Butterfly Dancing

Glimpsing Geisha  

First stop on our itinerary was Ryoanji Temple raked gardens in the Rakusai precinct.  These gardens feature in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha” not to mention many famous artworks since they were built. This Zen karesansui (dry landscape) is made up of large rocks set in a landscape of sand & pebbles. It is meant to induce a state of “unadorned bliss”.

After not quite achieving a state of serenity due to the influx of fellow travellers, we moved on from Ryoanji, to the nearby Kinkakuji Temple, renowned for its Golden Pavilion and spectacular walking gardens.

Although we came across few textiles, it was certainly clear that artists could not fail to be inspired by these wonderful surroundings.

Inspired after our garden visit, we were treated to a wonderful reminder of Kyoto’s traditional past.  The Kamogawa Odori is an annual dance festival performed by Pontocho geisha (or geiko as they are known in Kyoto) and maiko (geiko in training).  These performances allow visitors a glimpse into the exquisite Japanese art that is usually only available to the affluent.

Pontocho, designed by the Portuguese in the Edo era, is now full of restaurants and teahouses – and tourists!  The Pontocho entertainment district is set along the west bank of the Kamogawa River and has long been renowned for the beauty and theatrical abilities of its dancers. In the Odori (1872), make-up, textiles, costumes and stage design must all meet the demanding standards of the long-established geiko’s world. 

All performances we watched were sophisticated and very colourful with an obvious high criteria to meet.  We were reminded of what remains (and once was) Japan’s famous “flower & willow” world.  This world is symbolised in the “Dream of the Butterfly” dance.  We were fortunate to have tickets at Pontocho’s Kaburenjo Theatre to watch maiko perform. Sadly, we were unable to take photos (but understand why) so my only reminders are a few brochures and tickets we picked up along the way. 

I should add that geiko (Kyoto geisha) means refined person.  They continue to be entertainers of the highest order (& well beyond our budget to see perform).  We are so fortunate to have these women maintaining a tradition and cultural heritage in our modern society.

One of my favourite reads is the classic work of Murasaki Shikabu, “The Tale of the Genji”.  This work is considered the world’s first novel and dates from the Heian Period (794-1185) .  Even more amazing is that it has been written by a woman (given the very strict codes of conduct prevalent in society at that time).  More about it on wiki here & a little on a previous post.

Utagawa (1797-1861) - a stunning print based on the novel

Mitsuoki (1617-1691) portrait of Murasaki Shikabu