Welcomed

I could hardly find time to write on my diary so far.

The days were so hectic due mainly because I was living far from Hakone Yumoto.
I moved to near by in the middle of December, which made my days much more hectic.

So far, I am enjoying my job as a geisha.
Especially, as a musician.

My okiya held the year-end party two days ago.
At that moment I realized how I was welcomed by Hakone Yumoto.
Mother, and all the other geishas of my okiya gave me gift money to congratulate my passing the musician test.

I am looking forward to the coming new year in every way.

Best wishes for a new year.

Kokyu

It’s been really hard to find time to write about my job.

But so far, I am enjoying my job as a geisha in Hakone Yumoto.

It truly is interesting to meet various people.

Although I don’t drink, I found that no problem despite co-worker’s worries.

I could say, `I can’t really play shamisen when I drink, you know.’

And clients immediately know what that means.

Everyone is surprised how popular kokyu is on my job.

One of the reasons is that most Japanese people see kokyu for the first time in their lives.  They always mistook kokyu for Chinese niko.

One of my best repertoires is ‘Amazing Grace.’  Most clients start humming melodies when I start playing the piece.

Some clients would give me gift money after I play kokyu, saying, ‘I was glad that I could hear the sound of kokyu.  It gave me strength.’

I am always glad that I continued my kokyu lesson.

Next week I will going to have musician test.

Until then, it seems that I will lead hectic days.

Shinjuku Parade

I attended a parade in Shinjuku today.

About 100 geishas from Hakone Yumoto joined in this parade.

Although clad in the same costume, I found I don’t know most of them.

I realized that I am familiar with only those geishas who are eager to take shamisen and dance lessons.  They are all nice people.

I saw my okiya mother in her kimono and her Japanese hairstyle for the first time.

How she was cool and authoritative when she leads the parade!  No wonder she used to be the top geisha in Hakone Yumoto, I thought.

I was proud of her.

Tomorrow, I will have my first job as a geisha, entertaining clients.

Yumiko

Yumiko

Today, I finally registered as a Hakone Yumoto geisha.

My geisha name is Yumiko.　「優美子」

Yumiko means gentle and beautiful girl.

I hope I can be the one.

I had my hair done by an excellent beautician --she had done this for me in only 30 minutes!-- in geisha style for registration.

My first job will be attending parade in Shinjuku on October 9th.

I will be playing shamisen in front of guests next week.

It might be a lot of work, but I am enjoying this so far!

Musician test

I was told to take musician test in November.  It could be around the beginning of December, they say.

I thought I could take the test on the next chance, in February.  But my adviser geisha encouraged me to take the test in November.  It will soon be November!

The monthly theme songs are decided in Hakone Yumoto since long time ago.

The songs are mostly, a part of Nagauta songs.  For those Nagauta songs, I do not have to struggle much because I had studied most of them back in Kyoto.

There are other small songs of Kouta, Minyo, and Risougaku, featured around Hakone Yumoto, completely unfamiliar to me.

For the test, I must prepare about 20 songs in all—play shamisen and sing song at the same time in front of examiners.

The songs which I am going to play will be decided by lottery on the test day.

I must play 4 songs, 2 from Nagauta and 2 from Kouta or Minyo.

Hakone Yumoto Geisha Union now has only three qualified shamisen players.  A number of geishas study shamisen.  But most of them are not good enough to be qualified.

Now I am feeling that these three qualified musicians are beginning to feel threatened by my entry.  There are fewer jobs nowadays for real, traind geishas.  But on the other hand, music teachers seem to welcome me.

I think I will just do what I have to.  I think I may be able to produce another job, for now I have no idea how to, and try not to threaten other senior geishas.

Anyway, I am going to register as a geisha and start my job from October.

I think I will be named—according to the naming rule of Okiya house which I am going to belong.

Owara

Owara

On 10, September, a charity concert for Japan earthquake was held in Joyo-city, Kyoto.  It mainly was a concert of Western music--piano, voice, lute, and viola da gamba—because the hostess of this concert is a piano teacher.

She had planned this concert only after three days of the quake.

She was a MC of this concert, and the final pianist.

It was such a wonderful occasion because most of all the performers were from the same school, the same age.  Two of them are my closest friends.

I played kokyu and danced ‘Owara.’

