October 8th, 2021: Congratulations to Kyoto’s newest maiko on her debut! Hisano (寿乃) has debuted from the Fukushima (福島) okiya in Gion Kobu! She is the fourth imōto of geiko Fumino (章乃) and the fifth girl to debut from Gion Kobu in the past month! Her kimono features a beautiful grove of bamboo, a symbol of new beginnings and growth ^^ おめでとうさんどす寿乃ちゃん ^o^! Image is courtesy of Ono No Komachi.
March 13th, 2019: Congratulations to Suzuno (鈴乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu on the occasion of her misedashi! She is the imōto of Fumino (章乃), also of Fukushima, and continues the tradition of having her imōto debut in March! Suzuno is absolutely adorable and has such a sweet smile! She’s a welcome addition to the Fukushima girls and will be one to look out for! おめでとうさんどす鈴乃ちゃん ^o^! Image courtesy of Ktellusastory.
Upcoming March Dates
It may not be as busy as last year, but March already has a bunch of misedashi and erikae lined up! They include:
Misedashi
March 5th: Toshinagi (とし菜希) and Toshinaho (とし菜穂) of Komaya (駒屋) in Miyagawa Cho March 7th: Hidechisa (秀知紗) of Masamiya (雅美家) in Pontocho March 13th: Suzuno (鈴乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu
Erikae
March 13th: Naokinu (尚絹) of Nakasato (中里) in Kamishichiken
What’s In a Pocchiri? Part 1
On The Third Day Of Fun I present... the brand new feature! Pocchiri, the special obidome that maiko wear, are the most expensive piece of any outfit in the karyukai. Centuries ago they actually functioned liked special belt buckles that would lock together to form a motif, but over time became more ornate and adapted to changing times. Instead of having to sew an obijime together with the pocchiri to form a belt the newer versions have loops on the back that now slide onto obijime. The ease in changing the pieces and global trade allowed for them to be made of precious metals and act as a focal point of wealth rather than a simple clasp that helped to keep an obi tied. Modern pocchiri are made from the materials that make up Shippō (七宝), which are the Seven Lucky Treasures that are spoken of in Buddhist sutras. They include: Hari (玻璃) - Quartz Gin (銀) - Silver Kin (金) - Gold Menō (瑪瑙) - Agate Ruri (瑠璃) - Lapis Lazuli Shinju (真珠) - Pearl/Mother of Pearl Sango (珊瑚) - Coral Wearing pocchiri made from these treasures is meant to bring good luck, plus it promotes the use of native precious and semi-precious stones and materials. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the first example:
Image courtesy of Onihide-san. Materials: Gold, Silver, Mother of Pearl, Pearl, and Coral Motifs: Butterflies, Canola or Oxalis Blossoms, and Wind Owned By: Fukushima (福嶋) okiya in Gion Kobu This piece was chosen for two main reasons; the first is that we get to see the piece not being worn, which allows us to specifically focus on it and not the entire outfit. The second is that the flower parts are actually a bit debatable! Surprisingly, canola blossoms and oxalis (clover) blossoms look very similar as they both have four heart shaped petals. They’re also motifs found in the spring when butterflies begin to awaken from their winter slumber. However, canola blossoms are yellow whereas oxalis blossoms tend to be white, pink, or purple. But, if I had to choose, I’d actually go with canola blossoms for this one as there is a song/dance in the Inoue repertoire called Nanoha (菜の花), the name for canola blossoms, which is the story of a butterfly deciding which canola blossom to land on. Also, oxalis are most commonly seen with three petals, but since four isn’t unheard of I decided to add it anyway as you can never be too sure. The wind motif that the main motifs rest upon is meant to invoke the image of a slight breeze that moves both the butterflies and flowers around. As a special bonus, here’s maiko Fumino (章乃) wearing this piece:
Image courtesy of Onihide-san.
