Baikasai: Memories 2007

Naohiro, geiko of Kamishichiken.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine's famous Baikaisai, or Plum Blossom Festival, is held every February 25th in memory of the deified patron saint of scholarship, Sugawara Michizane, a Heian Era court official and avid plum blossom admirer. After graduating from the national academy, he began his ill-fated career at court as a scholar. Although he was elevated in rank under the grace of Emperor Uda, his rivalry with a member of the powerful Fujiwara family resulted in his banishment from court. Demoted to the rank of a minor official in Kyushu, he died a lonely death with a dishonored name.

Plum blossoms in full bloom beneath the brightly covered eves of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine.

After his death, plague and drought spread throughout the capital. The emperor's sons began to die in rapid succession. The Imperial Palace's Great Audience Hall (shishinden) was repeatedly struck by lightning as the city was drenched by rainstorms and floods. Attributing this to the angry spirit of the exiled Sugawara, the imperial court built and dedicated Kitano Tenmangu shrine to him, posthumously restoring his title and office. All mention of his exile was struck from the record and Sugawara was deified as Tenjin-sama, or kami of scholarship. Today many Shinto shrines in Japan are dedicated to him.



Umeshizu prepares to perform the tea ceremony.

I never really got around to uploading many of the pictures I took at last year's Baikasai, and since I can't be there this year, I'd like to share these with you now. Enjoy!

"Living flowers" beneath the plum blossoms. From right to left: Umesato, Naokazu, Satoyuki, and Naohiro.


Katsuya leads her younger sister to the grounds of Kitano Tenmangu shrine.


The breath-takingly beautiful Umeha.


Naokazu and Satoyuki.

Katsuya smiles as she serves guests.


Satoyuki took part in the 2007 Baikasai as part of her training to become a geisha. She did not make her debut until afterwards. I was captivated by her stunning M.C. Escher-esque kimono.


Umeshizu gently smiles before offering a cup of matcha, a bitter powdered green tea whipped to frothy perfection, to guests.


The elegant Naozome, a high ranking maiko, never fails to make an impression.


Katsuryu concentrates on correct ettiquette as she serves the guests during her first Baikasai. She had only made her debut as a maiko earlier that month.


Satoyuki smiles.


Umeha and Naohiro in shades of lavender and plum.


Umeha laughs.


Tamayuki is a senior geiko of the Kamishichiken district. As geiko grow in experience and skill, they rely less on their flashy kimonos, hair, and make-up, and more on their skill, which is where there true beauty lies.


Katsuryu: Can you say KAWAII! So cute!


Naozome and Ichiteru.


Katsue in her final appearance as a maiko at the annual Baikasai. Now a geiko, she will soon be performing in the Kitano Odori as a full-fledged geisha.


Ichifumi, the famous blogging maiko Ichimame's little sister, laughing with guests during her first Baikasai.


Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese to win the nobel prize (1968) once wrote "If for no other reason than to preserve traditional hairstyles, the geisha's existance is vital. I wonder how and when these hairstyles developed."

"Japanese men, as a rule, feel about a woman's neck and throat about the same way as men in the west feel about a woman's legs. This is why geisha wear the collars of their kimono so low in the back...I suppose that its like a woman in Paris wearing a short skirt."

~Sayuri, in 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Aurthur Golden.


Ichimame laughs as she entertains guests.


Sisters Ichimame and Ichifumi admiring the plum blossoms.

Kitano Odori

Ichimame in Kamishichiken's Kitano Odori.

The geiko Umeshizu performing the role of otemae, preparing the tea.

The Kitano Odori is an annual performance of traditional songs and dances by the geiko of the Kamishichiken entertainment district near the Kitano Shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane and has been presented since March　1952. Geiko are indispensable as hostesses in traditional banquets, but an　essential part of their duties are performances of traditional music in such　tyles as Nagauta, Tokiwazu and Kiyomoto, mastery of instruments like the　shamisen and tsuzumi hand-drum, and classical Japanese dance. They also　must　know traditional popular songs, which are an important part of the culture　of the entertainment districts. Constant study and practice are vital to mastering these art forms and the Kitano Odori began as a recital to show　off these performance skills, as well as being an entertaining show.

