What's That Thing? Part 29

On The Fourth Day of Fun I present... an ask! Like many of the good asks I tend to hold onto them for times like this as they make for wonderful features ^^ Anonymous asked: "What were your favorite misedashi/sakkō/erikae ensembles this year?" This is such a hard one to answer too as there were so many good ones! My favorite misedashi ensemble goes to Hinaho (雛帆) of Sakaemasa (栄政) in Gion Higashi. Since they don't have misedashi often we don't get to see their outfits much, so I liked seeing their very elegant lucky treasures/karabana and trellis combo!

Image courtesy of the Gion Higashi Kabukai. My favorite sakkō outfit goes to Koaki (小晶) of Kaden (花傳) in Miyagawa Cho. This one was a no doubter and is just unmatched in how elegant and bold it is. Kaden's unique tradition of having their maiko wear iromontsuki for a few days is nice in and of itself, but it's the iromontsuki that steals the show! It's a beautiful wine red color with a family of cranes holding pine needles. It truly sets the tone for the upcoming erikae and is an unforgettable kimono!

Image courtesy of Kaden. Lastly, my favorite erikae of the year goes to Hidemai (秀眞衣) of Masamiya (雅美家) in Pontocho. It's so great to see girls from new okiya succeeding, and for Hidemai being Masamiya's first erikae in a brand new outfit with pine and waves is an auspicious start indeed!

Taken by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.

Pontocho maiko wearing beautiful shibori kimono dancing at the Setsubun dedication dances. Maiko Hidechiyo san (blue) and Hidemai san (purple) dancing 'Ume ni mo haru' If you are in need of a local guide in Kyoto or elsewhere in Japan, please visit www.tokiotours.nl #setsubun #japan #tourguide #tourismindustry #tours #touring #tourist #tourguides #japaneseculture #japantravel #japantrip #kyoto #maiko #dance #dancer #dancers #dancing #kimono #furisode #traditions #traditionalart #kyotoguide #holiday #holidays #traditionalwear #tradionaldance #travel #travelblog #tourcompany #tokiotours (at Kyoto, Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoQkWceKrca/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

GLASS FLOWERS! By Sai Prakash

GLASS FLOWERS ! I walked you up the hill to show you a spectacle Those three glass flowers represent Our two children and I Your love and care is what we always look forward toYour midnight brawls and tantrums Weigh very heavy on our psyches You may fast forget your late night histrionics Those two tender minds and I carry deep scars that are too difficult to hideMay be after witnessing these…

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Maiko Hidemai of Pontocho

Kyoto, Japan

Hidemai , a maiko from Ponto-cho, thanked you in English for achieving  our crowdfunding goal.  Please continue to support us from here. https://readyfor.jp/projects/ponto2020 

The name of the woman talking is "Hidemai". Is she a maiko? Or is she a geiko? Notice the shape of her hair. A maiko does her hair up in her own hair. A geiko wears a wig. Hidemai is a maiko because she does  her own hair up.

Someday come to Kyoto and see it for yourself.

January 2019: Maiko Hidemai (Masamiya Okiya) of Pontocho at the Geimaiko-event at the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts.

Source: yoshiyan on Instagram

ธันวาคม 2561: ไมโกะ Hidemai (โอกิยะ Masamiya) จากเขต Pontocho ในจังหวัด Kyoto

เครื่องประดับผมของไมโกะสำหรับเดือนธันวาคมมีต้นแบบมาจากป้ายชื่อนักแสดงคะบุกิหน้าโรงละคร Minamiza ในเกียวโต บนเครื่องประดับผมนี้จะประกอบไปด้วยป้ายชื่อเปล่าและสิ่งของมงคล โดยไมโกะทุกคนจะเดินทางไปชมละครคะบุกิที่โรงละคร Minamiza เมื่อการแสดงจบ ไมโกะจะขอให้นักแสดงที่ตนชื่นชอบเซ็นต์ชื่อของเขาลงบนป้ายบนเครื่องประดับผมของไมโกะ และสิ่งของมงคลที่จะนำโชคดีมาให้ เช่น Mochibana กิ่งหลิว หรือดอกพลัม ที่เป็นสัญลักษณ์ของฤดูใบไม้ผลิที่กำลังจะมาถึงในช่วงปีใหม่

