Japanese Geisha — Gion Twilight Street
152.80 £
A maiko (apprentice geisha) in full Gion-Kobu district formal kimono on the stone-paved Hanamikoji street in Kyoto at twilight — the silk kanzashi hair ornaments, white oshiroi make-up, and trailing Nishijin-ori obi visible.
Description
The Gion district of Kyoto retains the highest concentration of active geisha establishments (okiya) in Japan, and the Hanamikoji street in the Gion-Kobu sub-district is the location most associated with the possibility of photographing a maiko or geisha in transition between engagements. The ethical documentary approach requires patience and distance — this image was made with a 200mm telephoto from a stationary position at the end of the street with a 1/200 second exposure in the twilight available light. The maiko is walking toward an evening engagement, her formal costume complete: the multilayer kimono with trailing hem, the wide Nishijin-ori obi in silver and red, the kanzashi seasonal hair ornaments, and the white oshiroi make-up with red mouth. The stone pavement of the Hanamikoji reflects the twilight blue above the warm lantern lights of the okiya entrances.
