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Geisha and Plum Blossom Festival

The word geisha consists of two kanji characters, 芸 (gei) meaning “art” and 者 (sha) meaning “person” or “doer.” The most literal translation is “artist,” “performing artist,” or “artisan.”

Tea ceremony at Baikasai (Plum Blossom Festival) on February 25th in Kyoto. Source: https://www.facebook.com/discoverkyoto

An event that combines Shinto spirituality, seasonal plum blossoms, green tea , and lovely maiko and geiko, Kitano Tenmangū's Baikasai (Plum Blossom Festival) on February 25th is a must-see for anyone lucky enough to be in Kyoto!
Kitano Tenmangū in northwestern Kyoto deifies the god of scholarship, Tenjin, and serves as the head shrine of over 10,000 Tenjin shrines around the country. In the ancient past Tenjin was a man named Sugawara no Michizane, who died in exile in Dazaifu, Kyūshu. A poet as well as a politician and scholar, Michizane was known for his fondness of the plum tree, and before he left the capitol wrote a particularly famous poem urging his beloved plum tree to continue blossoming in his absence, which is why there are so many ume (plum) planted on the Kitano Tenmangū grounds. Each year on the anniversary of Michizane's passing the shrine performs important rites in order to remember the mortal man and pacify his deific spirit within the main hall, while a more cheerful atmosphere reigns outside amidst the plum blssoms, as geisha from the Kamishichiken District turn out in colorful kimono and sporting plum-themed hair accesories, serving tea in an outdoor ceremony. Source: https://www.facebook.com/discoverkyoto

The nodate (outdoor tea ceremony) is particularly popular with Kyoto citizens and tourists alike, as it is an opportunity not just to see a geisha up close, but to be served tea and even exchange a few words. These traditional Kyoto idols are popular worldwide for their grace and beauty, but most people do not have the connections in order to actually spend time in their company at a teahouse or a banquet. But at the Baikasai, a ticket worth 1,500 yen secures your entry to the outdoor tea ceremony, which comes with a traditional sweet, a cup of tea, and a chance to see these culture-preserving women at work. Source: https://www.facebook.com/discoverkyoto

Source: https://www.facebook.com/discoverkyoto