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The Look of... X: Tokyo-Asakusa

Preface This is an updated and extended version of the 2020 "The look of Tokyo-Asakusa" by fellow Karyukai nerd @geimaiko History The Asakusa Karyûkai developed in the second half of the Edo period (1735-1868), when three groups of Geisha existed: Hirokôji 広小路 Geisha, located in front of the Kaminari-mon 雷門 (gate to the Sensô-ji temple), Yamayabori 山谷堀 Geisha, located at the borders of Shin Yoshiwara around the Shin Yoshiwara Ô-mon 新吉原大門, and the Saruwaka-chô 猿若町 Geisha, who were located in Saruwaka-chô north of Sensô-ji. After the Meiji restoration (1865), the town of Asakusa was divided into six districts. One of those, including grounds of the Sensô-ji and surrounding temples and shrines, became the Asakusa park.

Around 1885, Geisha from the three different groups started operating around the park. They became known as Park Geigi 公園芸妓. These Geigi were the direct predecessors to the current Asakusa Geisha. In 1896, the Kôen (公園) Geigi Kenban was created. Some time later, the Park Geigi moved further north, to the current location of the Asakusa Hanamachi.

In 1946, the Sangyô Kumiai 三業組合 (Three businesses union: Okiya, Ryôtei and Machiai) was formed. In 1950, the first Asajikai 浅茅会 was held. It continued irregularily until 1995, when the first Asakusa Odori was performed.

Numbers: The Asakusa Hanamachi reached its peak in the Taishô period: in 1917, there were 1240 Geisha working in Asakusa. Around 1920, 1060 Geisha. In 1937, 1000 Geisha. In 1955: 600. In 1973: 150. In 1993: 76. In 2007: 47. In 2011: 36. In 2022: 20. As of October 2025: 17 (11 Tachikata, 5 Jikata, 1 Hangyoku).

Arts Asakusa Geisha study dance in the style of Fujima-ryû 藤間 and Hanayagi-ryû 花柳. Kouta: Kasuga-ryû 春日, Nagauta: Kineya-ryû 杵屋 and Tôon-ryû 東音, Hayashi: Mochizuki-ryû 望月, Jôruri: Kiyomoto-ryû 清元, Yamatogaku: Yamato-ryû 大和 The look of Asakusa Maiko Local term: Hangyoku ※ Hairstyle: Momoware Katsura, rarely own hair styled ※ Kanzashi: Seasonal Hanakanzashi: Katsuyama, front: Daikan, Birabira or Bira-ôgi, Maezashi. Back: Kanokodome and Hirauchi ※ Make up: Oshiroi, both lips painted from the start ※ Kimono: Furisode mostly with shoulder tucks, sometimes with additional sleeve tucks, rarely without any tucks ※ Haneri: red with white and gold embroidery, red/white, rarely other colours like pink/silver. ※ Obi: Kôken musubi ※ Obiage: flat, mostly red with silver embroidery, Shibori (red) during winter months, rarely white with red Shibori. ※ Obijime: Round with 3-4 knots. Flat with Obidome ※ Footwear: Zôri: mostly red with white Hanao, or Okobo with red, red & pink Hanao

The look of Asakusa Geiko Local term: Geisha Junior Tachikata Geisha ※ Hairstyle: Taka Shimada Katsura ※ Kanzashi: Kushi, Front: Kogai, Birabira. Back: Tama. ※ Make up: Oshiroi ※ Kimono: Kuromontsuki Hikizuri at debut or Erikae, otherwise Hômongi/Tsukesage ※ Haneri: white ※ Obi: Yanagi musubi with Kuromontsuki, otherwise Tsunodashi and Otaiko Musubi ※ Obiage: always red with Kuromontsuki, otherwise pink, white with red Shibori or light blue. ※ Obijime: round, 1-2 knots. Only in combination with Otaiko ※ Footwear: white Zôri, Geta with white or blue Hanao

