizing the outward appearance that you have no prior information about ^^

[missmyloko]

I noticed in a video of the Kitano Odori the maiko were wearing pampas grass kanzashi then switched to the standard butterfly kanzashi for the month at the end for the serenade. Do the maiko change kanzashi for the seasonal scene changes? Does this happen in the other odoris as well? Are there costume changes also?

It really depends on the odori itself. If there's a scene change for the participants then yes, their kanzashi may change or even their outfits, but this tends to be rare as it's time and cost consuming ^^

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine! Thanks as usual for answering questions so patiently! Do geimaiko get a say in their geimei? I can't imagine disliking the name given to you and being forced to use it for the rest of your career D: Thank you again!

For the most part they don't. An okasan won't pick an ugly name though ^^

[missmyloko]

Did Pontocho's Hideyoshi quit her job? Pontocho's Instagram page with her Misedashi photo is gone, too. Posts from other quit maikos are gone. (Momihiro, Ichika, Hidewaka, for example) Kamogawa Odori's poster has her, but has she quit?

I honestly don't know and I don't think we will know until the Kamogawa Odori starts next week. I haven't heard anything about her leaving, but stranger things have happened ^^;

[missmyloko]

What happens to kimono that are specifically made for a particular annual performance like the Kyo odori, or the Miyako odori? Can those articles be used in other venues or at other times?

Depending on the kagai, they're either rented from the school of dance that they belong to, owned by the kabukai and are reused for a certain amount of time before being discarded or sold off, are owned by the kabukai but are cut up for souvenirs to be sold next year (looking at you, Gion Kobu), or a mix of more than one of the above ^^

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine! Hope you're doing good! I have 3 questions: 1. I've heard that you can request for a geimaiko to travel out of kyoto to entertain you/ at your party, is this true? Say, to Tokyo? Even if Tokyo have their own geisha? 2. Are there many, if any kyoto geiko in their 40's to 60's? I noticed a lot of them retire before they're 30. 3. Ive also heard that while geisha cannot get married, they can pregnant? Is this true? Do they raise their child like a regular single parent? Thanks!

Hi there! 1: Yes, it's true! If you're an established customer of an ochaya you can request geimaiko to entertain pretty much anywhere. You'd have to cover all travel costs, mind you, but it is very doable. It doesn't matter if the place they're travelling to already has an established geisha population or not. 2: Yes, there are many geiko who are over the age of 40. Most natori geiko (with the exception of some younger ones in Gion Kobu) are over 40. Since there's no retirement age the best dancers are well into their 50s and 60s (and beyond). 3: Yes, they can get pregnant and have children. Motherhood is actually encouraged in the gokagai and they have quite a good system to help geiko who choose to raise children as single mothers ^^

[missmyloko]

Some old kasuri/meisen kimono have these lighter stripes that fade on the ends that I think resemble beams of sunlight, are you aware of a name for this pattern or technique?

Unfortunately I don't ^^;

[missmyloko]

Hello Justine! Do maiko always wear white gloves while performing at Miyako Odori? Why? Thank you

They wear white gloves while on their way on the odori and before the odori as they actually paint their hands with oshiroi so that they'll stand out while on stage. The gloves protect the oshiroi from rubbing off before they're on stage ^^

[missmyloko]

Hi! I recently watched a video on maiko games on the Youtube Channel Let’s Ask Shogo! and one of the games was a game I had not heard of before, Tosenkyo, which is played with a fan and a target. I was wondering if maiko actually play this at ozashikis and how often?

Geimaiko know how to play tosenkyo, but it's very rare to actually play it within the confines of an ozashiki, usually because you need to own a tosenkyo set and they can be cost prohibitive. Plus, most ochaya don't actually own a tosenkyo set of their own, so there's that too ^^

[missmyloko]

Hello, can you recommend any japanese or foreign movies about Geisha?

I highly recommend Maiko Wa Lady (Lady Maiko). It's a Japanese movie that's basically My Fair Lady but takes place in the karyukai ^^

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine! Not sure if you saw my question re Mameaya - it was my response to your answer on Asako’s erikae. I know Mameaya is more senior (looks, mai) so I’m just wondering why Asako is first to graduate. I hope this question is appropriate. Thanks!

No, your question must not have sent. There's many different reasons why one maiko may have her erikae before another, which include but are not limited to: age and progression of gei. In this case it's likely that Asako is older than Mameaya and thus is having her erikae first ^^

[missmyloko]

Hello! Long time fan of your blog! This might be a dumb question and I apologise in advance-- do geiko + maiko entertain Yakuza? I recently watched a yakuza movie and the stigmas of being associated, let alone doing business with one seems to have terrible and long term repercussions. While I understand that the karyukai is shrouded in secrecy, are there clientele they stay away from, or do they entertain anyone with the introduction policy, even if they are yakuza?

Geimaiko entertain anyone who has the right connections to enter an ochaya, so yes, that can include high ranking members of the yakuza ^^