November 21st, 2018: Congratulations to Shino (紫乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) and Mameryū (まめ柳) of Tama (多麻) in Gion Kobu on the occasion of their double erikae! Shino is the third maiko from her relatively new okiya to turn her collar and Mameryū is the first imōto of Mamechizu (豆千鶴) of Mitsuki (光貴) to do the same! Mameryū has been known for her willowy and mature beauty for a while now, so seeing her finally taking on an adult look just makes it seem like she’s finally in the role that she was meant for. Shino, on the other hand, was Gion Kobu’s most senior maiko, and seeing her as a geiko is just so awesome as she truly suits the roll as well! Both wore hikizuri that were owned by their okiya, which is not unusual in Gion Kobu, so they won’t be wearing their own custom hikizuri until they’re jimae. Both are also wearing special maezashi that women from their okiya wear for their erikae as well, although they’re a bit hard to see unless you zoom in. Tama’s features green jade in the shape of a fan with two redish-pink gems, most likely a ruby and a tourmaline, sitting on a gold branch. The piece probably eludes the story of Hourai’s Gem Branch, in which a prince travels to find a tree made of precious metals and gems. Fukushima’s, meanwhile, is a simple delicate rose carved out of coral. Both have their unique charms that seem to bring out the best in their wearers! おめでとうさんどす紫乃さんとまめ柳さん ^o^! Images are courtesy of Ktellusastory who gave me permission to post some exclusive pictures and Denny Chao ^^
Spotlight - Shino (紫乃) and The Fukushima (福嶋) Okiya
I feel like Shino (紫乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu doesn’t get as much attention as other maiko from the same district, but now that her erikae is approaching I am very happy to see her everywhere! So, since someone asked about Shino last week, let’s take a slightly more in depth look into Shino and her okiya!
The History of Fukushima (福嶋)
The Fukushima (福嶋) okiya opened in 2007 and is currently the newest okiya in Gion Kobu. With no active geiko acting as onesan, the okiya chose its own naming convention for its future charges, the suffix No (乃), meaning “Your.” Their first maiko, Ayano (彩乃) and Kotono (琴乃), debuted together on March 6th, 2008. Sadly, Kotono would not last long and retired in July of the same year.
Image of Kotono and Ayano courtesy of Sanada Kyoto. For over a year Ayano would be the only active maiko, but she wasn’t alone. Fukushima had a shikomi waiting in the wings, and on June 8th, 2010, she would debut as Fumino (章乃). Ayano was promoted to senior status upon Fumino’s debut, so Fukushima finally had a maiko who could wear their new senior kimono.
Image of Ayano and Fumino courtesy of Onihide-san. 2012 would be a proud year in Fukushima’s history, starting with Fumino becoming a senior in March. Two months later on May 28th, 2012, Ayano turned her collar and became a geiko, the first from her okiya to do so.
Image of Ayano courtesy of Lulunkie. A year later the fourth Fukushima girl, Kiyono (清乃), would debut on March 27th, 2013. However, even though Fukushima had an active geiko, Kiyono would debut without an onesan. This is because Ayano would retire two months later in May 2013 to run Aji Fukushima (味福嶋), a restaurant owned by the okiya.
Image of Kiyono courtesy of Julie Podstolski. A year later the okiya would see happy times again, starting off with their fifth maiko.
Image of Shino courtesy of Gottuan. Shino (紫乃) debuted on February 25th, 2014 with no official onesan as her okiya did not have an active geiko to take up the role. Another maiko, Mametaro (豆たろう) of Ninben (亻), would debut on the same day and the two girls did their misedashi walks together. With her round baby face and bubbly smile she became an instant hit at ochaya. Her short stature made her seem a bit small compared to her sisters, especially since Fumino was one of the tallest maiko in her district and Kiyono was no slouch either, but her sisters always looked out for her and made sure that she wasn’t lost in a crowd! On November 13th, 2014, Fumino would turn her collar and become Fukushima’s second geiko. The three girls remained close and looked to the future with bright prospects.
Image of Fumino courtesy of Byzanceblue. 2015 saw continued growth with Kiyono becoming a senior in September and Fumino becoming jimae, also a first for her okiya. But, success cannot continuously rise, and Fukushima would experience a bit of a hiccup in 2016. Their sixth maiko, Yumeno (夢乃), debuted on March 7th, 2016 with Fumino taking on her first imōto, and all seemed well. However, Yumeno would retire suddenly after being active for only a month, slightly tarnishing Fukushima’s reputation for debuting hard working girls as her sudden retirement meant that the tea ceremony schedule for the Miyako Odori had to be changed around to fill the void.
Image of Yumeno courtesy of Hiroyuki Furukawa. Working harder than ever, the Fukushima girls persisted, and happy news would come towards the end of the year. Shino would become a senior in September!
Image of Shino courtesy of the Gion Kobu Kabukai. Fukushima now had a jimae geiko and two senior maiko, but some began to wonder if they would debut another maiko within a year of Yumeno’s defection. The answer to that was “no” and they kept their newest shikomi around for longer than usual to make sure of her dedication. In 2017 people began to wonder if Kiyono would become Fukushima’s third geiko, but sadly her choice was to retire than to take on the life of a geiko. Kiyono would retire in November 2017, leaving the okiya with only one geiko and one maiko. With 2018 looming Fukushima made sure that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated, and their hard work would pay off. On March 4th, 2018 Mizuno (瑞乃), Fukushima’s seventh maiko, would debut as Fumino’s second imōto. She immediately stood out for her striking good looks and impeccable manners.
