#katsuhina

[missmyloko]

December Retirements

As is usually the case each year, a number of geimaiko leave at the end of the year for various reasons. This year, two geiko from Gion Kobu have left the profession: Koyō (小耀) of Hiroshimaya (廣島屋) and Katsuhina (佳つ雛) of Odamoto (小田本). However, it is a happy occasion as both have retired to get married! We wish them the best in their lives going forward ^^

[geimei]

January 2019: Sisters Geiko Katsuhina and Katsutomo (Odamoto Okiya) of Gion Kobu entering an ochaya during Shigyōshiki.

Source: Adachi on Instagram

[taisakuraokiya-blog]

กุมภาพันธ์ 2560: ไมโกะ Katsuhina (โอกิยะ Odamoto) จากเขต Gion Kobu กับผมทรง Sakkou ซึ่งเป็นทรงสุดท้ายของไมโกะทุกคนก่อนได้เลื่อนขั้นเป็นเกโกะ

Source: oyazi92 on Instagram

[geisha-kai]

October 2017: geiko Ichitomi, Chiyoko, Eriha, Katsue, Katsuhina, Katsutomo, Masaki, and Mameroku backstage of the Onshukai (Autumn dances) by  kyotogokagaigeimaiko on Instagram

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༼ つ ◕◡◕ ༽つ  Geisha-kai on P a t r e o n || Instagram

[oiran-geisha]

Katsuhina’s timeline:

1)2012, misedashi, (Source)

2)2012, first-year, (Source)

3)2013, second-year; (Source)

4)2014, third-year, (Source)

5)2015, fourth-year, (Source)

6)2016, fith-year, (Source)

7)2017, sakkou, (Source)

8)2017, erikae, (Source)

9)2017, as geiko, (Source)

[hirockabilly]

挨拶　祇園甲部　小田本　２０１４　佳つ扇　佳つ雛　恵里葉　まめ藤　

[geimei]

December 2018: The youngest members of the Odamoto Okiya from Gion Kobu during Kotohajime. From left to right: Geiko Katsuhina, Geiko Katsue, Maiko Katsuhana, Maiko Katsumomo, Maiko Katsuemi and Maiko Katsuharu.

Source: travel_mctravelface on Instagram

[missmyloko]

Kanzashi of The Month: November - Colored Leaves

An entire month that doesn’t focus on flowers!? You bet! But who needs flowers when you have almost every color of the rainbow? As always, all kanzashi are from Kazurasei.

Image courtesy of Kazurasei.

Momiji (紅葉) - Colored Maple Leaves

Ichō (銀杏) - Ginkgo Leaves

Matsuba (松葉) - Pine Needles

The second most popular month for tourism in Kyoto is November, and it’s edging closer to April’s haul each year. Before rebirth in the spring there must be death in the fall, and the millions of trees that encompass Kyoto give a show more colorful than fireworks in the process. Every temple becomes a treasure trove of colors in the form of changing leaves and become venerable a haven for photographers. The term for autumn, Aki (秋), is made up of the characters for “Tree” (禾) and “Fire” (火), which directly eludes to the colorful leaves!

The most popular autumn leaf to observe by far is the maple leaf. The Japanese variety of maple trees, Acer palmatum, which encompasses hundreds of different species, are popular around the world for their bold colors, so it’s only natural that they’re also popular in their native country. As discussed before, maple leaves can be known by two different names in Japanese depending on their color. Regular green maple leaves are known as Kaede (楓), whereas colored maple leaves, defined as any that have changed color, even slightly, are known as Momiji (紅葉), which literally means “Red Leaf.” Momiji can also be used as a blanket term to describe all autumn leaves, but it has since become synonymous with the maple leaf.

Image courtesy of Kazurasei.

The second most popular tree to observe in the autumn is the Ginkgo or Maidenhair Tree. Its leaves are prized in the karyukai due to its shape that closely resembles a folding fan. The graceful leaves also tend to flutter when they fall, which are said to resemble the fluttering of a fan in an alluring dance. Unlike the maple leaves, ginkgo leaves are made from rounded tsumami petals, which provide a beautiful contrast to the maple leaves’ pointed leafs. Unlike shidare from almost every other month, the “petals” for November are actually made like the leaves and feature pointed shapes. They’re meant to mimic individual leaf points instead of petals, so they look very sharp, literally!

Image courtesy of Kazurasei.

Keeping on the topic of leaves, it may seem a bit odd that pine needles are a common feature during the month, but their status is viewed as that of the leaf of an evergreen. The two kanji that make up “Pine Needle” in Japanese literally mean “Pine Leaf,” so the beautiful green needles are often added to maple and ginkgo leaves as a bit of an accent. They also serve a very important artistic function! The small, golden bases that are added to the needles help to attract the eye first. Then the pine needles, which are made from wrapping very thin, shiny threads around sticks, are often set at angles to provide movement for the eye to travel around the kanzashi. 

Image courtesy of Risha Soul. 

Leaves are extremely versatile as maiko can wear motifs that showcase the full spectrum of colors available for the month, which can range from green to yellow to orange or red and sometimes even brown! It’s rare to see a leaf that only has one or two colors, so kanzashi fans are well served during this time, many of which are the maiko themselves!

Like other full motif shidare, November’s leaves can be worn by junior and senior maiko alike. It’s often used as a bridge between the two seniorities, so it’s commonly seen being worn by junior maiko who are about to become senior, like Katsuhina (佳つ雛) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu (above). The swaying leaves on this full motif shidare are as elegant as the wind blowing gently through the trees, so it’s the perfect way to show off autumn’s versatile colors!

Image courtesy of Onihide.

Even though they’re leaves and not blooms, November’s various leaves still follow the rules of juniors and seniors when it comes to sizes. Senior maiko, like Kanoka (叶果) of Kanoya (叶家) in Gion Higashi (above) wear one or three of a motif to make a bold statement and show off their impending transition into adulthood. As the tips of a ginkgo leaf are round they are often placed in a circular formation, both to make the entire motif look like a cute circle, but also because it resembles a pin wheel! This reminds us that even the most senior maiko are still children, but that this time is shortly coming to an end, just like the lives of the leaves. 

Image courtesy of Japanexperterna.

In the case of junior maiko, the various leaf kanzashi are the ultimate rainbow that draw attention to them immediately and keep that sight burned into the minds of those who behold them! The bells notify you that they’re close, the shidare brings your eye up, and the main cluster explodes into an array of hues you never thought were possible, like with Mamefuji (まめ藤) of Tama (多麻) in Gion Kobu (above). You may have noticed that a few of the kanzashi do have small flower added to them, and this isn’t too uncommon. The flowers are small Chrysanthemums, which were the main motif for October and are a prominent autumn flower. However, the chrysanthemums are not meant to compete with the leaves in November, but rather to offer a soft palette to the otherwise strong colors of the leaves ^^