Bean-Throwing Geisha Celebrate Setsubun in Kyoto

http://therovingroninreport.blogspot.com/2010/02/gods-devils-and-geisha-setsu...
February 2nd, while Americans watch groundhogs and their shdows, Japanese, or at least those in Kyoto, watch Geisha perform the Japanese version of Groundhog Day known as Setsubun. Setsubun is a spring ritual in which Japanese throw beans to ward off invisible evils and hasten the end of winter. At many temples and shrines they do a bean throwing ceremony known as mami-maki.

At Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto some of the bean throwers are geisha or rather maiko - geisha apprentices. Geisha are known as geiko in the Kansai dialect.

I got a packet of beans and ate them (also a Setsubun tradtion) washed down with Kirin Beer (a RoninDave tradtion)

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Japan
• Geisha
• Kyoto
• Setsubun
• Maiko
• dance
• geisha-dance
• travel
• festival
• groundhog-day
• japanese-culture

[osbourn15]

Those "Kabuki Actors" are actually Miyagawa-cho Geiko dressed in Obake costumes. Their names are Miehina and Yasuha.

Thank you for sharing the video!

[RoninDave]

ah, I was wondering what kabuki actors were doing in Kyoto and feminine ones at that

[akanohebi]

can i know why behind of the geisha neck is not color with white paint.

Thank you for the video.

[RoninDave]

@akanohebi in olden times the back of a woman's neck was seen as a sexy spot so leaving it bare accentuated this

[vaughnd13]

Nice vid dude.Did you see any Akateko or Azukitogi while you were there?

[RoninDave]

can't say that I did. Those are yokai and a little different than Setsubun Oni - no weakness to beans for example.

[TheDMC12]

four maiko san(in formal black kimono) from miyakawa chou are

fukuhiro(ふく紘）、fukuai（ふく愛）、fumi­sono(冨美苑）and

tanewaka(たね若）.　they are all senior maiko in this video.

fukuhiro and fumisono are now geiko.

in formal

[alincielo]

3:54 kawaiiii!!!!

[MazzieEowyn]

Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing this :)

[osbourn15]

It's to keep the white make-up out of the hair-line, plus Japanese find the nape of the neck sexy. So it emphasizes it.

[BushidoDevildog]

Good video, Dave!

[akanohebi]

uuuu SEXY!!!

Thank you so much

[Shadowdancer21b]

@akanohebi It's a matter of preference. The makeup is expensive, so some geisha do not put the makeup on the back of their neck, but there are some who do.