Image of Mizuno courtesy of Ktellusastory. As the year went on more and more people began to be drawn to the Fukushima girls, with Shino growing more mature and Mizuno learning closely from her onesan, they were a popular sight in Gion Kobu. Once the fall odori season was over, Fukushima would pull out one last surprise for the year: Shino would turn her collar and become their third geiko!
Image of Shino courtesy of Tos.o622. Wearing the same kanzashi that their first geiko, Ayano, wore during her sakkō period, Shino looks poised to become a geiko that will continue to make her okiya proud! Even though we’ve now caught up to the present, the history of Fukushima is still being written and we already have more to look forward to in 2019! Next year we look forward to the debut of their eighth maiko, and we may see Shino take on the role of onesan for the first time. Their current shikomi made her community debut by following her okiya sisters during Hassaku, and we’ll most likely see her again in a few weeks for Kotohajime. But, for now, the three Fukushima girls are keeping their eyes on the future and celebrating a successful year ^^
Image courtesy of Tos.o622. Pictured above: geiko Fumino (章乃), maiko Shino (紫乃), and maiko Mizuno (瑞乃).
November 14th, 2018: Shino (紫乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu has changed to sakkō ahead of her November 21st erikae! She has actually been wearing the style for almost a week now, but not many pictures have surfaced until now. Although slightly hard to see, her kanzashi features a wire Silver Crane with a Gold Tortoise, which is a popular combination that symbolizes harmony and longevity. Along with her kimono that features Ume (梅 - Plum Blossoms) and Take (竹 - Bamboo), which represent new beginnings, her outfit is a wonderful pairing for a bright future! To fully bring out the motifs of the season, her obi features Ichō (銀杏 - Ginkgo Leaves) and her maezashi is a silver leaf with a jade center ^^ Image is courtesy of Miburo.
Weekend Update 18/3
I haven’t done one of these in a few weeks, but with the amount of goings on it should be a shame not to! Karyukai News -UMECHIE (梅ちえ) OF UMENO (梅乃) IN KAMISHICHIKEN IS FINALLY TYING HER OBIAGE! In case you needed a reminder ^^ -Fukuya (ふく弥) of Kawayoshi (河よ志) in Miyagawa Cho has become the newest maiko to switch to ofuku and become a senior! -Ichiai (市愛) of Masunoya (桝之矢) in Pontocho started off the misedashi storm on March 1st. -Gion Kobu’s six misedashi have finally taken place this month! They were: March 4th: Mizuno (瑞乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) March 7th: Mameyo (豆誉) of Arai (新井) March 12th: Nanoha (菜乃葉) of Tama (多麻) March 16th: Asuka (あす佳) of Tsurui (つる居) March 17th: Ichihiro (市紘) and Konatsu (小奈都) of Nakagishi (中支志) All will be assisting with the tea ceremony at the Miyako Odori. -The annual Higashiyama Hanatōro (東山花灯路) dances have also come to a close! This year’s line up featured: March 10th: Mamesumi (豆純) of Ninben (亻) and Koeri (小衿) of Hiroshimaya (廣島屋) - Gion Kobu March 11th: Toshiemi (とし恵美) and Chikaharu (千賀遥) of Komaya (駒屋) - Miyagawa Cho March 16th: Ichikoma (市こま) of Ichi (市 and Naoai (尚あい) of Nakasato (中里) - Kamishichiken March 17th: Mitsuhana (光はな) of Tanmika (丹美賀) and Ichisato (市沙登) of Masunoya (桝之矢) - Pontocho March 18th: Hinayū (雛祐) of Okatome (岡とめ) and Kanotomo (叶朋) of Kanoya (叶家) - Gion Higashi -The Kitano Odori (北野をどり) of Kamishichiken begins in one week, marking the start of a busy spring odori season! Blog News -What’s In a Dance? Part 13 looked at Hime Sanja (姫三社) - Three Shrine Princesses. -Mind Your Manners - Part 2 looked at rules surrounding mai ōgi. -The Random Fact of The Week looked at Uchi Iwai and Geimei. -Mylo’s Pick of The Week looked at Ichikoma (市こま) of Ichi (市) and Naoai (尚あい) of Nakasato (中里). -I finally uploaded images from The 2017 Anime North Kimono Display! -I also revealed the answers to last month’s Setsubun/Obake question ^^ -Your questions have been quite thought provoking and wonderful! Thank you for sending them in and I hope that you will continue doing so! The most popular questions were: -What makes Umechie so special? -How can I tell if a maiko is tying her obiage? -Do you have a favorite documentary on the karyukai? -Is this Toyochiyo and