gion-lady:geisha-kai:September 2016: maiko Ichiharu of Gion Kobu who has just become senior by&n
gion-lady: geisha-kai: September 2016: maiko Ichiharu of Gion Kobu who has just become senior by sebachanthora on Instagram This maiko is donning her new hairstyle, called Ofuku. This is the hairstyle she receives when she becomes a senior maiko as opposed to a junior maiko, in which case she wore a hairstyle called Wareshinobu!The change in hairstyle typically happens around a maiko’s 18th birthday–when she has more or less been a working maiko for about 3 years. This hairstyle (Ofuku) is also called ‘momoware’, or ‘Split-Peach’, though the name correlation with the hairstyle is up for debate on the specifics of what makes the style actually look like a ‘split peach’.The maiko will typically wear the Ofuku hairstyle through the rest of her maiko career up until about two weeks to a month before her Erikae (when she takes on a new hairstyle; the last hairstyle of a maiko called Sakkou).more about maiko hairstyle here: http://immortalgeisha.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hairstyles_of_Modern_Day_Flower_and_Willow_World_-_Maiko_Hairstyles Momoware is actually not the same as the ofuku hairstyle. Whereas ofuku has a tegara pinned onto the bun, the momoware seems to be more like the wareshinobu in that the inside of the bun is filled with fabric. This difference can easily be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kimonoasobi/7448281908/. The momoware is not worn by Kyoto maiko nowadays.In addition to the ofuku hairstyle, a senior maiko wears the Katsuyama hairstyle from July 10th till July 28th. Also, she will wear the Yakko Shimada hairstyle during the New Year period, for Hassaku (in Gion Kobu) and before she will start wearing the sakkou hairstyle in preparation for her erikae. Pontocho maiko who act as assistant during their Kamogawa Odori tea ceremony will also wear this hairstyle, as do maiko of Miyagawacho who perform on stage on the day of Setsubun. -- source link