Passage

Passage

Passage
Coloured pencils, Caran d’Ache Neocolor and Neopastels. 360 x 460 cm. March 2015

On the first day that I was in Kyoto in February, I stood at the threshold of this Gion passage.  I waited.  Perhaps if I stood long enough and hoped intensely enough, a person would emerge from one of the doorways.  Especially if that person was wearing kimono, what a wonderful picture it would make.  The dark wood and its shadows in the stone path would create a compositional frame within a frame.  All eyes would travel the length of the passage to the figure carrying her load.

So much of my subject-search involves an idea and then patience.  This was no exception.  (“Please please come along somebody!”)

And suddenly there she was; a waitress perhaps – carrying out chores before the patrons arrived.  I had my subject.

The passage was probably built in the 19th century.  Pipes and wires tell us that times are modern however for the most part, it is a timeless scene.  When I was working on the drawing earlier in the week I took a ‘hand selfie’ and put it on Facebook.  A friend perceptively wrote “[It is] like you are reaching into another world”.  Exactly!

Kea Auto Care

Kea Auto Care

Welcome to Kea Auto Care.  We are here to give your car our expert attention.   No area – above, below or in-between, will be overlooked by our sharp eyes (and beaks).

Our friendly staff will peck all the surfaces to see if there are loose threads or pretty much ANYTHING to dislodge from your vehicle.

Our premises are located at Otira Pass in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.  Just look for the “Do Not Feed the Keas” sign at the top of the hill.  That’s us.

We also have a good supply of spare parts.

So come and see us!

Kea Auto Care – another Bird-Brained company.

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Small Gardens

Small Gardens

Wood, stone, screens, plants, maybe a lantern.  It doesn’t take much, except centuries of artistic sophistication, to create evocative welcoming space.  Less is more. The Japanese wrote the book when it comes to style and mood. Here is a tribute to what can be achieved in tiny outdoor spaces – for example outside a front door.  (In other parts of the world lovely potted plants and bonsai trees might vanish from public areas but not in Japan it seems.)

The maiko in yellow is Mamesumi.

Next are three photos featuring Satsuki.

A little more space and some more elements can be introduced…

Here is Yukako in the garden.

And finally…Ichimomo at Baikasai.

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Kyoto Photo Journal

Kyoto Photo Journal

Whenever I tell people I am going to Japan for a week, they are horrified.  “How could you travel so far for such a short time?”  Each time I go, my trip is always intense.  By the end I am exhausted, my camera is full of images, and I am ready to fly home.  This post is about my 16th trip to Kyoto (and Kurashiki) with just a few of my favourite photos. Click on the images to enlarge them if you like.

Thursday 19th February  Such a feeling of anticipation as I flew with Matthew to Japan.  As the plane flew from southern to northern hemisphere, I dreamed of what was to come.

sunset over somewhere

Friday 20th February  We spent the first night of our trip in Osaka.  Straight after breakfast Matthew and I went to Shin-Osaka Station where we parted company.  He left for Kurashiki while I took the train to Kyoto.  I arrived in Kyoto around 11:00 and after checking into my hotel, went straight to the streets with my camera.

Not everyone who wants to wear kimono is Japanese

Pontocho reflection – or – two maiko for the price of one.

A case of “right place, right time”.

A chance to study sakkou hairstyle and the intricacy of obi design as Satsuki-san waits to cross Shijo dori.

Saturday 21st February  In the morning I walked in the hills of Higashiyama.  It was the most beautiful sunny winter day.  Kyoto sparkled.  Later I stocked up on Japanese coloured pencils (Holbein).  In the evening was the ozashiki.  You can see some other ozashiki photos from that night in my post The Gift of Art.

Looking down from Kiyomizu Temple on a day which can be described as “a box of birds”.

Waiting for the lights to change. Ichiharu-san stands out from the crowd.

