The hanamachi in Kyoto are known for their adherence to tradition and high prestige, with the image of a Kyoto maiko typifying that of geisha culture within wider Japanese and international society.
In Kyoto, the different hanamachi – known as the gokagai (lit. 'five' hanamachi) – are seen as unofficially ranked. Gion Kobu, Ponto-chō and Kamishichiken are seen as the most prestigious, with Gion Kobu at the top; below these three are Gion Higashi and Miyagawa-chō. The more prestigious hanamachi are frequented by powerful businessmen and politicians.
An okiya (置屋) is the lodging house/drinking establishment to which a maiko or geisha is affiliated with during her career as a geisha. The okiya is typically run by the "mother" (okā-san) of the house, who handles a geisha's engagements, the development of her skills, and funds her training through a particular teahouse (ochaya).
Okiya are usually owned and run by women, who are referred to as "mother" by the geisha and maiko affiliated with the house. These women are commonly former geisha themselves, and were typically raised as geisha by the previous owner of the okiya; when the owner of an okiya retires, she may name one of her natural daughters – as the daughters of geisha are often raised inside the community – or one of the geisha under her as the heir (atotori) of the house; in the case of the atotori not being related to the mother of the house, the heir is adopted as the mother's daughter (musume). Under this arrangement, a geisha's debts are absorbed by the okiya, with all the money she earns going to the establishment directly as the new owner and proprietor of the house following the permanent retirement or death of her adoptive mother.
Ochaya TomiKiku (富菊) is a geisha teahouse of Gion Higashi, owned by Reiko Tomimori.
This is the teahouse that I have been closely working with for the past 10 years....
Business relationships in Japan are often long-term commitments that prioritize trust and mutual understanding over quick transactions.
In Japan, we don't change business partners unless something goes really wrong...hence businesses in Japan can survive for generations.
Every time I come to Kyoto, I make it a point to visit Reiko and my geisha friends. We enjoy visiting the temples and gardens together and make beautiful pictures together.
This year, okā-san has invited me over to join them for new year celebrations. During this festive period, the geishas are all dressed up in their most formal way, wearing a luxurious black kimono called kuromontsuki, a golden obi, red under-kimono, and having a special hairstyle especially for this occasion and the formal Sanbon-Ashi makeup (three lines on the back of their neck). During this festive period, they also wear signature hair ornaments made of turtle shells and a real rice stalk, signifying a long life of abundance.
When a girl becomes a maiko, an apprentice geisha, she takes on a carefully chosen professional name (geimei (芸名) or, in older usage, geimyô, "artistic name") to symbolize her new life in the Flower and Willow World. These names are flamboyant, describing the bearer's beauty, youth, or alluring clothes and perfume. They are often vivid, comparing the bearer to flowers, jewels, and gold; and aspirational, wishing the bearer a long life, with many blessings, much wealth, and good fortune. They reflect not only the splendor of the Flower and Willow world, but the uncertainty of a life spent on the cutting edge of fashion and the raw edge of society.
Each new geisha is placed under the wing of an older and more experienced geisha, her oneesan or "older sister," who helps to teach her the social skills needed in the hanamachi and uses her influence to launch the new geisha in society. The younger geisha takes one element of her older sister's name as her own, whilst the second element is chosen based on her own birth charts. Once established, geishas' name lineages can go on for several decades—an eternity in a business where turnover is high and careers are short.
The name of TomiKiku (富菊) translates to Wealthy Chrysanthemum. Hence my geisha friends from TomiKiku keeps the 富 "wealthy" character as the first part of their names.
This is just a simple portrait at the entrance of the teahouse before we head off to the temple.
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