The photos above were taken at Hachioji Festival. As I introduced a couple of times previuously, Hachioji downtown is one of the towns which real Geisha are still working. Historically Hachioji had been a big post town famous for silk fabric. The downtown prospered and more than hundred Geishas were working at one time but that number dwindled as the silk business decline.
Apparently there are 18 Geishas still working in Hachioji (in 2015). Hachioji Festival is one of the good opportunities where people can see their performances for free. Every year, they show dances and play traditional instruments in the evening of the first day of the festival.
Last year, a newcomer was introduced on the stage. She is the one who wears a light purple Kimono with very long sleeves in the lower photos. Actually she was a teenager therefore was still in training. geisha's work involves serving alcohols at parties and she had not yet reached Japanese legal age of drinking/serving alcohol. She was in training to be Geisha but it was okay to appear in a dance with other Geishas.
Perhaps we could call her “Geisha Intern”, but actually there is a special word for her status. The girls on training to be Geisha, are called “Hangyoku” and the translation is “Half Jewel”. The name came from an old custom that the price for a Geisha was called “Jewel Fee” and the charge for intern girls was half of a Geisha since they were still trainees.
By the way, “Half Jewel” and “Jewel Fee” were used in Tokyo area only because the circumstance and the culture about Geisha are different between regions. For example, in Kyoto which is the most famous place for Geisha where people can frequently see Geishas on the streets, the intern girls are called “Maiko”. It means “Dance Girl”, and Geishas are called “Geiko” in Kyoto. Even the name of the price for a Geisha was called differently, which was “Ohanadai” and it means “Flower Fee”.
There are more posts about Hachioji Festival and Geisha in 2016!
Apparently there are 18 Geishas still working in Hachioji (in 2015). Hachioji Festival is one of the good opportunities where people can see their performances for free. Every year, they show dances and play traditional instruments in the evening of the first day of the festival.
Last year, a newcomer was introduced on the stage. She is the one who wears a light purple Kimono with very long sleeves in the lower photos. Actually she was a teenager therefore was still in training. geisha's work involves serving alcohols at parties and she had not yet reached Japanese legal age of drinking/serving alcohol. She was in training to be Geisha but it was okay to appear in a dance with other Geishas.
Perhaps we could call her “Geisha Intern”, but actually there is a special word for her status. The girls on training to be Geisha, are called “Hangyoku” and the translation is “Half Jewel”. The name came from an old custom that the price for a Geisha was called “Jewel Fee” and the charge for intern girls was half of a Geisha since they were still trainees.
By the way, “Half Jewel” and “Jewel Fee” were used in Tokyo area only because the circumstance and the culture about Geisha are different between regions. For example, in Kyoto which is the most famous place for Geisha where people can frequently see Geishas on the streets, the intern girls are called “Maiko”. It means “Dance Girl”, and Geishas are called “Geiko” in Kyoto. Even the name of the price for a Geisha was called differently, which was “Ohanadai” and it means “Flower Fee”.
There are more posts about Hachioji Festival and Geisha in 2016!