Owara is one of the most famous bon dances, in Niigata Pref.  Every year, tens of thousands of people go to see this bon dance in Yatsuo, Niigata.  Too many people rush to see small groups of dancers and musicians.  It is said that it’s not comfortable to see this festival because the roads are too narrow and too many audience.

Owara is famous for using kokyu as a part of this music.

Kokyu is famous because of this festival, Kaze no Bon.

Therefore, I heard that I was awaited by those who were great fan of Owara and who actually went to Yatsuo to see the festival.

I first played owara in kokyu, and next, played Amazing Grace in kokyu.

I could felt the audience prayed for the victims while I was playing Amazing Grace.

I asked Master Kiba to let me use his recorded live music of Owara for my dance.

I love this music he arranged and played kokyu, with other instruments like biwa, shamisen, cello, and shakuhachi.

http://yuzuruha.net/special.html

You are able to listen to this music: 風の夢～越中おわら幻想～

Shugoro Honjo (2)

I felt that I must write about him again.

It is because I had a chance to see him on stage last Sunday, on the occasion of performances of his school, Honjo-ryu in Tokyo.

Master Shugoro Honjo’s shamisen skill was just astounding.

He played music composed by School Headmaster Hidetaro Honjo.  I’ve never heard such subtle but dynamic music played only by shamisen!

Composition is brilliant and amazing, including Western melodies and waltz rhythm, but without Master Shugoro’s shamisen performing technique, it never can be realized.

I was thinking that he is mainly a song teacher for me until that time.

But I realized that Master Shugoro is one of the best shamisen players in Japan. 

He said to me, praising my kokyu Master Daisuke Kiba, `I think his performance shows enormous potentialities of kokyu’.

I think Master Shugoro Honjo’s shamisen performance shows enormous potentialities of shamisen.

It is unlike Tsugaru shamisen, but sometimes sounds alike.  But mostly, the music flows elegantly.  I never thought shamisen music is something ‘elegant.’

How lucky am I to see such wonderful master!

Shugoro Honjo (Risougaku folk-song master)

Our folk-song (Risougaku) master in Hakone is a jovial young man, Shugoro Honjo.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%AC%E6%A2%9D%E7%A7%80%E4%BA%94%E9%83%8E

On my first lesson, he told me the right place of the strings of shamisen when I was tuning the instrument.  He explained the reason why. 

He also told me how I should hold shamisen…not too close to myself.

Although young, he is a talented player and singer, born to a shamisen player, and later become the disciple of famous Honjo headmaster Hidetaro.  He plays and teaches shamisen for various historical play.

It seems, from what was said among geishas waiting for his lesson, he is teaching here in Hakone for at least more than 6 years.

When a geisha said to him, ‘Why, you are lucky to have an excellent student,’ talking about me, he answered, ‘I thought Hakone musicians are on the verge of extinction.’

‘But I saw the light.’

This is true to almost every geisha districts all over Japan, where there are less and less shamisen player—excellent players, I mean.

Shugoro-sensei also plays kokyu.

When I told him that I am a disciple of Daisuke Kiba, he said that he definitely wanted to see him.

‘I don’t know whether he would like to see me, but I really would like to see him!’ he said.

The reason why Master Shugoro said so was that he thinks my master, Daisuke Kiba is the leading figure of kokyu player and is dedicating to popularization of kokyu.

I was glad that I could introduce them to each other.

So far, I have very good time taking lessons from excellent masters of music and dance.

The problem, if there is, is that I never worked as a geisha, an entertainer.

I shall not see it until October.

A Dance Teacher in Hakone

Fortunately enough, I met another good Japanese traditional dance teacher in my life!

His name is Kanjiro Ootori.
He said he used to belong to the school of Hanayagi but started his own school 30 years ago.

I love to see him dance.  His dance is elegant--much more elegant than real geishas.
There are lots to learn from his dance.

On the very first lesson, one of the geisha recommended me to sit and watch his lessons for another geishas.  I was very glad to do so.  I can also listen to music which I, in near future, am going to play shamisen and sing songs.

He sings out loud when he teaches, which is one of the important factors as a dance teacher. 
Those who are qualified to teach dance must be able to reproduce music by singing: the reason why I started studying Nagauta songs and shamisen.

