October kitsuke

Long awaited October kitsuke of Hanafusa ladies has arrived!

October is called "the month of Chrysanthemum" and for Hanafusa ladies it is also very special month that is said to bring great luck("Kiku" part of the name means chrysanthemum). This is also the month when geiko, maiko and minarai switch over to lined kimono. Now lets have a look :)

Geiko Kikuyu

 

For October Okaasan has chosen beautiful purple lined susohiki.
Her obi is golden and has a woven pattern - the one who created this obi has created truly a masterpiece - we can see every detail of the house and trees.
In her right hand Okaasan Kikuyu is holding mai oughi - special fan for the dance.

Sr Maiko Kikutsuru  

Maiko Kikutsuru is wearing tender pink base hikizuri with many faded yellow maple leafs. The woven obi was chosen with great taste and is strong purple with silver and has the motif of a bridge filled with chrysantemums. 

Her hairstyle is called Ofuku and is decorated with seasonal kanzashi. For this month it is Chrysanthemum, which is flower of the month. (these flowers are well loved in Japan and are a symbol of the Imperial Family). As Maiko Kikutsuru is Senior maiko, she is wearing only one big chrysanthemum in her hair. 

Jr Maiko Kikumaru 

Maiko Kikumaru is wearing striped hikizuri with faded willow leafs. Her obi is amazing - she's wearing silver obi with beautiful women combs painted and embroidered. 

Her hairstyle is Jr one and is called wareshinobu and is worn by maiko for the first 2-3 years.

Her hair is also decorated with seasonal kanzashi but instead of one big chrysanthemum Maiko Kikutsuru wears, she's wearing cluster of small chrysanthemums

Minarai Kikuyumi

 

* Minarai(literary "watch and learn","learn by watching") is a short stage before debut as maiko. Young Minarai visits ozashiki with her older sister and observes the work of her oneesan. In miyagawacho, after 2 weeks from the minaraia maiko starts wearing hikizuri, kanzashi and obi of jr maiko. 

Minarai Kikuyumi is wearing for the month of October a red base hikizuri with stunning chrysanthemums. Her obi is green with maple leafs.

Her hairstyle is same as Kikumaru san, but Kikuyumi chan is also wearing shedare kanzashi(long chains of silk flowers)

Mizuekai 2015

Our annual Fall dance is soon arriving, Mizuekai will be held in 5 scenes on October 31 between 11 am and 12 pm slt.

The odori will be in these acts:
Odori no Aki
The fortune teller priest 1 /Kabuki
The fortune teller priest 2 (Kabuki)
Momiji no Odori
Manzai Odori

Particpants: Geiko Kikuyu, Maiko Kikutsuru,Maiko Kikumaru,Minarai Kikuyumi

Hanafusa Okiya announcement

 We are open in reweaving applications for the Okiya trainee program. For questions please contact Kikuyuu resident ( Geiko Kikuyu and Okaasan) or Kikutsuru (atotori Miehina resident). We will not be looking at applications between November 20th and January 9th

Happy Autumn from Hanafusa Okiya Ladies!

September Kitsuke

Its Autumn outside your window? The cold autumn wind reminds you of the end of summer? Than come to Miyagawacho Hanamachi, as in Japan, September is last summer month :)

Geiko Kikuyu

 For this last summer month, geiko Kikuyu has chosen amazing black susohiki, with scenery painted on her hem - we can see waves of water flowing on the shore where magnificent trees grow. Near this beauty, the symbol of Japan - crane - is walking gracefully, reminding us about the coming autumn

Sr Maiko Kikutsuru

Sr Maiko Kikutsuru decided to wear a beautiful hikizuri with gradation between yellow, red and purple with summer grass and bellflower motifs.(P.S. when i was younger, perhaps minarai, i thought that those were not bellflowers but autumn leaves. I dont know why giggle)

Jr Maiko KIkumaru

 Jr Maiko Kikumaru is wearing cute hikizuri with soft green background and maple leafs and branches. We can see green leafs of summer, but there're also yellow leafs of autumn - this is kind of reminder for us that autumn is around the corner, so we need to prepare  as well as enjoy those last days of summer days :)

Shikomi Chiyo has passed her exam!

A new minarai in Hanafusa okiya soon!

Chiyo chan passed her Dance exam! She also passed the theory.

Soon she will be known under a new name… Kiku… have a guess if you like^_^

Her Minarai debut is yet to be announced but i bet it's going to be really soon ;)

Omedetou san dosu Chiyo chan!

Your oneesan and neesan wish you luck and prosperity and promise to help you on you path of becoming a beautiful flower of Karyukai

Phtoto from Yukatakai 2015

Pictures from this years Yukatakai:) thank you Kyoko san and Isoldel san for these marvelous photos :)

Participants:

Geiko Kikuyu(okaasan)

Maiko Kikutsuru(atatori)

Maiko Kikumaru

Shikomi Chiyo(soon debut as minarai)

Shikomi Kiyomi

Dear guests and patrons,

Ookini san dosu for attending our odori! 

