Yesterday I attended one of the most exceptional geisha shows I’ve seen. It was held at the beautiful Temple Theater in Japan Kansai, part of the Hosoi Ichiba sim complex owned by Amiryu Hosoi. The spectacle was directed by Geisha Masumi and included performers from the Yoshiwara Okiya and Hosoi’s Okiya, ten performers in all.

The show focused on the Edo period of Japan, a time of extraordinary events and cultural development. Geisha Masumi hosted the event with elegance, and Gesiha Komayo started the show with a fascinating presentation about the political history of the Edo period. Next, Geisha Suzume gave an insightful persentation about the geisha’s role in the culture of the Edo period. Then Maiko Yume gave a delightful presentation about the origins of the kabuki theater. Each presentation was agumented by artwork depecting scenes relevent to the theme.

The surroundings coupled with the quality of the presentations, and the beauty of the performers in their deep pink kimonos made this a memorable evening. I was impressed by the sheer amount of research it must have taken to put this show together. There was a large crowd with over 30 people involved in the event. This show was on par with the best I’ve seen including the show at Versailles, which I participated in. Bravo to all of the people who made this possible.

Photo from Geisha Komayo’s presentation about History.

Photo from Geisha Suzume’s presentation about Tayu.

Photo from Maiko Yume’s presentation about Kabuki.