When I went to see him for the first time, he looked at me and said,
'You seem to be an experienced dancer.'
I answered, 'Yes, for about 40 years.  I used to teach at Toei (Japanese Hollywood)'
He said, 'You can be a principal here!  Do stay long enough to be the one!' posing like a top star, even before he see me dance.

Actually today, after two days of lessons,  he recommended me as a dancer on NewYear's celebration, but a geisha in charge apologized him saying, 'I'm so sorry, but she is already appointed as a singer.'

How I wished to be a dancer rather than a singer!
After all,  there are many dancers but fewer musicians in Hakone, like many other geisha districts.
I'll see in the future whether I can be one of the dancers here.
On the other hand, I am enjoying shamisen and singing.

Tomorrow, I will meet another music teacher for the first time. 
Risougaku, where I study folk music.

Shamisen

It is a hard work to play shamisen.

We were now in Obon recess.  So I am reviewing Nagauta pieces for remaining 3 lessons for this month starting from 23^rd.

I have chosen ‘Akino Irokusa,’ ‘Tsurukame,’ and ‘Oimatsu.’

Each piece lasts for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Therefore they are called Nagauta (literally means, long song!).  Although I tried to avoid overwork, my back started convulsion two days ago, so I had to look for a chiropractor and fortunately met an excellent person.

At the very beginning of my shamisen lesson, I could study shamisen for about 6 hours a day.  It is mainly because my skill was very poor—I can only play for an hour a day now and would stop before both my hands are numb. 

When I was a beginner, I couldn’t resist playing such long hour because I was in full joy: joy of being able to reproduce the music myself which I had been listening for very long year until then. 

I started my Japanese traditional dance lesson when I was 8.

In dance lessons, you would listen to the same Nagauta piece at least for more than a 100 times.

I was also studying piano and singing (western, classical), but never thought the music I was listening to when I dance were something able to reproduce myself. 

Singing in opera way and Japanese traditional way are completely different.

When I started Nagauta song lesson, elder pupil praised me for being a good ‘soprano.’  It wasn’t at all good because Nagauta should be sung in a deeper voice so that I looked forward to get older at that time…

Now it seems I am older enough, because a Hakone geisha in charge of music said that I sing in the most traditional way among Hakone geishas.

There was another reason that made me fascinated to shamisen.

http://www.nexyzbb.ne.jp/~hiskuwa/index.htm

When Toshimitsu Kineya, a young Nagauta singer (of my brother’s age), sat in front of me in my very first song lesson and sang ‘Nagaki-yo,’ played shamisen himself, I almost fainted.  Never in my life had I felt that way.

I was eager to become just like him: play shamisen and sing song at the same time.

I started to play shamisen by myself.

It was after I made my debut as a jikata (a musician) for maiko dancing in Kyoto, I started to take lesson from my great shamisen master I will introduce you in my next post.

As for my jikata work, play syamisen, sing songs, and explain to the tourist about maiko-san, I never could play perfectly for the first 6 months. 

But of course, to play shamisen and sing in front of audiences was my best training.  

I could not ask for more.

Toshiro Yanagiba

http://www.yougooffice.com/artist/profile/index.php?pid=1

He is a famous actor.  But also an excellent dancer.
I choreographed for him in a TV period drama called 'Mitsuhide Akechi--A man who was not loved by God.'  
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%8E%E6%99%BA%E5%85%89%E7%A7%80%E3%80%9C%E7%A5%9E%E3%81%AB%E6%84%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E7%94%B7%E3%80%9C
(Sorry, it's Japanese only)

Yanagiba-san was in his role of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who dances comically for his lord Nobunaga.

Back in Kyoto, it was the very first job for me as a choreographer for TV drama.
He was too busy to come to Kyoto for lesson, so I danced in front of camera for him.  He received the recorded video tape and he studied the dance by himself.

It was the day of the shooting I met him for the first time.
His dance was perfect!  Exactly what I choreographed and danced.

He had to dance more than 7 times in front of camera shooting from various angle that day.
I have nothing to do anymore but to stand watching the shooting.
Although, in the request of my boss, who were in charge of music, I have to go up to him and correct his minor pronunciation mistakes.
But not his dance.

After dancing several times, he came up to me and said, 'I'm sorry oshosan (which means, master), I' m trying my best!'  ( 'Gomennasaine, oshosan, boku, ippai ippai nandesu!')

