❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Keni
JVL
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
Three Goblin Art
Product Placement
art blog(derogatory)
noise dept.
styofa doing anything
trying on a metaphor
@theartofmadeline
todays bird
tannertan36
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Cosmic Funnies
Kiana Khansmith
Misplaced Lens Cap
Show & Tell
★
Stranger Things
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Serbia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Saudi Arabia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
@gion-kobu
February 26th, 2024: A new geiko is born! Kimimana (君真奈) of Minoyae (美の八重) is celebrating her misedashi! She is the imōto of Kimizuru (君鶴) of Kineya (きねや) and is a jikata geiko! Although new, she will be performing during the upcoming Miyako Odori in just over a month! Her outfit features folding fans among bamboo and her obi has a lovely design of woven karabana ^^ おめでとうさんどす君真奈さん ^o^! Image is courtesy of 1020Kiddo.
November 7th, 2023: Congratulations to Kyoto's newest maiko on the occasion of her misedashi! Honoka (穂乃佳) of Tsurui (つる居) in Gion Kobu has debuted under natori geiko Sayaka (紗矢佳), also of Tsurui! She is Gion Kobu's second misedashi of the year and Tsurui's newest debut since Erika in 2021. Her outfit features waves and pine with lucky treasures and her obi features a gorgeous shippō pattern ^^ おめでとうさんどす穂乃佳ちゃん ^o^! Image is courtesy of Gion Tsudaro.
November 20th, 2023: Congratulations to Kyoto's newest geiko! Miwako (美羽子) of Nishimura (西村) in Gion Kobu is celebrating her erikae! She is the first imōto of natori geiko Mihoko (美帆子), also of Nishimura, to have her erikae, and is her district's fourth erikae this year! Her outfit is her own as it features her own kamon and is a testament to her popularity and the wealth of the Nishimura okiya. Her outfit features fans, pines, and lucky treasures among dreamy clouds while her obi features pines and flowers ^^ おめでとうさんどす美羽子さん ^o^! Image is courtesy of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.
Gion(Kyoto,Japan),60s
Another Ending
Another story has come to an end. Katsue (佳つ江) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu has announced her retirement from the profession. She stayed long enough to see her imōto Katsuemi become a geiko and had 11 years of experience in the karyukai. We wish her the best in her future endeavors ^^
You have a book coming out? :o
YES. It's called The Guide To Kimono and it's all about helping people figure out what type of kimono (or obi, or various other garments) they have, what its age is, and approximate value. It's being published by Schiffer and will be coming out in the first quarter of 2024 ^^!
The short-lived Gifu GeiMaiko Kirin retired (not surprised), new Maiko already in sight (slightly surprised) There are two groups of Geigi/Geiko in Gifu. First, there is the Geigi union. Located in Higashi Kogan-chô district, its members are mostly of veterans of the profession, their online presence is limited, new infos are hard to come by. It’s current head is Geigi Kanako 可奈子, who’s been a Geigi since at least 2008. Last news were that two Maiko debuted in 2018, but it seems they retired meanwhile. Then, there’s the Hôsengiren 鳳川伎連 okiya (located in Tamanoi district). Led by Hôkan Kikuji 喜久次, who has been in this profession since 2009 latest, it has had a constant influx of new Geiko and Maiko. At first, we could follow their carreers on Ameba blogs, now on Instagram. Apart from Kikuhina, who was a Maiko for around 4 years, all of them quit after 1 or 2 years. It seems that Kirin 喜りん retired around May 2021, but hey, a new Maiko is on the horizon already! Kikusuzu 喜久すゞ will debut in November. I already wonder how long she will stay? But let’s not forget about the Geiko and Maiko who brought new life in Gifu’s Hanamachi before and indirectly taught us about their traditions… pictured above: Kikuhina 喜久雛 (2010-14) and Kikuaya 喜久朱 (2012) Kikusato 喜久里 (2014) and Kikutomi 喜久富 (2014-15) Kikuharu 喜久春 (2016) and Kikukazu 喜久勝 (2016-17) Kikumame 喜久豆 (2016-17) and Kikumomo 喜久桃 (2017) Kikumatsu きく松 (2018-19) and Kirin 喜りん (2020-21)
