Thursday, May 25, 2006

Miyagawa Girls: Kyo Odori

Maiko, or apprentice geisha, of Miyagawa-cho perform during the finale of this year's Kyo Odori: In purple, Fukyoshi, in green, Yasuha, in blue, Fukunao. Note the hint of red in her collar, compared to that of the other maiko -- an indication of her lower rank.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where did you happen to get their names? From the program?

Anonymous said...

Absolutely gorgeus, the pictures make me want to jump on the first plain to Japan and go geisha sightseing =)

Melissa said...

Sydney Arrows: Yes, that is an interesting site! But it is important to know that FURISODESAN ARE NOT GEISHA. Furisode means "long sleeves," a reference to the women's long kimono sleeves that indicate they are young and unmarried. Their three-month instruction covers basic dance, makeup, kimono, and tea ceremony, through which they learn manners and acquire the veneer of geisha. But it is a thin veneer indeed if you consider the years of hard-core training that apprentices go through before becoming full-fledged geisha. Even at that point, a geisha's training never ends. Their entire lives are dedicated to mastering their arts.

Furisode-san are very popular among customers because their entertainment is accessible to noraml, everday people at a lower cost. It is popular among young women because of the good salary and easy training period.

Daniel: Yes, their names are in the programs :)

Jenny: I certainly hope that someday you will be able to come see them for yourself! There is so much beauty and culture to enjoy here...

Lindizzy said...

why am I not still in Japan? I ask myself every day...