I replied, 'Why, you don't have to be worried.  You are just perfect!'

Since it was my very first job in the 'Hollywood of Japan,' I thought all the actors and actresses are such people, who are able to dance perfectly looking at recorded image.

But of course, I realized immediately that he was one of the most excellent dancers.

Usually, when I was invited to choreograph, I was given only an hour to teach actors or actresses.
And then, in the next one hour, they get dressed for shooting.
So I was often asked to make the dance as simple as possible.

How to make dance simple and at the same time respectably was always my dilemma.

After about one month after the shooting, I was again called to choreograph for a street dancer for the same drama. 
It was a young director's idea to have the image of a street dancer while Nobunaga parades into Kyoto.
I asked my boss who is going to dance.  He said he will look for someone. 
It was impossible when the shooting takes place in only three days.
There was no other choice but I dance myself. 
I can dance whatever I wanted, dancing and choreographing at the same time.

To be on the set was quite amusing.
Many horses were neighing boring.
Small children no the role of extra carried by staffs to toilets very often.

My boss told me not to be disappointed if I were not on the final edition.
According to him, such things often happen.  It's up to directors to edit or even delete taken image.

The drama was broadcasted as a New Year special TV period drama on January 3rd, 2007.
I was there, in two scenes several seconds each, dancing.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%98%8E%E6%99%BA%E5%85%89%E7%A7%80~%E7%A5%9E%E3%81%AB%E6%84%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E7%94%B7~-DVD-%E5%94%90%E6%B2%A2%E5%AF%BF%E6%98%8E/dp/B000NJLW00
(Here is DVD)

Hakone School of Geisha

I saw Nagauta teacher and some of the geishas who are taking lessons at Hakone School of Geisha.

The building of the School, called Kenban, became famous this February, after it was introduced in a famous TV show called 'Before After, ' where Kenban was renovated neatly.
After the broadcast of the program, many people came visit Kenban, until 3.11.
Nowadays, tourists are gradually coming back.
It is summer holiday, so there are many family tourists around despite the severe summer heat.

I am lucky to be there after Kenban was renovated. 
In the TV show it was said that the second floor was almost about to collapse without some reinforcement during the reform. 

Now I was there, given the lesson of Nagauta shamisen and song.  I played a piece called `Shima-no Senzai’by ear.
I was applauded by geishas there, saying, ‘You sounded professional!’
Well, I used to be. 

It seems that I have passed the test successfully.
They told me that my debut will be on the next new year’s occasion.  They asked me to sing rather than play shamisen, although they said it was difficult to decide which part is better for me.

Geisha’s I met so far were good people.  They taught me the rules there and how to behave polite.  One leading geisha kindly taught me the names of the phrases I must practice for each months--which means there are more than 12 short pieces.

And especially Mother seems to me thoughtful woman.

After I took two days lesson, Mother e-mailed me.
‘Hello, it was good to hear that you successfully got homework!
You don’t need to hurry, but try hard to master all of them.

You said you had trouble with elder geishas when you played shamisen for them.  People here live in a small world, so you may get slandered by some trivial things.  But don’t worry too much and do what you must do.
There are many good persons, too.  If you were in trouble, just consult me or K-san or Y-san!
Everyone is interested in you and try to ask you many things and may whisper behind your back.
Much more so when you are so excellent!
Just smile and be polite.  Ask anyone when you have question.
K-san and Y-san think you are very promising..  So I hope you will do your best for those lessons.
Please take care and enjoy your lesson.’

The lessons will resume on 23'rd.

Kokyu

http://yuzuruha.net/

This is my young kokyu Master Daisuke Kiba.
He used to be a Jazz pianist, and that's why he is not only great in his performance but in various musical arrangements.

After I got divorced from a dentist, I chose to continue my lessons only on kokyu--this nice little instrument played by bow.

In Japan, traditional arts lessons and performances are not supported by anyone including government. 
Especially, if you would like to continue your career as Japanese traditional dancer, it is said that your parents must be rich.  My father wasn't a rich man--he is a scholar--but he managed somehow until I married a dentist.
As a dentists wife, I could, not only continue my career as a dancer, but also started Nagauta songs and shamisen--music traings  for a proper dance teacher.
The costs of studying all these arts were expensive. But, all of my masters, some younger then I was even then, were superb and excellent. 
I was so fortunate to have good and ample education on these arts.
After I divorced, it was no longer able for me to afford all these lessons.  I quit all, and chose only kokyu, which I thought I can manage.  What is the life without music? Or dance? Even if you are not rich anymore?