do you know what she does for a living? -How does Mitsuki fit in with the other Tsurui girls? -Miyagawacho Maiko sure have a very unique aesthetic, don't you think so too? If you'd have to pinpoint, what would you say makes their look so unlike the other kagai? -In an earlier ask you've mentioned Hanafusa's "shimmering" kuromontsuki. Did you mean the one with the golden waves, that was worn by Kikusana for her debut? -What 'levels' are there to kimono seniority? -Are those Kyoto geimaiko performing in the video? Are maiko allowed to perform during their misedashi? -From an otokoshi's perspective: Are more experienced maiko and geiko easier to dress? And can a geiko decide how she wants to wear her Kimono (for example how much eri is shown or how high the obi sits)? -A feature on the small fact that oftentimes those (priceless!) tortoiseshell kanzashi are wired into a maiko’s hairstyle. -I came across the term oshaku (雛妓) on German Geisha Wikipedia page but i have never heard of it before, would you mind explaining it? -I was wondering if the kanji 妓 had a different meaning in Japanese than Chinese. -Even though you are very discreet and respectful, do you enjoy reading gossip about geimaiko online or are you not so interested? -Is it strange that maiko Ayaha modelled for the 2018 Kamigawa Odori poster when she knew she would retire very soon? -On illness and staying home within the karyukai. -Would you happen to know why Katsuharu and Katsumomo wore the same kimono for their misedashi? -Who outside of Gion Kobu do you think would be the most able to "rival" Satsuki? -Why do maiko have kamon on their obi? -is the wearing of musical instruments in kanzashi limited in each kagai depending on when their odori is? -What's the benefit of a maiko staying at an okiya whilst finishing middle school, such as Satsuki? -In regards to a video with Mamehiro, what's the name of this hairstyle and why was she dressed that way? -About Aoi being a real tayu or not... don't you think she's too pop and accessible what goes against the exclusivity of what is expected from a tayu? -In your opinion, who is now the premier Geiko in Gion Higashi, following Tsunemomo's retirement?
March 4th, 2018: Congratulations to Mizuno (瑞乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu on the occasion of her misedashi! She is wearing the exact same outfit that her onesan Fumino (章乃) also wore on her misedashi almost eight years ago in 2010! She is tall and quite pretty, which makes her one to definitely look out for in the future! おめでとうございます瑞乃ちゃん ^o^! Images are courtesy of Ktellusastory, Balbo, and Miburo.
Change of Plans
So apparently my source heard wrong and the Fukushima minarai’s misedashi is March 4th (Sunday) and not tomorrow (Saturday). However, I do have news! Her geimei is 瑞乃! However, this can be read a few different ways. My best guess is Hanano, although we’ll find out for sure soon! Edit: Apparently it’s pronounced as Mizuno!
Even More News!
I’ll be summing this up again in the Weekend Update, but for now it’s nice to make another big post as there’s been so much news to come out of the karyukai in the past two weeks!
Misedashi
-The Fukushima (福嶋) minarai in Gion Kobu will be debuting this Saturday on March 3rd. Her geimei is still unknown. -The new Tsurui (つる居) minarai in Gion Kobu’s name is Asuka (あす佳). She has been rumored to be sharing Nanoha (菜乃葉) of Tama (多麻)’s misedashi date of March 12th. -Ichihiro (市紘) and Konatsu (小奈都) of Nakagishi (中支志) in Gion Kobu will be having their joint misedashi around March 17th (not a definitive date).
Recently Promoted to Seniors
-Katsuhana (佳つ花) of Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu -Mitsuki (美月) of Tsurui (つる居) in Gion Kobu -Naoai (尚あい) of Nakasato (中里) in Kamishichiken
Erikae
-Marika (茉利佳) of Tsurui (つる居) in Gion Kobu will be having her erikae on May 18th! She is expected to switch to yakko shimada following the conclusion of the Miyako Odori on the 24th, so we may see her at the Hōgoku Matsuri on the 25th already wearing her new style!
For Those Who Seek Out Knowledge
Long time readers will know this, but newer ones may not, so I figured that I’d repeat it again just to get everyone up to speed at all once:
I often hide news among the tabs with a fair degree of regularity.
