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.

Misedashi Ozashiki in Hanafusa

Konnichiwa everyone.

Today I attended a very important and special O-zashiki banquet. And that cannot be anything else than: A misedashi O-zashiki! (Misedashi is the debut of a new maiko) And so I headed to Hanafusa Ochaya in Miyagawa-cho.

This special banquet was hosted upstairs, in a special banquet room. The room was also decorated cutely as we sat down to have some tea and sake.

The maikosan in red is Kikutsuru

The maiko in a more casual outfit is Hoshiteru-san from Kaishi Chou! Also, on the opposite side of the table, the maiko in purple is Kikuyumi-san, also from Hanafusa

So, we had some tea and talked for a while, like normally. The new maiko had been sitting next to us, smiling nervously. Kikuyuu-san played the shamisen, and as usually, it was very graceful.

Geiko Kikuyuu-san playing the shamisen

Then, the special part of the O-zashiki started. Okaasan Kikuyuu walked to the stage, and introduced us her newest maikosan, Kikumaru-san! She looked stunning in her formal hikizuri, which I heard was custom made for her.

Maikosan Kikumaru performing a dance for her debut

Kikumaru-san performed a dance for her debut, accompanied by shamisen music. The dance was about the hard decision of leaving the normal behind and joining an okiya, in order to become a beautiful maikosan one day.

 In her dance, she also told us, that even though now she is a maiko, she still has a long way ahead of her, one day to become a full- fledged geikosan (geisha)!

After the performance we had sake, and wished Kikumaru-san good luck and success in her maiko, and one day hopefully also geiko, career.

There were also cakes and cookies in the ochaya for the special occassion

Little Yoshiwara Performance

After the O-zashiki in Kaishi Chou with Hoshiteru-san and Tsukiyumi-san I met with Reika-chan. It had been a while, and she looked beautiful in her autumn hikizuri.

Me and Reika-chan in Gion Higashi

Reika-chan in front of Mitsuhana Okiya

We decided to go somewhere, and as there was a show in Little Yoshiwara hanaamchi just starting, we decided to attend. So, we rushed to Little Yoshiwara.

The show was called "Autumn Flowers", and I have to say that the stage was really beautifully decorated.

The audience watching Little Yoshiwara geisha perform

performers on the stage, waiting to begin

The performers were three Little Yoshiwara Geiko. The okaasan of the okiya, Yoneyu-san, as well as always beautiful geishasan Sayu. The third performer was Musumesan Yokosuka. They all danced beautifully.

The young maiko was Sora-san