Tag: Of The Floating World - Tumblr Posts
Masuume’s Enduring Little Flower
She will be remembered as one of the Maiko who braved through the unprecedented hardship of the Corona Pandemic of 2020 to become a great Geiko. Kohana has all the assets and the allure to become an elite Geiko, one of those who, with much hope and optimism, can contribute to the success of Gion Kobu’s kagai for many years to come.
Kohana, the little Flower, debuted pretty much unannounced from an unlikely okiya: Masuume. The legendary okiya is well known even to outsiders through its iconic, intricately cobbled entrance that leads through an elegant Japanese garden but it had not brought forth Maiko in some time. The date of her debut was May 26th 2016. Had anyone been asked about how the world would look like just 4 years later, never would they have imagined a scenario like the one we are currently living though on a global scale.
From the start Kohana made herself quite rare for photos. I remember how finding decent pictures was a struggle, specially since she indeed has such a lovely smile, a very sophisticated look and an incredible wardrobe and resources at her fingertips through her okiya. Of course hopes were high for her. Oftentimes observers speculate over retirements when there are few pictures of Maiko and with Kohana, the discourse drew its circles around this too. She was elusive and exclusive from the start, a great feat for Gion Kobu’s Maiko. But it also describes best how people saw her cards. She had a great advantage debuting from such a prestigious okiya but she was always seen as quite solitary. Nonetheless she drew her strength from her sisters from the whole kagai.
I must also remark that when going through her threads on the forums, there seems to be some mix ups happening with other Maiko-san. Many other girls have been mistaken for Kohana and vice versa. She seems to have this incredible talent to blend in, to make herself invisible, all to contribute to the best scenario for her sisters and patrons. This had greatly contributed to her unique success during her apprenticeship.
Here at last we get to admire her triumph as a Maiko, and it’s unmistakeble: Her Sakkou.
And indeed it is one of the most gorgeous, most luxurious we have seen: From her expert appearance with her flawless nihongami and perfect makeup that make her look so elegant and mature, to her exquisite hiki, the epitome of Japanese art. We see feathery pine in lush green, and the play of her kanzashi, the crane which seems not only to be an enduring motif for sakkou kanzashi in general, but also specially beloved by the graduation year 2020. But Kohana’s crane was filigree and delicate while Mitsuki and Mamekinu went with more fleshed out versions. Here, for once, Kohana stood out to me. She was the star among stars. In the midst of a crucial trial for the Karyukai, she went beyond her graduation and her iconic look, i believe, will go down as one of the most beautiful Sakkou ever.
Maybe i’m overreacting. But can’t this be understood when looking at the above photo? Even a few months ago, were we certain that this Maiko would see a Sakkou?
It is an exalted hoorah, a celebration of life and the continuity that makes up the water that travels though the floating world. It reminds us that life is ever evolving and that great things cannot be held back. Like Kohana, life will go on. Like Kohana, life will find a way to succeed and like Kohana, we will endure and become better than ever.
Source: Kichirobi on Instagram
Celebrations in Nara
For the first time in history a Danpatsu Shiki ceremony was streamed live. Here Nara's senior Maiko Kikue celebrated her last day as a Maiko in a fabulous Sakkou outfit and in the same breath Kikunami, Osaka's only Maiko, celebrated her departure from the karyukai.
So we have quite an event to report. Luckily the recorded stream is still up and we can witness this incredible moment in time. There is a lot to unpack though so i will share my thoughts on this one of a kind celebration.
Firstly, can we please talk about the incredible visuals: The backdrop is quite festive and the lighting accentuates the ladies stunning outfits and perfect makeup. Just look at Kikumame's gorgeous sakura kuromontsuki, just under her darari obi one can glimpse a rare fire motif. This fire is taken from the tradition of cormorant fishing along the Nagaragawa, a beloved pass time of the imperial court for centuries. Kikumame has become a lovely Maiko, the more senior look suits her well and she is still such a cutie, the way she giggles and does her best to remain solemn is adorable. She must be a great hostess at ozashiki!
Then Kikunami, who got to wear the Jikata Geiko attire before she retires in the end of March.
She would have been an immensely popular addition to Osaka's beautiful Geiko, she and her onesan looked dignified and elegant, they framed the event very well with their artistic expertise. Kikunami has a lovely singing voice with light vibrato and one day she might have reached the intense emotion Kikuno-san displayed during her performance.
And then we have Kikue.
She looked amazing and remained composed during this very touching and important ceremony where her life as a Maiko comes to an end. Kikue ahs come a long way since her debut under then Kikukame. I would have loved to see her in the white erikae shiromontsuki, maybe there is still a chance? But even if not, her Sakkou must be one of the most beautiful in the whole kansai area in my humble opinion.
The Nara Sakkou is incredibly striking with its austere patternless kuromontsuki, the intricate haneri and the bold red kimono lining. Rich in contrast it is a perfect symbol of leaving childhood behind, the duality of this important day when Kikue became a fully fledged Geiko of Nara.
And the event does have this bittersweet aura to it. Kikunami braved many setbacks during her tenure and i'm glad to see her in the Geiko look before she retires to take on a new endeavor. Still Kikue will stay true to Nara's Ganrin-In kagai, so Kikumame still has her onesan to guide her to become just as accomplished as her sisters.
Congratulations to the Ohno-family of Tsuruya in Nara! They worked hard for this celebration and they deserve much success!
Source Video: Naramachi Hanaakari Channel
Source Photos: Kikunami on Instagram / photo taken from video by ktellusastory