Source: kyoto flowertourism on Flickr

maiko Hidemai WIP

March 3rd, 2023: A lovely day for a lovely geiko to be born! Hidemai (秀眞衣) of Masamiya (雅美家) in Pontocho is celebrating her erikae! She is the first maiko from the newly opened Masamiya okiya to have her erikae and is sharing the occasion with the Hina Matsuri festival! Her outfit features pine and lucky treasures on waves and a white obi with golden karabana ^^ おめでとうさんどす秀眞衣さん ^o^! Image is courtesy of a friend who has allowed me to use an exclusive image ^^

Spotlight: Shibori (絞り) Hikizuri On The Eight Day of Fun I present... a look at one of the most dynamic types of kimono found in the karyukai: shibori kimono! Worn in the coldest months of the year (December - March) due to their thickness, shibori hikizuri are among the most fabulous and expensive types of kimono found in the karyukai. Shibori (絞り) is Japanese tie dyeing and is extremely labor intensive. The most popular type of shibori is called Kanoko (鹿の子); translated as "Deer/Fawn Spots," they're made up of tiny circles that are hand tied, one-by-one, to make fabulous and intricate patterns. In the karyukai, the most popular motif for shibori is flowers (it is the flower and willow world after all!). In these examples we can see chrysanthemums, wisteria, cherry blossoms, and more! The best time to see these beauties in real life is in December during Kaomise Soken and in February during Setsubun; this is where maiko dress up in their finest, and there's no finer kimono than a shibori one! Images Mameyuri (豆ゆり) Kanohiro (叶紘) Hidemai (秀眞衣) Kimisora (君宙) and Kimishō (君翔) Kohatsu (小はつ)

The Karyūkai Summary of 2023

On The Sixth Day of Fun I present... the summary of the year! I didn't do a half year summary again this year as the karyukai is still recovering from the pandemic and not too much went on in the first half. So, without further ado, here are the numbers for 2023: Misedashi Momo (もも) of Ninben (亻) in Gion Kobu - January 23rd Kikushizu (菊しづ) of Hanafusa (花ふさ) in Miyagawa Cho - February 13th Fuminami (ふみ波) of Katsufumi (勝ふみ) in Kamishichiken - March 1st Toshikō (とし倖) of Komaya (駒屋) in Miyagawa Cho - March 22nd Masane (満彩音) of Man (まん) in Gion Higashi - March 22nd Hidekame (秀亀) of Masamiya (雅美家) in Pontocho - April 4th Kotono (小との) of Shigemori (しげ森) in Miyagawa Cho - April 20th Momitomo (もみ智) of Tanmika (丹美賀) in Pontocho - June 14th Kanosono (叶園) of Kanoya (叶家) in Gion Higashi - October 3rd Kanoshizu (叶静) of Kanoya (叶家) in Gion Higashi - October 3rd Kanosuzu (叶鈴) of Kanoya (叶家) in Gion Higashi - October 3rd Hinaho (雛帆) of Sakaemasa (栄政) in Gion Higashi - October 12th Honoka (穂乃佳) of Tsurui (つる居) in Gion Kobu - November 7th Fumiyui (富美唯) of Toshikimi (利きみ) in Miyagawa Cho - November 14th Ichiyuki (市ゆき) of Ichi (市) in Kamishichiken - November 27th 2023 Total: 15 2022 Total: 12 Change: +3 Erikae Fukuyuri (ふく友利) of Horiyae (堀八重) in Miyagawa Cho - January 26th Hidemai (秀眞衣) of Masamiya (雅美家) in Pontocho - March 3rd Mariko (槇里子) of Nishimura (西村) in Gion Kobu - May 29th Katsuemi (佳つ笑) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu - June 3rd Koaki (小晶) of Kaden (花傳) in Miyagawa Cho - June 29th Mameyui (豆結) of Ninben (亻) in Gion Kobu - November 14th Miwako (美羽子) of Nishimura (西村) in Gion Kobu - November 20th Fukusono (ふく苑) of Shigemori (しげ森) in Miyagawa Cho - December 14th Toshinagi (とし菜希) of Komaya (駒屋) in Miyagawa Cho - December 14th 2023 Total: 9 2022 Total: 9 Change: 0