Senior Tachikata Geisha ※ Hairstyle: Tsubushi Shimada Katsura ※ Kanzashi: Kushi, Tama, Birabira ※ Make up: Oshiroi ※ Kimono: Hikizuri ※ Haneri: white ※ Obi: Yanagi Musubi with Iro-/Kuromontsuki, otherwise Tsunodashi and Otaiko Musubi ※ Obiage: always red with Montsuki, otherwise red, white with red Shibori, pure red shibori ※ Obijime: light-coloured. No Obijime with Yanagi and Tsunodashi musubi ※ Footwear: Zori, Geta with white or blue Hanao, black lacquered Geta with white Hanao

Casual/Jikata style ※ Hairstyle: Yohatsu ※ Make up: western make up ※ Kimono: Hômongi/Tsukesage, rarely Kurotomesode ※ Eri: white ※ Obi: Otaiko Musubi ※ Obiage: white, white with red Shibori ※ Obijime: mostly light-coloured (white or pink) ※ Footwear: white Zôri, rarely Geta

Notes Saruwaka-chô was only formed during the Tenpo reforms (1841-43), so it exsisted for less than 50 years before the „Park Geigi“ started to exist. Both of my sources don‘t mention when the Hirokôji/Yamabori/Saruwaka-chô Geisha finally merged and when „Park Geigi“ became „Asakusa Geisha“.

Sanja Matsuri/Kumi Odori: A small number of Geisha, Hôkan and Hangyoku participate in the Sanja Matsuri parade and perform at Kumi Odori. In 2024, participants were four Jikata, four Tachikata, one Hangyoku, five Hôkan. In 2025, one Hangyoku, four Jikata, five Tachikata. Hangyoku wear Furisode that only see the light of day during the festival (Bingata patterns are especially popular). Their kanzashi are more simple than usual and they sometimes have their own hair styled instead of wearing Katsura. 2-3 Tachikata dress up as Tekomai Geisha. 2 dress in uniform Hikizuri without Hanjuban (you can see the red collar of the Hadajuban), the design seems to vary. Most common designs in the last 10 years were simple iris (菖蒲), wave (波) or mesh (網目) patterns.

Tachikata debut: Hômongi with Katsura instead of Hikizuri (Chinatsu ~1993, Yurichiyo ~1997, Fujiaki and Chiaki 2017 wore Hômongi. Kiku (2025) wore Kuromontsuki Hikizuri, but since she was already working as a Geisha for about 5 years before in a different Hanamachi, so she was an exception). The three 2026 Geisha debuts also wore Hômongi.

Erikae: the fresh Geisha wears a Kuromontsuki Hikizuri commissioned individually for her.

Jikata debut: Hômongi commissioned for the occasion, hairstyle is Yohatsu.

Hangyoku debut: Usually, there is no specific outfit for Hangyoku debuts. They just wear a normal seasonal outfit. However, the last three debuts (Chiho 2021, Tamaaki ‘22, Chisuzu ‘25) all wore a black Furisode and special Kanzashi. Maybe this is a new trend?

Junior/Senior Geisha progression: the basic junior look is: Taka Shimada Katsura, Hômongi/Komon Kimono, Otaiko musubi. The basic senior look is: Tsubushi Shimada, Hikizuri, Tsunodashi Musubi. However, there isn‘t a hard switch. The transition from normal length Kimono to Hikizuri usually happens 3-4 years after debut/Erikae. Normal length Kimono paired with Tsunodashi Musubi and Tsubushi Shimada in the first year after debut are not common, but absolutely possible.

However, Bren seems to have fairly good taste in atevi, and has a much happier/healthier/whathaveyou relationship with Jago than he ever did with a human. It stands to reason that Toby may possibly be the same (bad taste in humans, excellent taste in atevi) and is mainly held back by the whole "not the paidhi" thing. He just isn't around atevi regularly enough.

Toby does, however, have access to some atevi throughout the series, mainly within Bren's social circle. So, may I present, as suggested by a dear friend:

they both kind of are not around those who they come from (upper class for Stede , The Atevi for Geigi )

sea/boat motifs (stede becoming a pirate , Geigi seafaring and fishing alot of the time , even wearing stuff for things like fishing and described as summery

Struggle with Feelings ( Stede and Geigi being an atevi kind of understanding humans )

both travel to some place far away (Stede out to sea with Geigi going to space)

Has complicated family situations that make them flee the scene to escape from (like stedes marriage and geigis sister and nephew)