Satoharu's diary

The fresh maiko Mitsuhana.

Kimono drawing guide ½, by Kaoruko Maya (tumblr, pixiv, site). Booklet is available in pdf for ¥ 900 here.

Here you can see:

female kimono and yukata (note how the juban underwear peeks when in kimono + how belts differ)

male yukata and kimono (note how the juban underwear peeks when in kimono)

dressing up: male (kimono is not closed yet) and female (kimono closed with datejime belt and ready to put on obi)

differences between female and male kimono once dressed (note how the collars and belts set)

common drawing mistakes (compare with previous picture: shoulders lines are too defined, there is a double hem, collars are narrow, belt is not at the right place etc)

women back collar (the lower the sexier) and men back collar (close to the nape)

back and sleeves differences between men and women

collars and sleeves and view of how kimono drapes around body

Kimono drawing guide 2/2, by Kaoruko Maya (tumblr, pixiv, site). Booklet is available in pdf for ¥ 900 here.

Here you can see :

Women belt knots examples

Men belt knot examples (and how the obi sits on men body)

About obi: soft obi (heko obi), women obi width (fold is up), men obi width

Coats: haori and michiyuki (note the bump when a woman wears a coat: that’s her obi knot beneath)

differences bewteen kimono and haori when a man bows

Hakama pants

examples of men hakama

Iga Hakama (ninja pants) and women hakama

Miko priestress attire

About Men and Women Hakama, by Kaoruko Maya (tumblr, pixiv, site).

(Himitsu bako seen on)

Those beautiful boxes come in many sizes and shapes, and can be purchased on the net. Hiroyuki Oda sells some on Etsy, look at that tiny winy which needs 14 steps to open!

Tosenkyo fan positions and their genji-mon, seen on

Tosenkyo is a game from Edo era. According to the story:

Kisen, a Kyoto gambler, was trying to nap. But he kept being disturbed by a butterfly always setting down on his pillow. Again and again, he threw his half opened fan hoping to chase it. And each time, the fan landed in a different position - the butterfly always cheekily escaping. In the end, this episode is said to have inspired Kisen a new game: the Tosenkyo.

This game quickly won popularity among commoners. It was at first mainly played by men at sake drinking parties. Then an Osaka player improved it, linking fans positions to Genji-mon (crests assigned to Tale of Genji chapters). This parlor game is the version now kept alive by Maiko and Geisha.

A paper butterfly (the ginkgo leaf shaped target) is perched on a low pillar (the makura or pillow). Each player tries to make it fall by throwing a fan. The score depends of how fans land. Because of the luck factor, beginners and skilled players can play along, making this game joyful and exciting.

More about tosengyo and its rule here.

A tosenkyo set:

Maiko playing tosengyo:

Genji-mon: