KYOTO -- A school teaching artistic disciplines to geiko and "maiko" apprentices from Gion Kobu -- one of the five famous "hanamachi" entertainment districts in this west Japan city -- held its opening ceremony for the first time in two years on Jan. 7.

       Maiko and young geiko gathered at the Yasaka Nyokoba Gakuen in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward in formal black kimonos bearing family crests. The ears of rice in their hair accessories shook as they exchanged greetings such as, "Congratulations. As always, I look forward to working with you."

       Around 90 geiko and maiko assembled in the hall of Yasaka Kurabu, a nationally registered tangible cultural asset and the school's practice hall, and vowed to devote themselves to training and performing arts. The ceremony was shortened as a coronavirus measure, and the annual awards usually given to the previous year's top-selling teahouses as well as geiko and maiko were postponed.

       The Gion Kobu "Miyako Odori" spring dance performance is scheduled to return in April after three years away. Miwako, a maiko who turned 20 on Jan. 3, said, "I've only performed once on the Miyako Odori stage. I want to give it my best."

       (Japanese original by Yoko Minami, Kyoto Bureau)

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0