On a chilly evening earlier in November, geisha Kikuno and her two apprentice maiko host an event that gives guests an opportunity to experience a dinner party with traditional female entertainers.
The atmosphere at Sushi Isshin, a restaurant in Tokyo¡¯s Yushima district, is boisterous as the guests chat among themselves or with their neighbors. The entertainers, who are visiting from Nara, invite the guests to sip on sake and enjoy a full-course sushi dinner served by second-generation owner Hirosada Okamoto.
However, a hush descends on the crowd when the three hostesses begin their performance, with Kikuno dancing gracefully to the soft plucking sound of the shamisen.
The guests applaud enthusiastically once the performance comes to an end, and the hostesses turn their attention to games. The games aren¡¯t particularly difficult, but they¡¯re often accompanied by a song and the loser is required to down a cup of sake. With Kikuno leading proceedings, the guests laugh loudly as each loser throws back their drink. It¡¯s a scene reminiscent of a college party, albeit with wildly different participants.
At the conclusion of the evening, the guests shuffle out onto the street contented. Kikuno also looks satisfied, having proven to be a charming host with a dry sense of humor.
The evening is part of her Kagai Restoration Project in Ganrinin, which she launched in 2012 to revitalize geisha culture in Nara¡¯s Ganrinin district, where she has been the only active traditional female entertainer for the past 15 years.
¡°It¡¯s not enough just to continue doing what we have done in the past. I have a responsibility toward the younger girls,¡± Kikuno says. ¡°Speaking as someone who has been part of this world for a long time, I want to give something in back.¡±
Kikuno has been involved in geisha culture for about 30 years. She describes herself as being a bit of a tomboy with short hair at school, and she initially had little interest in becoming an entertainer. Kikuno had just completed junior high school when she was scouted to become an apprentice through her aunt, who was running a teahouse for geisha at the time.
Kikuno¡¯s training began at the age of 15, when she learned such things as how to fold and put on a kimono and how to sit with her legs folded beneath her. She was instructed to avoid spending time with her family and friends as well as shun pop music, because it would affect the way she could hear notes on a shamisen.
¡°I was completely isolated from the...
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.