「踊れ愛国行進曲」愛国行進曲の振付。月刊誌『家の光』昭和13年4月号掲載

Moira Hahn, Red Mt. Fuji, 2006

Year of the Dog Series.

Yukidaruma 1910 by Blue Ruin 1

<br /><i>Via Flickr:</i> <br />Five hangyoku (young geisha), including Sakae (in yellow) and Eiryu II (in green), surrounding a yukidaruma (snowman).

Sword Dance 1906 by Blue Ruin 1

<br /><i>Via Flickr:</i> <br />Although the book entitled "The Story of the Geisha Girl" by Taizo Fujimoto, first published in 1917, briefly mentions that some Geisha learn “the sword-dance” as one of their accomplishments (pages 2 and 99), it gives no further details. It is difficult to say whether the author is referring to the Katana Odori (sword dance), also known as the Hana Odori (flower dance), a four hundred year old harvest dance from the Mima region of Japan; or to Kenbu (sword dancing) a martial arts dance performed to poems sung by a single vocalist with or without musical accompaniment; or to “Shiranami Gonin Otoko” (The White Wave Five) a scene from the Kabuki play “Benten Kozo”, the story of five Edo era bandits.

Tousenkyo or Fan-tossing 1909 by Blue Ruin1 on Flickr.

Via Flickr: A hangyoku (young geisha) playing the traditional Japanese game of tousenkyo (fan-tossing). An explanatory video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzb6kBfaG_4 A maiko playing tousenkyo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wm6ZqGX8us

Movie Actress 1940s by Blue Ruin 1

<br /><i>Via Flickr:</i> <br />An as yet unidentified Japanese Movie Actress from the 1940s.

Scanned from Taschen’s “Japanese Beauties”.

1 - Light Bulb ad, 1940s.

2 - Soap ad, 1940s.

“With its ingredients that block UV rays, Creme de Lait is number one at protecting against sunburn.

Give yourself strong, beautiful skin

Creme de Lait

Because it’s thick and [unclear], it won’t melt or run.”

Thank you to Sarah for the translation! :)

3 - Radio ad, 1940s. Possibly actress Sachiko Hidari (thank you kasa51!)

Secondhand Rose wallpaper, Chinoiserie QC-200

Secondhand Rose.

Buy Me a Coffee

If you can spare the price of a coffee and you enjoy my content, please consider supporting what I do. Thanks! :)

Secondhand Rose wallpaper, Chinoiserie QC-79

Secondhand Rose.

Hiroshi Watanabe

Pensive Maiko 1920s by Blue Ruin 1

<br /><i>Via Flickr:</i> <br />This photographic postcard has a wonderful composition and a deft use of light and shadow. The organic form of the tree branch seems to echo the Maiko girl’s posture. Possibly Suzuei (鈴栄) Bell-ring Prosperity, from around 1926, definitely a contemporary of Hatsuko and Hiroko as maiko (apprentice geisha).

Safflower Kimono 1910s by Blue Ruin 1

<br /><i>Via Flickr:</i> <br />A maiko (apprentice geisha) from Osaka wearing a kuromontsuki (black crested kimono), which looks to be made of ro (silk gauze), decorated with a spectacular safflower motif, accented with blue butterflies or moths.

Benibana or kouka (safflower), known as “the spring flower”, grows to around a metre in height, it has prickly green leaves and bright yellow thistle-like flowers that gradually turn red. Its petals produce a pigment used as an ancient silk dye and as the basis for lipstick and rouge.

Kyoto maiko still wear safflower kanzashi (hairpins) during the month of March.

Two Girls by the Sea by Lee Sutton on Flickr.

Maiko Kayo in a Crow and Wisteria Kimono (1876)

“Kayo was a famous Maiko (Apprentice Geisha) during the early Meiji period (1870s) in the Gion district of Kyoto. Although her exact date of birth is unknown, she is thought to have become a Minarai (Watching Apprentice) in 1869 around the age of seven.

Her reputation for beauty was such that one Kabuki actor said “a beautiful girl like this will not be seen again in a lifetime of geisha.”

In 1875 at the age of thirteen, Maiko Kayo eloped to Tokyo with Saionji Kinmochi who was twenty-six years old at the time. However, Saionji already had three common law wives and his family were violently opposed to the match, so Kayo returned to Gion a few months later.” (source)

Kids of Japan (ca. 1910) by Wolfgang Wiggers

Attitude, even without pants ;-) Handtinted japanese albumen print, ca. 1910. Unidentified photographer.