New Year in Miyagawa-cho

New-Year-in-Miyagawa-cho-1

A maiko and geisha return to their okiya after attending Shigyoshiki in Miyagawa-cho. The decorations on either side of the entrance are called kadomatsu, which are on display outside many homes and offices in Japan at the beginning of the year. If you look closely, you will see that the maiko is wearing a yellow kanzashi in her hair on the right (geisha wear them on the left). This ornament is a handmade ear of rice, and it is worn especially for Shigyoshiki, an awards ceremony held in each geisha district just after the new year begins.