The ozashiki which Matthew and I were invited to was a highlight of our trip.  (Lunching with our friends in Kurashiki was the other highlight.)

Satsuki-san had just danced Kurokami.  This dance is a lament for lost love.  Being a true artist, Satsuki-san still looked sad after the dance but her expression cheered after a few minutes.

Mamekiku-san and koala

Sayaka-san and koala

Eriha-san and koala

Makino-san and koala

Komomo-san and I

Sunday 22nd February  Matthew and I were invited to lunch in Kurashiki so that day we took the shinkansen (bullet train) to Okayama Prefecture and then the local train to Kurashiki.

Tranquil Kurashiki canal

Buildings in the historic area of Kurashiki

A garden next to Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel.

This Nozomi shinkansen has just deposited us back to Kyoto and is now gliding out (on its way to Tokyo)

Monday 23rd February  This was the day Satsuki-san made her debut as Geiko.  (I heard the following day that this was the biggest crowd ever for an erikae walk.)  One had to run to get photos.  If it had been the first erikae walk one had attended it would have been a big shock.  It was anything but relaxing.  Adrenaline rush.  The prize for me? Photos for future drawings.

First sight of Satsuki-san at her debut. She had just exited Tsurui Okiya.  (I waited two hours to be in the position to get this photo.)

A hint only of the crowds of photographers trying to photograph Satsuki-san.  (Hi, Amnon.)

Photographers make a wide arc around their subject.

Satsuki-san is a muse for artists

Wedding couple photographed during the course of the erikae walk.

Heron waiting for fish during erikae walk

Satsuki-san at the end of her erikae walk.

Eriha-san and Mamekiku-san with shikomi later that evening

Satsuki-san crosses the road with a smile on her face.

Tuesday 24th February  Second day of Satsuki-san’s erikae walk.  This is covered in my post Sister Support.   The second day was so much more relaxed for everyone concerned; Satsuki-san and the photographers.  The crowd was smaller than the first day and it was most enjoyable.  After the walk I enjoyed some retail therapy in Kyoto’s gorgeous shops.

Satsuki-san outside her okiya. Again I was in prime position thanks to the kindness of the other photographers, especially my new friend, Ayako-san.

Han-chan, the Tsurui cat (who is very similar to our own Saphie-cat), both silver tabbies.

Valuable additions to the Podstolski Clements’ Totoro collection.

Yasaka Pagoda on Tuesday afternoon.

Wednesday 25th February  This was the day of Baikasai, covered in my post of the same name.  Please click on Baikasai to read the story and see the photos of that event.

Minari Naokinu-san, (Ichiteru-san behind)

After Baikasai I returned to Gion to walk around the streets for a couple of hours before it was time to pack up and head for Kansai Airport.

Mesmerized by green, red and pink.

Katsue-san and Katsuhina-san

This Haruka train (Kansai Express) will take me to the airport. Here it is – pulling into the station. Goodbye Kyoto. I’ll be back soon.

Have you stayed until the end?  This is a long post however there will now be a two week break until the next one – which will be about New Zealand.  Another plane, another story…

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Baikasai

Baikasai

February 25th is Baikasai: Plum Viewing Festival.  It is held at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. In this ceremony for the masses, maiko and geiko from Kamishichiken prepare and serve green tea.   I am reminded of the Bible story of the loaves and fishes.  There are so many people that I think the maiko and geiko might be serving tea and cake until the moon is full (March 5th).

I had the presence of mind to turn up an hour before the ceremony was due to begin. Therefore I only had to queue for one hour.   I wasn’t sure what to expect or whether I would have an opportunity to capture photos.

Leaflets were handed out asking that we respect our hostesses and take photos with discretion.  It was written in Japanese however a nice man explained the gist of it to me.

The queue was divided into two: those who chose to sit in chairs and those who wanted to kneel on the floor.  I chose the kneeling queue.  Why?  Because the instructions were spoken in Japanese so I didn’t understand.  When I realised I would have to kneel for 15 or so minutes I didn’t know if I would be able to sustain that position.  However when my turn came to kneel for the ceremony I was so engrossed that I didn’t mind the ebbing away of circulation behind the knees.

