January Kitsuke

"Although its cold and icy January, Maiko and Geiko of Hanafusa okiya continue to bring spring warmth to hearts of citizens and guests in Miyagawacho Hanamachi"

Geiko Kikuyu

  

Geiko Kikuyu is wearing marvelous black susohiki with golden maioughi and bamboo grass motif on it. The eri(collar) is white, and is the symbol of pureness, femininity and maturity.
Her obi fits well to her hikizuri as it has golden woven geometrical pattern on it.
Her katsura(wig) is decorated with a special hair pin, with un-husked rice ears and a little eyeless white dove. This is very special new year hairpin -  maiko or geiko fill in one eye and ask guest/very special person they like to draw the other for good luck in the coming year^_^

Maiko Kikutsuru

 

Senior Maiko Kikutsuru's pink hikizuri is for us like a reminder that winter will soon leave the realm when a first  ume flower starts to bloom. Her eri is white with woven seasonal pattern BUT it has rad gasp on the back.
Her darari obi is about 7 meters long! and decorated with carefully painted flowers on the dark background.
Hairstyle of Maiko Kikutsuru is called Ofuku(special hairstyle that maiko start wearing after they become senior) and is decorated with special January kazashi.
On her feet she has special footwear called okobo, that is worn only by maiko. Now, the straps on the okobo, called hanao, are very specific in color - every time sr maiko attends next step of her career, she has to wear different one, while jr maiko wear only red colored straps.

Maiko Kikumaru 

  

Jr Maiko Kikumaru is wearing a beautiful hikizuri with a crane motif on beige background. As i said before, crane in Japanese culture is said to bring luck and prosperity, and is a popular motif on kimono. As you can see, her hikizuri has more elements than her oneesan, Maiko Kikutsuru, has. It is another way to notice that Maiko Kikumaru is younger. Her eri is also different - some white droppings of woven flowers on the red background symbolizes that she's still a "baby".
The darari obi has golden woven winter pattern. It goes really nice with the hikizuri!
Her hairstyle is called Wareshinobu and is decorated with special seasonal kanzashi.
Kago is red, with Maiko Kikumaru's name sewn on it. This special kago was given as a present on the day of her Misedashi.
As Maiko Kikutsuru, Maiko Kikumaru is wearing high okobo but with red stripes.

Maiko Kikuno

   

Jr Maiko Kikuno is still very young so her blue hikizuri has richly painted flowers on it. Blue is also a color which represents not only purity and cleanliness in traditional Japanese culture, but also represents calmness and stability. This color is said to be very feminine. Her eri is decorated with woven cranes on the red background. The obijime(traditional little rope on the obi) is holding a beautiful pochirri(special kimono brouch).
The darari obi of this young maiko has a dyed crane pattern on the golden background and it makes a nice contrast with the hikizuri.
As she is still Jr Maiko, her hairtyle is Wareshinobu - same as her neesan's Maiko Kikumaru's. The kanzashi are seasonal.
You may wonder why Maiko Kikuno has only one lip painted while Maiko Kikumaru and Maiko Kikutsuru have both? Well, this is a special tradition that maiko that works less than a year paints only one lip. Its the symbol that is still a "baby".