Maiko

 This week, I want write about maiko It is culture began in Kyoto. Maiko is a Japanese traditional appearance.A maiko's hairstyle is called nihongami (hairstyle between showa era to kohun era) There is kanzashi and flower on maiko's hair. (kanzashi is one of the Japanese hair accessory) Maikos wear kimono which is called tekomnai with the train trailing on the floor. They wear darari-no-obi (the special obi for maiko) over the train. It is about five meters long and it hangs from their waist to their ankles. Also they make up their teeth black. It is called ohaguro. (Oh my God!!) This is pectureof maiko. 

  I'm Japanese but I don't think this make-up is beautiful... . This idea is probably not only mine. Then, why maiko is so popular?

 There was a cafe sailing tea and Japanese sweets for people who taking a trip and making a pilgrimage to the shrines and temples (This cafe was called tyaya in those days). In this cafe, form of dishes change gradually, sailing alcohol and food, as a result, salesladies began to dancing, singing and playing the shamisen.(The shamisen or samisen is a Japanese musical instrument) It is beginning of maiko. Currently To become maiko is so difficult,   Maiko needs to  overcome a lot of training and class society. In addition, later becoming maiko, maiko must spend a lot of schedule. In the morning, maiko take lessons to polish their performances. At night, they go out to work. They are usually given the opportunity to eat at high-class Japanese-style restaurants or stay in Japanese-style hotels. They perform dances, songs, play the shamisen, and serve visitors with sake. Recently, their jobs have expanded to include visiting nursing institutions or hospitals. Some maiko are also dispatched overseas. (In Wikipedia) 

  As I write "class society", Maiko respect the conventions and rules. For example there is also "rule" in dance which is Inoue flow, shinozuki flow and Wakabayashi flow. In Inoue flow, maiko try to portray the rich image using simple moving. So maiko use only upper body in this dance. On the other hand, in Shinozaki flow, maiko dance using exaggerated, histrionic expressions. Also, in wakayanagi flow dance is characterized by a lot of hand gestures and movement of good. 　  This way, there are a lot of flows take only in the dance, maiko must dance depending on the time and situation. There is also a rule that ichigensanokotowari.(If you are a beginner you cannot enter the shop) It is intended to avoid the problem by creating a system that can not enter without introduction. This is a very unusual system in Japan, Customer is also required to protect the rule.

 Then, let's go back to the question "why the maiko is so popular?" I think the Japanese people feel a sense of value from the difficulty of becoming a maiko and hard convention.
Japanese cherish the rules. So Japanese respect Maiko who are living in strict rule, and think maiko is holy exist. Think so, you would say maiko is one of the proud culture in Kyoto culture
 

cite http://www.beauty-co.jp/point_program/detail/?exchange_id=EXI028&course=C20&area=&pointmin=&pointmax=&sort=&page= 

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