#ichigiku

มกราคม 2562: ไมโกะ Ichiume, เกโกะ Ichitaka, และไมโกะ Ichigiku (โอกิยะ Ichi) จากเขต Kamishichiken ถ่ายรูปร่วมกันในงานเลี้ยงแบบญี่ปุ่นดั้งเดิม (Ozashiki)

งานเลี้ยงแบบญี่ปุ่นดั้งเดิม (お座敷 : Ozashiki) เป็นงานเลี้ยงที่ค่อนข้างเป็นทางการในสังคมญี่ปุ่นปัจจุบัน ที่ซึ่งเกอิชา เกโกะ และไมโกะจะเข้าร่วมเพื่อให้ความบันเทิงแก่แขกด้วยการร่ายรำ บรรเลงดนตรี การศิลปะญี่ปุ่นแบบดั้งเดิมต่างๆ ไปจนถึงการเล่นเกมด้วย

December 2018: Sisters Maiko Ichiaya, Ichigiku and Ichiume (Ichi Okiya) of Kamishichiken on their way to the Minamiza Theater during Kaomise Soken.

13 ธันวาคม 2561: วัน Kotohajime ในเขต Kamishichiken จังหวัด Kyoto

ไมโกะ Ichiume, ไมโกะ Ichigiku, และไมโกะ Ichiaya (โอกิยะ Ichi)

Today in Kamishichiken: Misedashi of Minarai Ichigiku from the Ichi Okiya!

Somewhat suprisingly, Ichigiku is the imouto of natori Geiko Umegiku (present in all three pictures), who she inherited the last part of her name, -giku (ぎく). Umegiku also has close ties to Ichi, so it’s not entirely shocking for her to act as an onee-san to one of their girls, and I personally find the name Ichigiku, meaning first chrysanthemum, quite lovely!

Umegiku is a very well respected member of her community. She had her Misedashi in 1980 and her Erikae in 1985, so she has been a active in Kamishichiken for 38 years at this point and has build up a great reputation. Having an older sister as well connected, respected and accomplished will be of great help for Ichigiku’s career!

As for Ichigiku herself, her debut as a Minarai at the beginning of the month was a very pleasant surprise, as Ichi hasn’t had any new debuts since Ichiaya’s in November of 2016, and only had one Maiko after Ichitaka’s Erikae in spring. Ichigiku is quite pretty and unique, and it’s just good to see a new addition to the Ichi family and Kamishichiken as a whole.

There are many good news from Kamishichiken right now, finally! They have suffered many major losses recently, with Geiko Ichitomo, Geiko Ichimomo, Maiko Ichikoma, Geiko Katsuna, Maiko Naoai and Maiko Umechie all having retired this year, so it’s relieving to see that there are still a lot of new Misedashi happening.

Congratulations on your debut Ichigiku, and all the best wishes for your career!

Source 1: MOSAIC MACHIYA KSK on Instagram

Source 2: 上七軒  あだち on Instagram

October 2018: Sisters Minarai Ichigiku and Maiko Ichiaya (Ichi Okiya) of Kamishichiken watching the Zuiki Matsuri parade from the outside of their okiya.

Ichiaya has been promoted to the status as a senior Maiko, after just 19 months as a Maiko, and Ichigiku will have her Misedashi on the 24th!

American anthropologist Dr.Liza Crihfield Dalby is famous for being the first western woman to have ever trained as and become a geisha.

Dalby studied and performed fieldwork in the Kyoto geisha community of Pontocho, which she wrote about in her Ph.D dissertation, published as the book Geisha, and later made in to the 1986 television movie "American Geisha".

Becoming a geisha is a long and involved process. Training can last for over five years. Apprentices, known as maiko, are trained in the traditional Japanese arts, as well as in social skills such as tea-serving and conversation. Because of her age, Dalby couldn't debut as a maiko. Most Kyoto geisha start out as maiko at 15. She was 25, however it was agreed, by the older geisha that she could instead debut as a full geisha. A geisha will specialize in either dance or music. It was only because she had prior skills as a shamisen player that she was allowed to become a geisha.

yes. Liza Dalby (who took the name Ichigiku) and Fiona Graham (known as Sayuki)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liza_Dalby

http://www.lizadalby.com/LD/welcome.html

http://okiya.tumblr.com/post/11144982071/president-ford-and-maiko-ichiume-1974-ichiume

http://okiya.tumblr.com/post/11175905115/geiko-ichiume-liza-dalbys-onesan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona_Graham