do you have a guide on how exactly to get into the geimai scene? as in become a fan and understand things? i’m very interested but the terms are confusing and i’m lost in general but i’ve seen pictures on your blog and everyone looks so beautiful !
Aww, that’s really sweet of you, I’m so happy that you’re so interested! It was very overwhelming to me at the beginning, too, and I think it is for everyone, so take your time and don’t feel like you’re stupid if you can’t remember everything in just a few weeks.
A great way to get some basic knowledge on Geimaiko in a more fun and easy way is to watch documentaries! Here is a list of a few that I have watched and that are accurate (at least for the most important parts, minor inconsistencies are acceptable):
Geisha Girl by the BBC (2005): It tells the story of Yukina on her way to becoming Maiko and later Geiko Kikuyuu. It shows most of her Shikomi-stage and later her Misedashi.
History of Geisha: I don’t know if the name is accurate, but it’s a documentary by the NHK, which usually make great documentaries about Geimaiko. They were allowed to shoot at the Kaden Okiya in Miyagawacho, and it shows interviews with okaasan Koito and retired Geiko Korin and the still active Geiko Koume as Maiko. It also talks about the history of the profession, as the name suggests.
Beautiful Kyoto: Being a Maiko: A short, but very sweet one, as it mainly shows interviews with now retired Maiko Fukunae (Shigemori Okiya) of Miyagawacho, and Geiko Kofuku also makes an appearance.
Begin Japanology: Maiko and Geiko: Again, produced by the NHK, this is a really great one, and Begin Japanology is a really cool programme in general. This is a documentary meant for those who don’t know anything about Geisha yet, so it’s a great place to start. Japanology Plus’ episode on Geisha in other parts of the country is also worth a look!
Real Geisha Real Women (2009): I don’t like the man behind this documentary very much, but the documentary itself is pretty decent, albeit not of the highest production quality. It features Geiko Miehina, her okaasan Harutomi, Geiko Umechika and several others, and consists mainly of interview-type scenarios.
Gion - A Tale of Love and Honor: This is a really great and relatively new one, it’s from 2017. It focuses on the now retired 8th generation proprietress of the Tomiyo Ochaya, one of Kyoto’s oldest and most renowned teahouses. It shows the inner workings of the ochaya, and the succession process of the ochaya from Kimi to her daughter Naomi, who is now the 9th generation proprietress. But it also shows many interviews with Maiko and Geiko (Makino and Mao in particular).
Face to Face - Yachiyo Inoue: Tradition in Full Bloom: This one doesn’t focus on Maiko and Geiko, but on the head of Gion Kobu’s dance school, Yachiyo Inoue V., so it might be interesting for further background knowledge.
Other than that, I have a list of all of Kyoto’s active Geimaiko’s Misedashi and Erikae dates, and a list of their okiya affiliation. @missmyloko also has one, but her’s are sorted by kagai. In general, I would recommend going through her tabs, she has so much useful information on her blog! She has tabs on the kamon currently in use in Kyoto, book reviews on books about Maiko and Geiko, a glossary with explanations on the most important terms, a calendar of recurring events, a tab dedicated to the outfits of Maiko and Geiko and much more. I also have some tabs on my blog, but I really need to do some work on them ^^’.
