At midnight gorgeous floats are lead to go back to their warehouses by dancing ladies and exciting night festival has been end. Small full moon observes their activity from far above.Hanawa, Japan.  Text and photography by Takero Kawabata on Trekearth.com

watermelon kimono (x)

furifu

Some participants dance with cloth mask and others do with these unique shaped hat. This little girl seemed to be too young to attend this very difficult dance performance, but she seemed to do her best with mother’s assist. Nishimonai, Japan.  Text and photography by Takero Kawabata on Trekearth.com

Actor Iwai Hanshirô.  Ukiyo-e woodblock print.  About 1800, Japan.  Artist Utagawa Toyokuni I 

Via Flickr: “Fashion Queen of Nippon… Kinuyo Tanaka, popular Japanese star who as one of the principle fashion leaders in the Japanese Capitol, introduced this new style of headdress, which is now the rage in Tokyo.” E.F.S. May 22, 1927. Vintage press photograph by Sherwood and Sherwood. Kinuyo Tanaka was a leading lady from a young age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu’s motion picture, “Graduated but…” in 1929 and later in 15 films directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, including “The Life of Oharu” in 1952 and “Ugestsu” in 1953. She became Japan’s second female Director in 1953.

Lipstick

Wearing kimono and obi at Nanzenji Rinzai Zen temple, Kyoto, Japan.  Photography by Stéphane Barbery   on Flickr

On 2nd June 2026, Kohana 小花 (left) and Koma (小ま) made their debut at Chiyoda, Kagurazaka! They wear matching Hikizuri with a hana ikada (flower raft) motif. Chiyoda is now the Okiya with the biggest member count in Kagurazaka. Assumed there were no retirements I don't know about, there are now 19 Geisha and Hangyoku in Kagurazaka, which is the highest number since 2016 (only since 2018, there are reliable infos about new debuts in Kagurazaka available thanks to the official Kagurazaka Kumiai account on instagram).

September 九月 kugatsu, the long month. Meigi (famous geisha) Era Kayo, wearing a tsuno-kakushi headdress, originally worn by wealthy women to protect their hair from dust.

Stereoview by an unknown American photographer taken ca.1899-1901. From 1901 to 1910, the above image was printed for customer demand as needed. Every print was done by hand on Albumen paper and published (sold) by the B.W. Kilburn & Company of New Hampshire, USA via a vast network of door-to-door canvassers. During this time, almost every home had a stereoscope with which to view and enjoy the images in deep 3-D.

Japanese vintage postcard

Kimono called “Shirahagi” by artist Kazuko Oishi

sumire corset

kimono らぶ