February Kitsuke

Spring is slowly but firmly sis strating to take over Kyoto Kagai sim. Although there's still some snow the ground, first plum blossoms are starting to peak through the icy harden barks. One by one, all of the Plum trees will soon take over the area with their beautiful and magnificent sweet scent

Geiko Kikutsuru

For this month, Geiko Kikutsuru has chosen to wear gradient pink kimono with spring motif: ume blossoms, pine, bamboo leaves, sakura petals. It is tied with elegant vine obi that has a hand-painted kimono and silk on a hanger. 

Her juban is pink and features blossom pattern. Geiko also use red juban but mostly for the formal events when they wear kuromontsuki.

Sometimes geiko can wear warm fur shawls during winter, epsecially on the colder days.

Kikutsuru san is wearing a wig, styled in Geiko Shimada style also known as Chuu Taka Shimada. It is decorated with carefully chosen seasonal maezashi pin featuring ume blossom.

On her feet you can spot winter geta that are perfect for cool winter ways and protect Geiko's white tabi from the snow.

Geiko Kikumaru

Her sister and imouto, Geiko Kikumaru, decided on wearing beautiful and very expensive white geiko hikizuri, with water and mandarin ducks motif on it. This piece is held with silver obi that fits the kimono perfectly. The motif on the obi is known as "sayayagata" and it is a pattern of interlocking manji (swastika). In South Asia, the Manji is omnipresent as a symbol of wealth and good fortune and is used as a religious symbol in Buddhism.

As a finishing touch, Kikumaru san has added a small plum bosom maezashi(small hairpin) to her katsura.

In her left hand Geiko Kikumaru is holding a bright red kago that has Kikumaru san's name embroidered on it. This is a special kago that was gifted by okaasan on the day of the Misedashi way back in 2013.

Maiko Kikune

Maiko Kikune's February kitsuke consists of fabulous light blue hikizuri with hand-painted spring blossom motif and a golden obi, different from two of her Geiko sisters'  - it is much longer(over 7 meters!) called darari obi. Please notice a delicate pocchiri, tied with red obijime - this is the most expensive element in the maiko's wardrobe. 

Her juban is bright red with plum and sakura blossoms on it. As mentioned before red juban can be optional by geiko but is a must for maiko.

During Setsubun Maiko san in some districts switch from their normal hairstyles to more elaborate ones. This year from Maiko Kikune wore Oshidori mesu hairstyle, which is quite rare and means to mimic the look of a male mandarin duck. You can see a large and eye-catching kusudama hanakanzashi decorating this unique hair.

Maiko Kikushino

The youngest flower of the Hanafusa okiya bouquet, Maiko Kikushino, is wearing light green hikizuri with blossom arabesque and kusudama design. It is tied with beautiful black Darari Obi that features maioghi and kotsuzumi. The style of the Hikizuri of Maiko Kikushino are getting more mature and simplistic which means that she is progressing on her path of a Maiko.

For Setsubun Maiko Kikushino switched from Wareshinobu to Osome hairstyle. This hairstyle is worn by junior maiko in their second or third year into profession.

Both Maiko Kikune and Kikushino are wearing special style of geta, known as Okobo or Pokurri. These are only reserved for the Maiko and you can tell he rank by looking at the straps holding the foot - if you see red than it means that the wearer is Junior Maiko and if you see pink or other - Senior. You can notice the difference in the picture above