Here are a few images from inside the marquee from my kneeling position.

I love bitter frothy green tea taken with sweet bean-paste cake.  Delicious!

Even though the event was not unlike a factory production line  (maiko, geiko and plum blossom for 3000 people) I found it enjoyable.  I had come with a completely open mind and I was not disappointed.  When it was time for me to unravel my legs and rise, they were somewhat dead.  I tried not to show it.  With concentrated pretence at composure I pushed my feet back into my shoes and stumbled off to view the ornamental plum trees.

You can see who is who in the comments section.  My friend, Stéphanie, identified them all.  (And thank you to Justine who also identified them in a private message to me.)

 

Sister Support

Sister Support

I haven’t even posted photos of Day 1 of Satsuki’s erikae walk yet.   Though I certainly will, for the moment I would like to fast-forward to Day 2.  I caught something special which I would like to share.

Satsuki, like any new geiko on her erikae, walks alone.  Yes, her Otokoshi (dresser) walks with her but as the star of the show, she is solo.  Everyone has come to see her.  And believe me, there is a lot of everyone; men, women and children.

Even for somebody as vivacious and used to limelight as Satsuki, it must be an effort maintaining one’s composure in the glare of hundreds of pairs of eyes and cameras out in the streets of Gion for a considerable period of time.

Satsuki was carrying out her elegant mission perfectly when Marika, her younger sister from their okiya, appeared.  Can you imagine Satsuki’s joy when she saw Marika up ahead?  You can, because I’m about to unveil the series of photos I captured.  From her sophisticated self-restrained poses, Satsuki suddenly lapsed into ebullient fun-loving teenage-hood again.   It was delightful.  Body language is everything so I will say no more. (Except to say – excuse the cropping – it was impossible to get full views of my subjects without other photographers’ limbs in the way!)

After a while, Marika and Satsuki had to part company.  However most of the walk had already been completed.  In the last photo I got my own smile from Satsuki.

 She really is a gem!

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The Gift of Art

The Gift of Art

Three days ago I returned home from Kyoto.  There is so much to tell that I hardly know where to begin.  I will endeavour to share my stories and photos over the next few weeks on my blog.

I had a specific reason for the trip; to present to Satsuki-san the portrait I had drawn of her.  The idea stemmed from my last Japanese trip in June 2014.  I had been invited to an ozashiki by my friend, Atsushi-san.  During that wonderful night I had met Satsuki-san and taken many photos of her.  On that night I had been told that her erikae (when she becomes a Geiko-san) was to be in February 2015.  I vowed to return to Japan for it.   During my trip home last June I had the brainwave to draw a portrait of Satsuki-san to give to her in February.  A couple of days later I conferred with Atsushi-san by email and the plan was in place.  It would happen!

Everything was perfect.  I was allowed to carry the framed drawing all the way with me in the aircraft cabin.  I had been worried that I would have to surrender it to the hold of the plane.   Not wanting to let it out of my sight from Australia to Japan, I guarded this package with my life!  Even more perfect, Matthew was able to come with me to share the celebration.

What a night.  What a memory.  I have received such gifts of inspiration from Maiko-san and Geiko-san.  It was a true joy to be able to give something back.

Thank you, Atsushi-san, for making this event possible.  Thank you, Satsuki-san for being this artist’s muse.

Note: Satsuki-san is wearing the outfit of sakkou.  This style is worn for a couple of weeks before one’s erikae.  It includes a specific hairstyle and ‘ohaguro’ (when teeth are blackened with wax).  A small explanation from Wikipaedia: “In Japan, ohaguro existed in one form or another for hundreds of years and was seen amongst the population as beautiful until the end of the Meiji period.”  Google the word if you would like to find out more.

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