Friends, I wish I was joking, but… history repeats itself. The first sentence of the original post should read now “Kikusuzu retired (not surprised), new Maiko already in sight (not surprised either).” Kikusuzu debuted on 13th Nov 2021 and has retired in late 2022. Since she was already 20 years or older at her debut, I would think she has outgrown the Maiko age and didn’t want to or couldn’t become a Geiko. Back in October, she announced a performance together with Kikuji and a “Maiko Minarai”. it was the last post on her Instagram account. Fukumi attended a different event (also in October), where Kikusuzu and the Minarai danced, and addessed her as “仕込さん(源氏名は未定)“ (Shikomi-san, name to be decided). This particular Shikomi/Minarai appeared again this January, yet no word or sign of her debut. In the video, you can see she is wearing the same hairstyle as Kikusuzu prior to her debut. Sadly, I can’t tell you what hairstyle it is exactly. It looks similar to Ichô Gaeshi 銀杏返し. I think she looks lovely and the combination of her face with the wig resembles the Furisode-san of Niigata. Interestingly, Hôkan Tatsuji 辰次, who debuted together with Kikumomo in 2017, and Geiko Tamaji 多満次, who debuted in 2020, are both still active. This means Tatsuji has long surpassed Kikuhina’s record as longest serving apprentice to Kikuji, and Tamaji is working longer than all Geiko who ever debuted under Kikuji since 2012 (earliest debut at Hôsengiren I could find an evidence of was Kikuhina).
January 24th, 2023: Congratulations to Gion Kobu’s newest geiko! Momo (もも) of Ninben (亻) is celebrating her misedashi! Her misedashi came as quite the surprise to many (including me), but it’s great to see a new face around the kagai! Her outfit features the lucky gods among bamboo and and colorful crane obi ^^ おめでとうさんどすももさん ^o^! Image is courtesy of Kyo Katsura Imanishi.
December 15th, 2022: Kyoto’s newest geiko is born! Katsuharu (佳つ春) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu is celebrating her erikae! She is the fourth erikae for Gion Kobu in the past six weeks, a sign that business is picking up again after the pandemic. Her kimono features luscious peonies among clouds with instruments of her craft such as a drum and a dancing fan and is accented with a golden obi featuring cranes and karabana ^^ おめでとうさんどす佳つ春さん ^o^! Image is courtesy of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.
November 30th, 2022: A new geiko is born! Nanoha (菜乃葉) of Tama (多麻) in Gion Kobu is celebrating her erikae! She is the second of four Gion Kobu erikae scheduled for this fall and the first for Tama in quite a while. She is wearing the Tama okasan’s famous erikae outfit that she herself wore for her own erikae back in the 1950s! It features waves, pine, and genjikō with an obi of golden cranes and paulownia ^^ おめでとうさんどす菜乃葉さん ^o^! Image is courtesy of 1020kiddo.
So Expensive...
A nice insight into the Kyoto Artisans that make Kimono fit for a Geiko to wear. One can truly see that every step in manufacturing these gorgeous pieces is a result of years if not decades of practice and talent and the dedication of these craftspeople deserves recognition.
No wonder Geiko and Maiko wear their Kimono with pride and do it to promote these unique techniques and traditions. It also puts into perspective how many Geiko who can afford the steep price of getting their own pieces custom made due to their own hard work and passion. Geisha are ambassadors of these high end works of wearable art and here we can glimpse behind the shiny façade of the finished masterpiece.
Source: Business Insider on Youtube
Kanzashi of The Month: March - Peach Blossoms
Three years ago I posted the final entry in this monthly series that I loved doing, and I thought at the time that I had covered all of the kanzashi that there were to cover. I even did a look at some of the unusual designs, but this one stands out and deserves a spot all of its own. As always, kanzashi are courtesy of Kazurasei.