Retirements Kikuyae (菊弥江) of Hanafusa (花ふさ) in Miyagawa Cho - April Masano (満彩野) of Man (まん) in Gion Higashi - April Mayuha (満友葉) of Tama (多麻) in Gion Kobu - April Katsue (佳つ江) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu - June Satoharu (里春) of Kawahisa (川久) in Miyagawa Cho - July Mao (真生) of Okaai (岡あい) in Gion Kobu - July Tomifuku (富芙久) of Tomikiku (富菊) in Gion Higashi - August Fuminami (ふみ波) of Katsufumi (勝ふみ) in Kamishichiken - August Katsuki (勝貴) of Daimonji (大文字) in Kamishichiken - October Koyō (小耀) of Hiroshimaya (廣島屋) in Gion Kobu - December Fukutama (ふく珠) of Shigemori (しげ森) in Miyagawa Cho - December Katsuhina (佳つ雛) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu - December 2023 Total: 12 2022 Total: 12 Change: 0 So, what can the numbers tell us? Gion Kobu had 2 misedashi and 4 erikae, which is great as they also sadly had 5 retirements. This still puts them on a +1 for the year though, so that's good news here. Pontocho continues to have great numbers with 2 misedashi and 1 erikae. With no retirements, they end the year on a +3. Kamishichiken had an iffy year. With 2 misedashi and 2 retirements (1 of them being 1 of the misedashi), they end on a neutral 0, which is this year's biggest loser. Miyagawa Cho had a profitable year with 4 misedashi and 4 erikae. With only 3 retirements they end on a whopping +5. Last year's biggest loser in Gion Higashi showed this year's biggest bounce back. With 5 misedashi and 1 retirement, they end on a fantastic +4. Overall, seeing everyone end the year in the black once again is fantastic and is a positive sign after the pandemic. There were also overall gains in misedashi and no changes for retirements, so the total number in the karyukai has gone up! What do you think 2024 has in store for us? Let me know in the comments!

I thought Masamiya currently has 3 geiko? Hidemai, Hidechia and Hidechiyo? Or did one quit?🥺😢

Yes, they have 3 geiko. I can't count sometimes ^^;

Is Mieko still the most senior geiko in Miyagawacho or did she pass away? If she passed on, who's the current oldest geiko in Miyagawacho and in the gokagai? Is there any truth to the rumors that Mariko retired? Is Miwako having her erikae this year? Who was the last Pontocho maiko before Hidemai to have her erikae?

Apparently Mieko passed away in 2021. I'm not too sure if Tanekazu is still around or not, but she would be the next in line to be Miyagawa Cho's oldest. The oldest geiko in the gokagai is currently Dan-e of Gion Kobu who is still listed as active in her 90s. Mariko of Gion Higashi retired last year, but Mariko of Gion Kobu is still going strong and will perform in the upcoming Miyako Odori. There is a strong likelihood that Mariko and Miwako will both have their erikae later this year (and, if not, will be early next year!). The last maiko to have an erikae in Pontocho before Hidemai was Ichiyū in October of 2020 ^^

Whose erikae can we look forward to in 2023?

There's quite a few names that are on the list for 2023! Some of the notable names to look forward to are: Gion Kobu Mamesaya (豆沙弥) of Ninben (亻) (Edit: it will take place in November!) Katsuharu (佳つ春) of Odamoto (小田本) Katsumomo (佳つ桃) of Odamoto (小田本) Katsuemi (佳つ笑) of Odamoto (小田本) Nanoha (菜乃葉) of Tama (多麻) Ichihiro (市紘) of Hiroshimaya (廣島屋) Mariko (槇里子) of Nishimura (西村) Miwako (美羽子) of Nishimura (西村) Mameyui (豆結) of Ninben (亻) Mameju (豆樹) of Tama (多麻) Pontocho Hidemai (秀眞衣) of Masamiya (雅美家) Miyagawa Cho Fukuyuri (ふく友利) of Horiyae (堀八重) Koaki (小晶) of Kaden (花傳)

Is there an upper age limit to becoming a geiko? Also who is the eldest maiko?

There's no age limit when it comes to being a geiko. Hidemai was recently the oldest maiko at 21 years old, but she just had her erikae and no longer counts. I'm not too sure who else in the karyukai is currently 21, but that's the upper threshold for maiko ^^

Do you know what is the kimono Hidemai is wearing for her sakko? Do you have a photo? I'm very curious to see the design. I love the designs Pontocho have for their sakko kimono.

Unfortunately I haven't found a full picture of her iromontsuki yet ^^;