picture of the day

Maiko march

12 Comments

"Geiko" apprentices, known as "maiko," entertain visitors at a plum blossom festival in Kyoto on Sunday.

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12 Comments
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Feeling spring is coming soon.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Absolutely beautiful picture! I'll have some tea here, Maiko-san. Sadly, these unique festivals are attracting more and more foreign tourists, which make it harder for locals to attend, due to hotel overbooking and overcrowding on transport.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

As this particular sector of the Japanese entertainment has faltered over the years, it can only be a good thing that foreign interest is helping it survive.

A pity that some onlookers in Kyoto (foreign and domestic) feel the need to grab at the girls for their photo opportunities, though.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

A pity that some onlookers in Kyoto (foreign and domestic) feel the need to grab at the girls for their photo opportunities, though.

Yes, this is another big issue. Ive seen foreign tourists aggressively demanding "selfies" of Maiko-san in the alleys as they rush to appointments. Special Police should be assigned to protect them as Living Cultural Treasures, and heavy imprisonment for touching or abusing Maiko-san.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Traditionally, in Kyoyo, Geiko are female entertainers and Geisha were men entertainers playing women roles (like onna-gata in Kabuki). This is why there are no longer Geisha in Kyoto (the last male Geisha died back in the 1980s). You see the word used in Tokyo for females, but that is just Tokyo, and mainly in advertising for foreigners.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Sorry, "Kyoyo" in the above message should be "Kyoto".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Geisha were men entertainers playing women roles (like onna-gata in Kabuki). 

Not convinced that Japanese salarymen in modern times would drop 20-man plus for a night to entertain a client, and have female impersinators and not the real Maiko-san? I'm not from Kyoto, but If that was really Kyoto custom, well some tradition dies out for good reason! lol!!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ive seen foreign tourists aggressively demanding "selfies" of Maiko-san in the alleys as they rush to appointments.

Interesting. I've seen domestic tourists doing the same.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Interesting. I've seen domestic tourists doing the same

Are you sure these tourists were domestic, not Chinese?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Beautiful in many ways! 頑張って

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This looks like another unique facet of Japanese culture.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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