Ookini!

Maiko Kanoko 1930s by Blue Ruin1 on Flickr.

Maiko Umemai wearing a purple kimono with flower pattern in July

Miyako Odori 2018 promo shoot: maiko Katsusen, Ichiharu, Mamesumi, Mameryu, Mamekinu, and Konami by Miyako Odori on Twitter

New blog is up! Visit HERE  🌟 🌟 🌟

Supernatural was very obviously always (at least in part) about the traumas of masculinity, its violence, its ruptured relationships, fathers who couldn’t take good care of their sons, sons who couldn’t live up to their fathers, brothers who would die for each other but would die before they’d say that out loud, the thrill of power and freedom and also the horror of having no one to turn to for help.  And there was so much of that bodily vulnerability – having your body invaded and violated, being driven to your knees, being forced to the point of blood and tears, it always seemed to me like there was a little edge of that same kind of fascination – not literally about sex, but erotic in how tangled up it was with the idea of submission.

SURPRISE! I didn’t bother announcing it this year to see how many people would remember my yearly tradition, but The Twelve Days of Fun are BACK! For the next twelve days I’ll be posting a new feature everyday, so let’s get to it! On The First Day of Fun I present… a new pocchiri!

Image courtesy of Lovelyhoneybee. Materials: Silver, Jade, Coral, and Diamond Motif: Chrysanthemums and Waves Owned By: Nakasato (中里) in Kamishichiken First off, this is one of my favorite pocchiri of all time due to its giant chrysanthemum (one of my favorite flowers) that’s carved from one giant piece of coral, and smack in the center of that flower is a large honkin’ diamond! It looks slightly small in this image, but that diamond is well over a carat in size! That type of coral that it’s carved from is called angelskin as it’s a very light, almost whiteish pink color. As you can imagine, angelskin is extremely valuable and it’s rare to come across such large pieces! Surrounding the flower we have silver swirling around forming water and small leaves. Set into the water at various points are small pieces of jade that act as complementary colors to the light pink coral. Overall it’s a simple piece with not too much background on it that I could find, but its beauty is truly stunning. Here you can see it being worn by Naokazu (尚可寿):

Geiko Umehina dancing in December 2020

Geiko Umehina in December 2020

Elegant Geiko Umehina bowing

Chikaharu-san of the Komaya Okiya, from Maiko to Geiko

The 2 latest Maiko of Miyagawacho, Fumitsuru of Toshikimi and Toshimasa of Komaya. In Miyagawacho, Maiko wear Kuromontsuki for 3 days from the day of their Misedashi, then they switch to Iromontsuki for another 3 days.

Fukutama and Hiroshige

When i saw this Hiki, i think i let out a real-life sigh. It’s so dreamy. I absolutely adore it and i knew i would love to show it to you, dear reader, even though many of you might have seen it already, it’s a show stopper!

Fukutama has just turned her collar, with a spectacular erikae-outfit, a gorgeous Kuromontsuki featuring the musical instruments she loves so much, a very individual piece devoted to her chosen profession. And here she is sporting another beautiful piece, absolutely striking and so fitting for this Geiko who so clearly admires traditional Japanese art.

It reminded me of another work of art that touched me when i first saw it:

This is Utagawa Hiroshige’s “Plum Garden In Spring”

And Hiroshige’s “Plum Estate, Kameido” from his famous series “One Hundred Famous Views Of Edo”, one of the masterpieces of Japanese art.

For me personally i do love the colors in the first ukiyo-e but i prefer the atmosphere of the second one, with the little attendants of the plum blossom viewing in the back. Kameido’s plum estate was a vacation house of Iseya Hikoemon, an extremely well to do merchant, where he organized these festival like gatherings wo appreciate the fleeting beauty of his famous plum trees. Indeed some of them became very popular and received names of their own. Ryugabai was one of these famous trees, it can be admired close up right here, we are standing right before it, an honor really.

Sadly this estate closed in 1910 after all trees were destroyed by a devastating flood, so these impressionistic visions are one of the few ways for us to experience this fragile but magnificent work of nature’s art.

So in the end, even though these legendary trees are no more, we can still feel their impact through Hiroshige’s splendid prints. And Fukutama has managed to capture this passion again in her own way. She has created a beautiful experience for her surrounding by choosing this lovely fade on her Hiki which captures the essence of Edo’s delicate, timeless taste. It still feels fresh and light and through her enthusiasm, taste will never go out of style.

Geiko Hinayu (Okatome okiya), Maiko Fukuna (Kawayoshi Okiya) and Geiko Umehina in December 2020

Maiko Chikaharu of Miyagawacho in her sakkou ensemble