Image courtesy of Kazurasei. Momo (桃) - Peach Blossoms Peach blossoms are the quintessential flower of March in that they’re the symbol of Girl’s Day and the Doll Festival (Hina Matsuri) that takes place on March 3rd. Peach blossoms are said to be delicate like a young woman in bloom and are the color of a blushing face. Even though peach blossoms rarely bloom exactly on March 3rd, they do bloom around the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, which is usually around the middle to the end of the month, so it all works out in the end. Peach blossoms are always a unique kanzashi choice, not just because they’re a bit more rare than their nanohana counterparts, but because of their craftsmanship. As you may have noticed, peach blossoms use a unique petal fold that almost makes them look inverted and they always have fuzzy centers. The leaves are also not made from the normal tsumami process, but are rather made from painted silk that is not folded.
Image courtesy of Moekokome. When it comes to maiko, peach blossoms can be worn by maiko of any seniority. Here we can see Toshimomo (とし桃) of Komaya (駒屋) (above) wearing peach kanzashi as a senior maiko. In this case though, Toshimomo seems to be wearing peach blossoms kanzashi since the kanji for “peach” is in her geimei!
There is this video about Inoue School on Youtube. Very interesting https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hHooOD88qYE
Yes, that's the new one made by the Japan Foundation that came out only a few weeks ago. It's very lovely ^^!
There is also this documentary about Inoue School. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_wVExO0O1x4 It is divided in five parts
Yes, that one is about the succession of Inoue Yachiyo V from her grandmother Inoue Yachiyo IV when she was still alive. It's also excellent ^^
Spotlight: Poetic Images In The Karyukai - Tagasode As discussed a few weeks ago, there’s often some images in the karyukai that were once popular and known by all that are now almost forgotten (I’m referring to the Genji Mon debate). However, sometimes a kimono or an obi comes along that evokes both old imagery and instant knowledge as to what it represents, and this happens to be one of those examples. Looking at the obi, one just sees kimono folded over bamboo branches, but almost every person who is even remotely versed in classical Japanese literature or art will instantly recognize its significance! The imagery comes from a classic piece known as Tagasode (誰袖), which means “Whose Sleeves” that originated in the Momoyama Period (1573-1615). The first instance of its appearance was on a folding screen, and it was then copied again and again in various art forms to evoke a sense of knowledge in traditional arts. The theme of Tagasode itself was thought to come from a poem written in the Kokin Wakashū (古今和歌集) in 905 that says: Iro yorimo, 色よりも, More color, Ka koso aware to, 香こそあはれと, Than perfume, Omohoyure, おもほゆれ, Primarily, Tagasode fureshi, 誰袖ふれし, Whose sleeves hang, Yado no ume zomo. 宿の梅ぞも. In the plum tree at the inn? The poem itself speaks about the kimono of lovers who are staying at an inn, away from their families and any duties that would otherwise keep them apart. The author wonders who they may be, and what kind of lives that they’re living away from this secluded place. Is it a nobleman and his mistress? A secret affair between two aristocrats? Nobody knows, but just the thought of who owns those sleeves is enough to evoke a sense of curiosity and spark the imagination. It’s a beautiful and elegant image that fits right into the karyukai and seems as though it’s part of a dance that a maiko or geiko would perform. This beautiful obi is owned by the Ninben (亻) okiya in Gion Kobu and is worn by maiko Mametama (豆珠) in this image. The image itself is courtesy of Badbatsumaru on Instagram. The poem and some background information came from the Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS), but the translation was done by myself.
January 29th, 2022: Mametama (豆珠) of Ninben (亻) in Gion Kobu has switched to the sakkō hairstyle ahead of her erikae! Her erikae will be taking place on February 14th. Her kanzashi features a beautiful crane over pine (which may or may not be the same one that Mamehana wore) while her kuromontsuki is various musical instruments with kanji ^^ Image is courtesy of Mist.
