At Amatsu before Odori

Konnichiwa! Just posting some pictures beofre fuji musume odori at amatsu.

Suzanne Logan-san:

Mitsuhana lantern lighting

After the Odori there was a lantern lighting by the river.

First lanterns floating down the river. Later there were many many more..

Suzuran-san, Tomohana-san and Tsukihana-san looking at the floating lanterns. Reika-san dressed as a miko after great performance.

Suzuran-san bowing to Tomohana-san. One floating lantern can also be seen in the picture.

Us all looking as the maiko and geiko placed the lanterns on the river. You can see a mitsuhana shikomi next to Suzuran-san (in the red kimono)

Ueta-san (Mitsuhana Okaasan, in the blue kimono) also looking at the lantern lighting.

Reika-san as a miko, and Mari-san (Yoshiwara Miko), and Mayumi-san (Yoshiwara Maiko) behind her. I love Mayumi-san's kimono. The pattern is so fresh!

Ayame-san (left) and Suzuran-san (right) looking at the lanterns. I love Ayame-san's clothes, she looks so beautiful!!

                                         Ayame-san, Suzuran-san and Tsukihana-san

Me and Reika-san

Lanterns floating down the river few moments later.

There is still ozashiki in Yoshiwara at 6 and Tea Ceremony in Pontocho at 8 (after 2 and a half hours), if you wish to join. ^^ Also, feel free to send me any pictures of geiko/maiko/oiran/tayu of any hanamachi. (here or in world ken hinata. You can also send a link etc.) Domo arigatou!
Also, there will be a video of all the performances of this weekend filmed by Ueta-san.

Mitsuhana Odori

The Odori in Mitsuhana.. was amazing. I could say that it was the best Odori I have seen so far!

The room was dark, lit with many blue lanterns on the stage.

Really beautiful! And the music was beautiful too.
They even had Kikuyuu-san playing koto!

Like I said, it was dark.. And beautiful. Here you can see two maiko dressed as miko, drum and a full moon at the back. These dancers are Mamehana-san (left) and Reika-san (right)

                                                          This is Reika-san

                                                      And this is Mamehana-san

After a little while these beautiful  lights started to fly around the two miko.
                                       
                                 

Reika-san

Mamehana-san

the musicians (Kikuyuu-san was playing koto)

Tomohana-san

                                         
After a little while, there came a taiko drummer to the stage.

Then, suddenly the miko turned into these. Beautiful, very very beautiful.

The taiko drummer and these two beautiful creatures.

The taiko drummer

Then they turned back to miko. And soon after that the show ended. It was absolutely amazing and beautiful, that's all I can say!

"吾が舞へば、

Because I had danced,

 麗し女、酔ひにけり

the beautiful lady was enchanted

吾が舞へば、

Because I had danced,

照る月、響むなり

the shining moon echoed

結婚に、

Proposing marriage,

神、天下りて

the god shall descend

夜は明け、鵺鳥、鳴く

The night clears away and the chimera bird will sing.

とほかみゑみため

God Bless you

とほかみゑみため

God Bless you"

Little Yoshiwara Bon Odori 2012

Konnichiwa!

I have some pictures of the Little Yoshiwara Bon Odori 2012.
There are performances from many other okiya, and I will try post as many pictures as possible.

But these are the Little Yoshiwara pictures. And also the Shiraito-no-Taki members were performing with LY.

Reika-san

Mitsuhana Okaasan

More pictures coming in few hours!

                                            

Hassaku

Today is the 1st of August, which is the day of Hassaku.
 In real life, the geisha and maiko will visit each okiya and ochaya with their okaasans, to pay their respects. This is one of the best days for geisha paparazzi like me.
   Also this happens in SL, and here I have the SL hassaku pictures.

Mitsuhana girls in front of Mitsuhana Okiya

This first picture is taken in front of mitsuhana okiya, before they left to pay their respects. Here You can well see Tomohana-san (first from the left), as a geiko and also the two young minarai, Komomo-san (first one from the right) and Reiko-san (the one next to Komomo-san)

Hikaru-san and Hatsu-san 

These are Hikaru-san and Hatsu-san from Hanafusa Okiya, Miyagawa-cho. They are really new minarai, both. They are wearing really pretty, colourful kimonos. They are greeting the hassaku visitors.

Reika-san in Hassaku

I really cant remember each girl.. They were all dressed formally, so the kimono were also black, so telling who is who by seeing only the obi and back, is impossible! I can only say that Reika-san is the closest one to the camera.

Hanafusa Okiya Okaasan Kikuyuu-san

Toshiki-san

These are girls or the really new hanamachi, Shiraito-no-taki*

Karyukai Okiya Geiko

This picture is taken in Gion Kobu hanamachi, and this is a lovely geiko in formal dress, greeting the hassaku visitors.

Mitsuhana Okiya 

Mitsuhana Girls paying their respects in Gion Kobu, and karyukai okiya. You can see Tomohana-san as a geiko in the front.

Mulan-san

Mitsuhana girls greeting Mulan-san, the head geiko of Karyukai okiya in Gion Kobu.

SL Gion Kobu

If You have hassaku pictures of any Okiya in SL, please contact Ken Hinata in world! 

Domo arigatou gozaimasu. 

New Minarai!!

Konnichiwa!

I would like to congratulate Hikaru-san, Hanafusa Okiya shikomi, for becoming a minarai!

I hope her career will be glorious and one day we will see a fine maiko!
Congratulations Hikaru-san and Kikuyuu-san! Ometedou san dosu

Picture problems!

Konnichiwa! I found out today that some pictures of the blog are not working. I have no idea why, but if You see a dark space in the blog, that's where a picture used to be. I have no idea how long it's going to be like this, but this will be fixed asap. :)