Shinjuku Parade

We were off to Shinjuku for the parade yesterday.

Unfortunately, the rain did not stop so that

half of the geishas from Hakone Yumoto just came and went back...

A group of geishas had two performances on stage inside

Odakyu department store.  I attended the performance as a singer there.


Last year, I hadn't started the job as a geisha on the occasion of this parade.

I attended the parade, but I hardly knew anybody who were dancing,

not knowing how to wear this kimono properly.

I was so happy to be one of the member.

The life of geisha is very busy, attending all the lessons and of course,

working for clients.

I started taking small drum (Tsuzumi) lessons this month,

which I had long being interested at studying.

Very fortunately, my drum teacher at Hakone Yumoto, Sanosuke Mochizuki,

is so eager to teach me.


Now, the groups of geishas are working for new years performance.

I was chozen this time as a shamisen player.

I will be one of the main dancers on the next Hakone Odori in June.

I am looking forward and working hard for these performances.

Attractive Geisha

It's almost 9 months since I started being Hakone Geisha.
Now I seem to used to the working style here but still I am a beginner.

The above is the picture when I was interviewed by a Brazilian TV crew.
I danced two pieces, and played shamisen for Cha-cha-san's dance in front of cameras.
More details to come for this story...

Another Okiya mother, Atsumi-san helped me wear makeup and costume for this occasion.
She is Okiya mother and one of the top geishas at the same time.  She is also, one of the best dancers among us Hakone Geisha.  But she is always friendly and helpful.
She has a great deal of experiences and entertainment skills as a geisha.
The groups of clients are always cheerful when she is there entertaining.
I saw her once, taking off her wig (the one like I am wearing) and let clients wear it...

Every night, we geisha's are usually not informed about the detail of whom we are going to entertain, nor who will be the member of geisha team, except for very important information for us to know in advance.  We are usually told the time and the place where we are going.
Sometimes, even my Okiya mother has no advance information about the client,  for example, when the client didn't inform our office in detail.
I was once surprised to play kokyu for ex-members of Joshi-Juni Gakubo, once a popular Chinese musician group.  No one didn't informed me that I am going to play for the elite Chinese musicians. 

Usually, the most senior geisha girl will be appointed as the team leader of the night.
She is in charge of every activities in the party, like making drinks, show time for dance and music, and usually, asking for let us all attend after-party.

When the leader geisha is a skillful entertainer, meeting clients interests (there are various requests like watching dance, sing with shamisen accompaniment, playing special games, and so on), it will become very lively and delightful time.
We are also happy when the clients enjoyed the time together.

When I started my career as a geisha, I soon learned that geishas must be a good karaoke singer, too.
An attractive geishas always know how to make clients happy by being a good accompany singer of karaoke.

And an attractive geishas here in Hakone know how to handle some of the rude clients in a refined manner.

I have a lot to learn.

Dance Performance in Hakone Kenban (school)

I was a dancer on May 3rd at Hakone Yumoto dance performance.

We also welcome guests on stage and danced together,

and played games which are popular among geisha.

On May 4th, I was asked to play shamisen, sing songs, and

play kokyu on this stage.

It was the school open day, and people was invited to see around

the inside of the main hall.

On this occasion, I was asked to play for visitors,

although it was the very first time for me to play instruments at Kenban.

I played several songs which are usually sang during our job as a geisha.

My kokyu seemed to be very happy about this occasion; it sounded very nice and pure.

I played 'Sakura Variation,' 'Owara,' and 'Amazing Grace,' and so on.

Dance Performance （２）

I lit memorial candle today for all who suffered from the quake.
I never had the idea of becoming a geisha on that day.

I couldn't take dance test because, Mother said all the other senior geishas told her that Yumiko don't have to. 
By being jikata(musician),  I am already ranked A. 
In Hakone, geishas ranked as jikata, dancer A, dancer B, and Kirariko-- geishas under 30.
Kirariko loses her rank when she turns 30 so that she has to take dancer B test by dancing two pieces.
To be A ranking geisha, the test is much tough for her.  She has to practice at least 6 pieces, three of them male style much more difficult than female style.

All the same, I am happily teaching dance to okiya girls whenever they ask me to.
So, after wearing kimono for work,  I am dancing with them almost every workday.
It is not useless what I have studied.

And happily and surprisingly, I was asked to join dance team in the Geisha entertainment show on 25th this month at Hakone.
I was meant to play shamisen or sing songs for this kind of event. 
I was practicing hard for the occasion.
But happily, I was chosen first, as a dancer.

Looking forward to the entertainment show!

Dance Performance

After passing the musician test, I was decided to take dance lessons.

As a musician playing shamisen and singing songs,

I seldom had chance to dance for clients.

But, since I used to grow up being a dancer,

I love to dance...

The other day,  I had a chance to work with another musician.

She is also a good dancer, too.

I asked her to play and sing for me for a piece.

She successfully played a piece for me with my shamisen, 

and after my performance, I played shamisen for her dance.

So that was my only chane so far dancing during the job as a geisha.


However, I was asked to dance with other geishas in August,

at Kokuritsu Theater.

I had been declining--mainly because it cost a lot...no one but herself sponcers for

all the expenses when we dance on stage.

But finally, I made up my mind to join them after consulting my Okiya mother.

She encouraged me to dance if it was my wish to do so.

Among the 6 members, 3 of them including me have Fujima school name (natori),

teaching dance to other younger geisha girls.

I also started teaching dance to my okiya members when they asked me to.

I was happy about it, and when I told several clients that

I was going to dance in Kokuritsu Theater in summer,

they requested me to send them tickets...

even before I hardly started dance lessons for the performance.

I will going to take dance test at the end of this month.

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.