By KEITARO NISHIZAKI/ Staff Writer
October 1, 2024 at 17:59 JST
Maiko perform with “furitsuzumi” small hand drums during the final rehearsal of the "Onshukai" performance in Kyoto on Sept. 28. (Keitaro Nishizaki)
KYOTO—An annual autumn dance performance by “geiko” (geisha) and “maiko” (apprentices) will begin on Oct. 2 in Gion Kobu here, one of the five major “kagai” traditional entertainment districts of this ancient capital.
The event, called “Onshukai,” showcases the skills of geiko and maiko, who will perform dances they have refined through regular practice.
This year, 77 are scheduled to appear in the six-day event through Oct. 7.
The performances will feature pieces such as “Hokushu,” which portrays the four seasons of “Yoshiwara,” a red-light district, in the Edo Period (1603-1867) and “Kikuzukushi,” which depicts scenes from a chrysanthemum garden.
On Sept. 28, the final rehearsal, marking the culmination of practice, was held.
Maiko performed “hime-sanja,” a dance in which they held small hand drums and ritual wands with paper streamers attached.
“I hope visitors to the Kaburenjo theater can enjoy the show and forget the passage of time for a while,” said the fifth-generation head master, Yachiyo Inoue, who instructed the performance.
The Onshukai performance begins at 4 p.m.
Tickets are priced at 10,000 yen ($69.50) for first-class seats, 8,000 yen for second-class seats and 6,000 yen for third-class seats.
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