Just to see who’s having fun looking through information I will often drop some news in a tab (under where it belongs) and wait until someone asks about it. If no one notices within a week then I’ll usually make an announcement, but you’re often quite quick to catch these things! I don’t do this with all news as I am aware that mobile users can’t read tabs, but it’s enough that I know some of you read just to go scavenger hunting on my blog (to which I am a great fan of!). On the flip side, I’d also like to remind people of the following:
I am NOT Google.
I get many questions asking about certain events or such, which isn’t too bad on its own. But, when someone asks me about a convention and the guests that may be appearing at it, then it gets me pretty irked as I have to take time out of my day to devote to searching for an answer that you should be finding on your own. The same is true for images; most of the images that you request are found on Instagram via a simple search of the tags #舞妓 or #maiko. If you really can't seem to find the answer then please send in a question, but I ask that you at least try to find the answers for yourself first via the multitude of tabs or quick internet searches.
With that said, this week’s tidbit wasn’t completely obvious, but it was there for people who knew where to look:
The Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu’s minarai will be having her misedashi on March 3rd!
For those of you who will be in Kyoto during that time I look forward to your images ^^!
Updates To The BIG News Post
Information changes quickly in the karyukai, and there’s already additions to be made to the news announced last week here!
New Information
Katsumomo (佳つ桃) of Odamoto (小田本)in Gion Kobu, who will be debuting in a few days on February 12th, will have Katsuhina (佳つ雛), also of Odamoto, as her onesan! Katsumomo will also be performing on stage during The Miyako Odori!
The Tama (多麻) minarai’s geimei is Nanoha (菜乃葉) and she will be debuting on March 12th! She is the imōto of Fukuha (福葉), also of Tama!
The Fukushima minarai is also now active with her misedashi scheduled for March too!
The BIG News Post!
Last week I promised the news about another erikae, but I actually have information on not only erikae, but misedashi as well!
Misedashi News
Odamoto (小田本) in Gion Kobu will be debuting another minarai on February 12th named Katsumomo (佳つ桃)! I’m not sure of her onesan at the moment, just her name and date.
There are going to be SIX (6) misedashi in Gion Kobu beginning in late April and going throughout May following the Miyako Odori! They are going to be from Arai (新井), Fukushima (福嶋), Tama (多麻), Tsurui (つる居), and two (2) from Nakagishi (中支志)!
Currently they do not have geimei, but will be assisting in the tea ceremony at the Miyako Odori. It is possible that some may be debuting in March, but right now it’s more likely that it will be after the odori instead of before it. Edit: The Fukushima minarai has now begun her minarai period and will be debuting in March!
Erikae News
Tomitsuyu (富津愈) from Tomikiku (富菊) in Gion Higashi will be having her erikae on May 22nd!
This is a tentative date and may occur a day before or after, but this is the date that she was telling people during Setsubun.
November 29th, 2017: Today was the last day of maiko Kiyono (清乃) of Fukushima (福嶋) in Gion Kobu’s career as she retires from the karyukai. It is unknown at this time why she has chosen to leave instead of becoming a geiko, but we wish her the best in the future. With Kiyono’s retirement comes the news that Katsusen (佳つ扇) of Odamoto (小田本) is now the most senior maiko in Gion Kobu. Her erikae is expected in 2018 should she choose to stay. Image is courtesy of Miburo3260 on Instagram.
Random Fact of The Week 16/12
Once again, it’s kind of a jumble of related facts and I wasn’t sure how else to write to besides “this is going to take more than one line” ^^; The newest okiya in Kyoto is Gion Kobu’s Fukushima (福島), which opened in 2007 and debuted its first girls in 2008. So far they’ve produced: -2 Geiko (Ayano 彩乃, Fumino 章乃) -4 Maiko (Kotono 琴乃, Kiyono 清乃, Shino 柴乃, Yumeno 夢乃) Of those 6, 3 are no longer active (Ayano, Kotono, Yumeno) although Ayano now helps to run Fukushima’s restaurant, Aji Fukushima, which is located a block away from the okiya.
Some Happy News and Some Sad News
Today the karyukai experienced both happy and sad events.
Fukuna (ふく那) of Kawayoshi (河よ志) in Miyagawa Cho made her debut today! She’s the fifth imouto of geiko Fukue (ふく恵).
Yumeno (夢乃) of Fukushima (福島) in Gion Kobu has quit suddenly. She was supposed to perform the tea ceremony today but was replaced by Mamekoma (豆こま) at the last moment. It’s unknown at this time why she quit, but it has been reported that she did cut her hair short, preventing any possible return.
In other news, my laptop adapter finally went to electronics heaven today, so I won’t be able to update much until it arrives (guaranteed by Monday). In the mean time I’ll do news updates via my phone and on my really old back up laptop and I will check messages and answer any questions.