Ozashiki in Kaishi Chou

A rough week at work was finally over, and I was just waiting for the Ozashiki to begin. When it then began, I rushed to Kaishi Chou hanamachi and their wonderful Ochaya. It was said to be the very last Ozashiki of this year, and the house was full! It is really weird, almost scary to think that another year has passed so quickly! A lot has happened in just one year, but I will look forward to 2014 and all the new events, debuts and other great things in the future. I hope the next year will be as good as this one! So may the Kami be on our side.

Maikosan Hoshiteru

As I then entered the Ochaya and took off my geta shoes, there was maikosan Hoshiteru. She was wearing a beautiful hikizuri. But what makes this very picture so interesting is the fact that she is wearing a maneki neko hikizuri while sitting next to a maneki neko!

Then I entered the Ochaya. Hoshiteru-san said she'd host this Ozashiki alone, and there were two other patrons already in the Ochaya. I was offered some tea. Did you know that Kaishi Chou has hot chocolate available in the ochaya?

Soon other patrons started to show up, and the house was full! Luckily Aiyuzuki-san showed up in her lovely Geiko outfit. She told she masters the Ehru, which is a two stringed traditional instrument that originates from China. A bit like the kokyu Tayu play! Hoshiteru-san promised us a fan dance, and she made her way on the stage.

I think this is a very beautiful picture if you pay attention to Hoshiteru-san's eyes and the way she is holding the fan!

Aiyuzuki-san playing Ehru

After the lovely performance Hoshiko-san joined us in the Ochaya. She also looked stunning in her purple hikizuri! I had to snap a picture of her. We played a few rounds of 20 questions. A miracle happened; I won again this time! But, I assume it's just temporary good luck. I picked a word I thought was so difficult that no one would guess it (I picked the geta shoe), but eventually Hoshiteru-san guessed it. 

Hoshiko-san (and I totally wasn't staring at her)

After the Ozashiki I asked for a permission to snap a quick photo of the Ochaya staff. So, here it is:

From right to left: Aiyuzuki-san, Hoshiko-san and Hoshiteru-san

Ozashiki in Kaishi Chou

Today I was doing some shopping and work, when I suddenly heard about an Ozashiki in Kaishi Chou. I quickly got changed and ran all the way to Kaishi, and even though I wasn't quite on time, I didn't miss the dance! So, I really didn't miss that much.

 

I sat down and was greeted by a familiar maikosan. Of course Hoshiteru-san was there! But, so was a new, young minaraisan. I realised that we'd met before. She was Kirakishou-san, who was a shikomi last time I met her in an Ozashiki. She had recently become a minarai (minarai is a short observing period before becoming a maiko, so it is like a maiko-to-be) and she looked stunning in her blue hikizuri. And I learned that the hikizuri wasn't from Sakka like I had thought all the time, but from Geisha Dreams, instead!

Maikosan Hoshiteru

Maikosan Hoshiteru also looked beautiful. I couldn't help noticing that she had had her kanzashi signed by the Great Tamasaburo himself!

Signed kanzashi (for some odd reason I couldn't see the right one with my bare eyes but in a picture it looks fine)

I had a cup of tea, because Sake makes me too much happy and careless and I really had to take some pictures for my blog. So, they performed a dance. I was excited to see Kirakishou-san perform for the first time!

Hoshiteru-san and Kirakishou-san performing a dance 

After the dance I had some more tea. Then, it was already time to close the Ochaya for the day. After the ozashiki I managed to snap a picture of the beautiful karyukai flowers outside the ochaya! (let's not tell them about this secret photo!)

Tea and Tour in Miyagawa-Cho

Today I had a great time in the Miyagawa-cho hanamachi (geisha district), as I met maikosan Kikumaru in front of their Ochaya. Kikumaru-san looked very beautiful in a full ozashiki outfit. Her misedashi was, after all, just a few days ago! 

Maikosan Kikumaru of Hanafusa Okiya

We then decided to take a short walk in the beautiful cool autumn weather, and she could show me around a little. We walked the traditional narrow streets of the hanamachi. Then we came to an amazing park. It was really beautiful there, because all the trees were yellow and red! I just love autumn.

street view of Miyagawa-cho; those people who want to catch a quick glimpse of the maiko and geiko should take a walk here in the evening when maiko and geiko are attending the ozashiki parties

Then she showed me a beautiful tearoom outside. It has an incredibly beautiful view of the sea. I wish I could use another adjective instead of "beautiful", but everything in the geisha world is just so.. Well.. Beautiful.

Maikosan Kikumaru in the autumn park

We talked some time with Kikumaru-san, when maikosan Kikutsuru, the oneesan of Kikumaru-san joined us. She was wearing a full ozashiki outfit as well and they both looked stunning!

Kikutsuru-san (red hikizuri) and her little sister Kikumaru-san (blue hikizuri) of Hanafusa Okiya

Then they offered me a nice cup of tea. Is there anything better than a cup of tea and the company of beautiful maikosan? 

Kikutsuru-san 

Ozashiki in Kaishi Chou

After the debut (misedashi) ozashiki of maiko Kikumaru-san in Miyagawa-cho I rushed to Kaishi Chou, as the debut ended at 11 and the ozashiki in Kaishi Chou started at 11! A busy day.

In Kaishi Chou as soon as I had stepped inside noticed a familiar maiko. Hoshiteru-san, who had been with me in Hanafusa! She had changed clothes and was now wearing a full ozashiki outfit.

I sat down and had one more cup of tea, even though I had just had one in Hanafusa. But, I guess you can't have too much Japanese tea, because you'll be able to walk no matter how much you drink. If you try to do the same thing with sake, I doubt that you'll succeed.

Then, just as Hoshiteru took out her fan, I (by pure accident, of course) took out my camera. And, accidentally took a few (or a few more than that) photos of her.

Then, Hoshiteru-san rushed to the stage to perform a dance for us.

Maiko Hoshiteru-san performing a fan dance

It was a stunning and elegant fan dance. I enjoyed watching it very much and took many photos. It's a shame that I can't post them all in my blog. Or I could, but I thought you wouldn't like to watch 100 photos of one performance. So I try to choose the best ones for you.

Murasaki Kimono-san 

Kaishi Chou okaasan and geikosan Kimono had also dressed up in a full Ozashiki outfit. I don't see it so often, so I had to take a picture as she looked simply stunning while playing the shamisen to accompany Hoshiteru-san's fan dance.

Hoshiteru-san bowing after a performance

After that we started an o-zashiki asobi, or a game. This time we didn't play 20 questions because we had played it enough to notice that I can't win. And I won once, so what are the odds of me winning again? Besides, now I can say that "last time we played, I won!"

So we played a game called "Kagai". Simply, one person names an okiya, and another person has to say a maiko or a geiko who lives in that okiya. Or, it can be the other way around. One has to know the okiya of a certain maiko or geiko.

After the game Kimono-san performed a stunning performance. And I mean it. I was speechless. And that doesn't happen too often.