(Excerpt from Ichimame's blog)


Young Ichiteru in the role of ohikae, delivering tea to the guests in the ceremony before Kitano Odori.


Ichimame (front) and Naokazu.

Ichimame (front) and Ichifumi.



Naozome

Naosuzu

Okoshiyasu!

Naosuzu (geiko) and Katsue(maiko)welcome a customer to the an outdoor tea ceremony beneath the cherry blossoms in Kyoto. Okoshiyasu is Kyoto dialect for welcome.

Japan's Past, Japan's Future

Geiko pose with two children of "double" heritage. Seeing this made me wonder... What will happen when Japan's new generation of multi-ethnic daughters grow up with an intrest in traditional culture and the desire to become a geiko? Obviously that is the very least of the questions that face Japan today, as it struggles to come to terms with Japanese citizens that don't quite fit their definition.

Children with one Japanese parent and one non-Japanese parent are refered to as "half" here in Japan, a term most foreigners take acception to. Below is a quote from my fellow JET blogger, Gaijin For Life. His blog is witty, insightful, well-written, and all around much better than mine! Plus he has a super kawaii daughter (^-^). Read it. You won't regret it.

"I am not sure what children of "mixed marriages" are called in other countries, but here in Japan they are called "Half." I suppose that this is an implied reference to such a person's half that is lacking--that portion of them that is not Japanese. As for myself, when I was a kid growing up in Japan I always called them "half-n-halfs" but everyone thought I was talking about coffee. Now that I have a daughter who falls into the category under discussion, I use the term "Double." No one else does, but that must be because they are all under some sort of misconception. My daughter has two citizenships, a double portion of genetic diversity, and will soon speak two languages and carry two passports. That sounds like 1 times 2 to me, not 1 divided by 2."

Baikasai: The Plum Blossom Festival

Bringing in the Spring with Blossoms and Tea

Ichimame prepares matcha (powdered green tea) as Naozome prepares to serve it to a guest.

A long line of geiko and maiko, easily distinguished by the way in which they wear their obi, bow as they serve tea to their guests.

Katsue and the many maiko and geiko of Kamishichikenserving tea to the guests.

Umeshizu and Umechika, geiko of Kamishichiken.

Ichimame performs tea ceremony with Naozome as ohikae.

Umeha and Umeshizu prepare, as Naozome offers tea to the guests.

Ichiteru, a young maiko from Ishikawa prefecture who decided to become a maiko after reading Ichimame's blog, prepares tea as another recently debuted maiko, Katsuryu, prepares to offer it to a guest.

Meet Ichimame

Ichimame enjoying the plum blossoms of Kitano Tenmangu shrine, in full bloom just in time for the Plum Festival (Baikasai) thanks to the unusually warm weather.

If you are a geisha enthusiast like myself, chances are you already know Ichimame, the beautiful young maiko blogging away from her okiya in Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest and most traditional hanamachi (literally 'flower town', where geisha live and entertain). I first saw Ichimame perform last spring, when a wonderful series of unforeseeable events resulted in a free front row seat to Kitano Odori (the spring dance of Kamishichiken), convieniently positioned directly infront of her. At the end of the show, she smiled down at me, tossing one of her signed handkerchieves into my lap.

When I first discovered Ichimame's blog, I was so excited I wanted to post a link to it here. Being written completely in the Kyoto dialect of Japanese, I figured very few people would be able to read it and so decided against it. Thanks to the incredible number of visitors her site has been recieving from all around the world, she has begun a professionally translated English version of the blog, although it seems to be slow going. I wish I could volunteer to do it for her! I'd have that smack updated post haste! Until they get caught up, I'll post my own translation of the most recent entries here:

Starting tomorrow! Must sleep...

Ichimame and I

Let's just say I had a very good weekend!

Kamishichiken Geiko

Katsukiyo and Umewaka, 2 geiko of Kamishichiken district, perform during the Kitano Odori.

A short excerpt from the Kitano Odori programme:

Kamishichiken is the oldest and most distinguished gay quarters (as in merry, not the modern connotation) in Kyoto, and training of geiko is given with the idea of producing an excellent few rather than a large number of mediocre entertainers. Therefore they are required to master many arts, such as shamisen, hand drum, dancing and traditional ballads like kiyomoto, tokiwazu, kouta, and nagauta...

Stay tuned for More to come!