Revisited: Hanamichi

I was looking through my pictures from my stay in Japan, and I thought I should post some of the images I never used.

It is the beginning of April, and to me that means only one thing... Odori! The Kitano, Kyo, and Miyako Odori of the respective Kamishichiken, Miyagawacho, and Gion Kobu geisha districts all take place during this time. Out of all of these, I enjoyed the Kyo Odori the most.

The hanamichi, literally flower path, is a walkway used in Japanese theater for dramatic entrances. In the various kaburenjo theater in Kyoto, the hanamichi are infront of the orchestra pits and are not surrounded by the audience as they are in a Kabuki theater. Miyagawacho's Kaburenjo has two hanamichi, so that the audience is completely surrounded by maiko and geiko during the finale. It's spectacular. From left to right in this picture is Kimika, Miyofuku, Fukuai, and Tanewaka. Kimika has since become a geiko and Fukuai and Tanewaka are now senior maiko.