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Surprise! A new Maiko debuted in Nara today! Her name is Kikumame, and she has been around as a Shikomi for quite a while now, she was in several pictures by Kikuno and Kikukame.
Who of the two her oneesan is, I don’t know. Her older sister Kikue has been around for over 10 months now and seems to be sticking around for longer, let’s hope the same is true for Kikumame!
Source: komninchan on Instagram
December 11th, 2017: One era ends, and another draws close to its conclusion. Kei (京) of Nagoya had her danpatsu shiki today, ending her time as a maiko before she becomes a geiko. Over in Nara, Kikukame (菊亀) has switched to the sakkō style ahead of her January 11th erikae. Both women are keeping the tradition alive in their respected cities and deserve to have the spotlight at such an important time! In Nagoya and Nara, geisha are referred to as geiko, just like in Kyoto. Images are courtesy of Koji Shibata and Kikukame.
A handful of traditional female entertainers across the country are experimenting with innovative ways of preserving their culture.
Today in Nara: Misedashi of Maiko Kikue from the Tsuruya Okiya!
As all Maiko and Geiko currently active in Nara, Kikue (菊愛) is affiliated with the Tsuruya Okiya, but as opposed to many of those before her, she is not the imouto of legendary Geiko Kikuno, but of fresh Geiko Kikukame!
Taking an imouto under her wings so soon after her Erikae is a testament to Kikukame’s desire to stay in the karyukai!
It seems as though Maiko Kikukano and Kikufuku have retired sometime earlier this year, which is very sad news for such a small kagai like Nara, so let’s all hope that Kikue stays for longer!
Congratulations Kikue, and all the best wishes for your career!
Source 1 & 2: ayaka okamura on Twitter Source 3: 四季亭 on Instagram
Hi there ! Hope you're doing well, great blog btw ! :) I was just wondering about the Maiko/Heiko of Nara, can you tell us anything about their history ? Or traditions etc, they're such a small community and seem so elusive. Thanks so much !!
I sadly don’t know too much about Nara’s Geimaiko, especially not their history. I know that their kagai is called Ganrinin and that the only okiya left is Tsuruya with the naming-line Kiku- (菊), and that there are two active Geiko, Kikuno and Kikukame, and one active Maiko, Kikue. The two Maiko who debuted last year, Kikukano and Kikufuku, seem to have retired sometime early this year.I have heard people saying that there are five other Geiko active in Nara, but I’ve never seen anything of them before, so I’m not sure.
Their traditions regarding clothing seem to be very similar to that of Kyoto; their Maiko wear the darari obi and wareshinobu or ofuku, and their Geiko seem to wear wigs in the geiko shimada hairstyle, too. As for kanzashi, they seem to be basically the same, too, as far as I can tell. These similarities are probably attributed to the fact that Nara and Kyoto are very close, just about 50 kilometers apart.
What is definitely different from Kyoto is that their Maiko have to have completed high school before debuting, so they are usually 18 years old at the point of their Misedashi, which also makes for shorter apprenticeships. Kikukame was a Maiko for about two years and two months before she had her Erikae. I don’t know what the maximum age is for a girl to have her Erikae in Nara, but I assume it’s similar to that in Kyoto, 20 or 21, maybe 22.
And actually, I don’t think that Nara’s Geisha-community is particularly elusive, at least they aren’t trying to be. Kikuno is well-known for coming up with and hosting many public events accessible to everyone, some even abroad, to revitalize her profession and also attract new applicants. Pictures of them are relatively rare, but that’s normal for most kagai outside of Kyoto, especially such a small one, they just get a lot less attention and media coverage.
I found two articles about Nara’s Geimaiko, you can read them here and here, for some additional information. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you any further!