We hope to see you on our next performances 

Yukatakai 2015

On Saturday 15th(august) the Geiko, Maiko and shikomi of Hanafusa okiya perform in the Summer odori - Yukata Kai
You are welcome to come enjoy this 4 act performance.
Time of arrival: 10.55 am slt
Time odori begin: 11 am slt
Time odori ends: 12 pm slt
Pictures after are to be taken in the room between exit and theater audience room.
Maiko + Shikomi will attend photo shoot.
During performance you may take pictures as long as they do not interfere the performance.

Here's you rikshah: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nadine/86/84/29

August Kitsuke of Hanafusa Okiya Members

Okaasan Kikuyu has chosen soft pink Susohiki with beautiful flowers and dark wisteria obi. Her Katsura is decorated with a tortoiseshell comb and a delicate hairpin

Sr Maiko Kikutsuru is wearing elegant black hikizuri with summer pattern and ro obi with summer grass pattern. Her hair is decorated with one of traditional kanzashi of the August - Morning Glory(asagao).

Maiko Kikumaru has chosen sweet pink hikizuri with  yagasuri pattern (one of her favorite) and a beautiful ro obi. Traditionally, her hair is decorated with susuki grass. The susuki grass appears as a starburst of spines. Senior maiko wear white-backed silver petals and junior maiko wear pink-backed silver petals. Such is the tradition:)

Best wishes from Hanafusa ladies :)

Tanabata Festival in Miyagawacho Hanamachi

Ozashiki

Maiko Kikutsuru,Kikumaru and Kikuno performs a dance with coordinating poems of Maiko in the Summer. They re wearing mesh hikizuri by Isoldel san and textures by Kikutsuru san :)
Maiko Kikutsuru performs a solo dance in honor of the Wisteria. Please enjoy photos by Kyoko san :)

New Shikomi in Hanafusa okiya - Aiko chaaaan :)

Aiko comes from a small farming town near Kyoto where she lived with her parents. On a trip into Kyoto when she was small, Aiko was able to catch a glimpse of a beautifully dressed Maiko hurrying to her next appointment. That image left a grand impression on the girl. For the next few years, Aiko would try to collect and learn as much information as she could on Geiko. She hung advertisements for Odori onto her walls, read books at the library and she would even sneak into her mother’s makeup to paint her bottom lip the red, innocent way of the junior Maiko; anything so that she would feel closer to their world.
    Years later, while talking to her parents about what she wanted to do in life, Aiko told them that she wished to study the ways of the Geiko. Very shocked by this, her parents tried to dissuade her because of their fear of letting their small daughter go off into such a big city. However,  her parents finally let her make the journey to Kyoto to begin her life as a Shikomi.

Miyagawacho Museum event in June

Today Maiko Kikutsuru and Maiko Kikumaru performed two summer dances answered questions about training, career and kitsuke; they also told some personal stories of how they entered this world. It was also first appearance in new mesh kimono by Isoldel san and textures by Kikutsuru san:)
Photos by Isoldel san

June Kitsuke of Hanafusa okiya members

Long requested June Kitsuke of Maiko and Geiko of Hanafusa okiya(SL) :)

As it was said before, Kitsuke - is art of wearing a kimono. You dont just come and wear a summer bathrobe and tie it with some material. Not at all! The technique of dressing properly and wearing a kimono properly is hard and takes lots of time to learn. But as my oneesan(older sister) says: "  If you’re going to do something: do it right.". There are many rules how too choose the right pattern or color and what type of kimono you have to wear, for example you cant wear kimono with sakura flowers in autumn as sakura blooms in spring whilst you cant wear chrysanthemums or red leaves in spring  bcz this is the symbol of autumn, and so on. When girl decides to become maiko she has to know every tiny aspect of kitsuke as she is now to become carrier of traditional knowledge and arts, and what is kitsuke if not a form of art ^^

Now lets have a look at the kimonos and accessories that was chosen by maiko and geiko of Hanafusa okiya in MIyagawacho hanamachi (sl):)

Okaasan Kikuyu:

For first summer month Geiko Kukuyu has chosen smooth colored kimono with fan motif. As you look on her kitsuke, you can feel how you're cooling down just looking on these beautifully painted hand fans. Color of the kimono reminds us of waves and too has the cooling effect on our minds :)

Maiko Kikutsuru:

For July Maiko Kikutsuru is wearing blue hikizuri with little summer flowers carefully painted in hem and sleeves. Her kimono reminds of the fast and chilly river, that begins high in the mountains as a small stream and than becomes a beautiful river. She carries small flower arabesque right to the ocean and you can feel how river wind comes from her.

Maiko Kikumaru:

Maiko Kikumaru is wearing white hikizuri with many summer flowers. This hikizuri is multi-summer - it means that it can be used through summer and even end of spring. Her hikizuri also has cooling effect and reminds of snow on the mount Fuji or ice in ujikintoki :) yuuuuuuuuuum

Maiko Kikuno: 

Little Kikuno chan is wearing green hikizuri that is multi-spring but can also be used in June. Green is color of summer grass and the wind that moves leaves on the trees.

Now lest see photos^_^

Geiko Kikuyu  

Maiko Kikutsuru

Maiko Kikumaru

Maiko Kikuno