I have had many memorable experiences photographing geisha, maiko, tayū, and more here in Kyoto, but if I had to pick my most magical hour, it would be the one I spent with Kikugawa Tayū amid cherry blossoms.
At first glance, this photograph of an empty bedroom might not look like much. To me, however, this image is probably the most meaningful one I have ever made, and I have made hundreds of thousands of them.
Photographing sakkō and Kurokami is a rare and special event, and Toshikana-san was a very rare and special maiko for me personally. Every once in a very long while the stars align and moments like this happen.
It is important to respect geiko and maiko, but it is also important to respect other people as well, even people who make unintentional mistakes. And with as much hostility and anger as there is in the world right now, I think it is more important that we approach others with kindness and openness, not hostility and criticism.
“Find beauty, try to understand, survive.” Words to live by from James Sallis.
Where but Kyoto can I get a lesson in history and aesthetics every year that comes alive and literally walks down the street in front of me?
If you are thinking about going to Kyoto to photograph the geisha and maiko there, I hope the following story will help you decide if it is a good idea or not.
This portrait of the maiko Tanewaka of Miyagawa-cho would never have been made if I hadn’t been photographing her on a Monday.
Find information about my new site and Now a Geisha’s availability at Amazon.com here!
One of the key moments in a geisha's debut is when her katsura (wig of human hair) is placed on her head. Once it has been fitted, the young woman can study herself in the mirror and see how she looks. All of a sudden, there is a geiko staring back at her.
2012 was without a doubt the best year I ever had photographing maiko and geisha in Gion Kobu and Miyagawa-cho.
There are 3 secretes I had when photographing the erikae of the geisha Momifuku of Ponto-cho.
One of the key moments in a geisha's debut (erikae) is the first brush of makeup across her face.
Baikasai has changed a great deal for photographers since I made this portrait of Katsuru in 2007.
My book Now a Geisha would not exist if not for Mameharu, the first maiko who gave me permission to photograph her erikae.
My new book, Now a Geisha, is a dream project that took me fifteen years to make. It gives a behind-the-scenes look at the debuts of three geiko in Kyoto, called erikae in Japanese.
The transformation that maiko undergo on the day of their debut, both physical and mental, are stunning.
Photographing a double misedashi is both mentally and physically taxing!
Photographing the double misedashi (debut) of the maiko Yuriha and Tatsuha on January 21, 2017 was the biggest photographic challenge I've ever faced.
At events like Koto Hajime in Kyoto that are filled with chaos, I look for the calm moments amidst the storm when I photograph. And sometimes it's better to avoid the storm completely for the sake of the geiko and maiko involved.
Rereading Junichiro Tanizaki's essay In Praise of Shadows gave me deeper insight into my photography and the worlds of geiko, maiko, and tayū.
Although I tried my best, I'm not sure if I succeeded when I tried to teach the maiko Takahina about a famous American icon of the 1970s and 80s.
