#jimae

[maigeiko]

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4. November 2025: Niigata Tomesode-san Kikuno 菊乃 (debuted 2013) became independent of Ryuto Shinko and is now operating Inayoshi いな美 Okiya. All independent Geigi are operating their own Okiya, although (as far as I know) every new debut since 1987 is an employee of Ryuto Shinko before becoming independent.

[maigeiko]

Asakusa Hokan Shichisuke 七助 became independent today! His newly established Okiya is called "Iroha-ya" いろは家. Shichisuke has been working as a Hokan for over 20 years already. At the moment, there are six Hokan in Asakusa (Yoneshichi 米七, Tamahachi 玉八, Shichiko 七好, Shichisuke 七助, Shichitarô 七太郎 and Hachiko 八好).

Source: Asakusa Geisha, current insta story

[missmyloko]

Random Fact of The Week 13/5

A day delayed this week due to social etiquette requirements, but here nonetheless! When not attending my social obligations I’ve been working hard on an all new tab that I hinted at a bit last week, and I’m happy to say that it’s coming along well. It’s part information, part tribute to a dear friend, and I hope that you all enjoy it once it’s launched. If you’re really good at guessing you may be able to figure out the URL, but I’ll leave it at that for now ^^; Anyway, onto the facts! You can tell if a geiko is jimae or not by looking at her obiage! A non-jimae geiko’s obiage will remain red with silver leaf patterns that look very similar to a maiko’s (albeit not as busy). Once a geiko is jimae she will then switch to a plain red obiage. Over time the obiage will become lighter in color, just like her juban, but a red obiage will always be worn to formal events.  In some areas that have a longer grace period on jimae, like Miyagawa Cho, a geiko may switch to a lighter colored obiage before she is independent. So, this isn’t a concrete rule for all non-jimae geiko, but it’s still a really good identifier of who’s a new geiko and who is not ^^