Now, kokyu is somewhat difficult instrument to play.  Far worse than shamisen.
At long last, taking lessons for about four years, I think I am now beginning to enjoy playing kokyu.

There were other interests in playing kokyu for me.
As for these three-string-instruments like shamisen and kokyu, a player ought to tune by herself.  Most beginners are not able to tune, of course.  Since I was a professional shamisen player by the time I started kokyu, I was a tuner for all  kokyus on stage for my master.  All his students brought their kokyu before the stage for me to tune because my master asked me to do so.
The kokyu master also let me dance 'Owara'--a famous bon dance in Niigata Pref. unique in using kokyu as a part of orchestration--in his concerts.  So far I danced already three times on various stages--Kochi and Osaka for him.  I appreciate so much for these chances he gave me!

http://yuzuruha.net/special.html
Here you can enjoy Owara music on his live concert.
It is such a good feeling to dance with this back music.

As for kokyu, it was very popular among geishas in Edo period.
It was accompanied with koto and shamisen.  But somehow, shakuhachi became much more popular after Meiji period, and took most of  the melody part from kokyu--it is no longer popular.  Most Japanese people nowadays mistake Chinese 'Niko' from kokyu--Twelve Girls Band from China used to be very popular here.
By the way, when koto is played on stage, it is usually Jiuta.  If there are many shamisen players and singers line up in second row, drummers and flutist in front row, as you can see in Kabuki, it is usually Nagauta. 
There are many other genres of traditional Japanese music: Gidayu--for Bunraku puppet show, Kiyomoto and Tokiwazu--other genre on Kabuki stage mainly storytelling, and Minyo--musics handed down at each local area, and others.

What is required for geisha?
As for Hakone geisha, lessons are given for two dance schools (which meas there are two dance teachers), Nagauta, purcussions, Minyo, and flute.
Not all the lessons are must for all geishas.
Some of them majors in some instrument.
As for me, only thing I would want to skip is flute. 
I am deeply interested in percussions and own my small drum which used to be my son's. 
But so far, it is the most important thing for me to pass the test, and get started to play shamisen for Hakone.

                                           Dancing 'Owara' for kokyu concert.

Would-be Geisha

Nagauta 'Takao Zange'

I would like to tell you about traditional Japanese arts of dance, shamisen, and others.
Some of these things even Japanese do not know or mistaken.

Geishas never are prostitutes.
Those who are decent geishas never are...which means, unfortunately, there are indecent geishas. 
But most famous geisha districts all over Japan train girls as real geishas--entertainers, by traditional arts training such as Japanese dance, shamisen music, flute, and drums.

This is the story of a woman who aspire to become a geisha in her late 40s.
She thought it possible because there are even a real (and decent) geishas in their 90s--they play shamisen, sing songs, and even take dance lessons, like other young geisha girls.
And besides, she has extraordinary sklls as a Japanese traditional dancer and a shamisen player.
She teaches dancing and played leading shamisen (which means a conductor) for geisha dance in Kyoto.

She helped translate 'Memoirs of a Geisha' into Japanese--she was the only one who knows English, Kyoto dialect, and traditional art skills at the same time.

However, when she applied as a geisha in Hakone-Yumoto, Kanagawa Pref., it turned out that a mother of geisha house she applied was younger then her!

This mother became Hakone geisha when she was 19.  She used to be a top sales geisha among about 200 geishas in Hakone district and launched geisha house after she retired.
She said it seems difficult to promote her as a geisha because of her age.

But every geisha districts crave shamisen player even in Kyoto.
As for Hakone, there are only three geishas who can play shamisen to a satisfactory extent.  Besides one of them are in her 80s.
The mother said she, executive members of the board, and shamisen teacher will test her play shamisen and sing song at the same time.

THAT was her specialty. 
By yesterday, she played Nagauta 'Shima-no Senzai' by ear.
Back in Kyoto, she played and sang for her pupil of Japanese traditional dance, with a real geisha hit small drum for them.

The test will be held in two days on August 8.

Hoping you will look forward to the result!