Baikasai: The Plum Blossom Festival

Bringing in the Spring with Blossoms and Tea

Ichimame prepares matcha (powdered green tea) as Naozome prepares to serve it to a guest.

A long line of geiko and maiko, easily distinguished by the way in which they wear their obi, bow as they serve tea to their guests.

Katsue and the many maiko and geiko of Kamishichikenserving tea to the guests.

Umeshizu and Umechika, geiko of Kamishichiken.

Ichimame performs tea ceremony with Naozome as ohikae.

Umeha and Umeshizu prepare, as Naozome offers tea to the guests.

Ichiteru, a young maiko from Ishikawa prefecture who decided to become a maiko after reading Ichimame's blog, prepares tea as another recently debuted maiko, Katsuryu, prepares to offer it to a guest.

Ichimame Update: Month of Memories

March 5, 2007

March is graduation time (in Japan). As soon as I graduated from junior high school, I began my apprenticeship (to become a maiko). At the graduation ceremony, I knew that soon I would no longer be able to see my friends, and I felt so lonely that I couldn`t stop the tears. Even so, everyone said "Do your best! We're all cheering for you!" and encouraged me. Then I was so happy that I cried all over again.

It's already been three years since that time. Every year this time comes, and I remember that day... And at the same time, I wonder, has it really been that long?

Now that I`ve entered my fourth year, I am among the higher ranking maiko, so I want to do my best.

The 10 Commandments according to the Olsen twins.

Mary Kate Olsen was spotted in Paris this week doing...well..whatever Olsen twins do...dressed in the same old lady garb that has catapulted her into being a style icon or a fashion disaster depending on your perspective.

I decided to compile the 10 commandments that the twins adhere to rigidly, try and follow them all, although you would probably be shipped off to a homeless shelter for the elderly before you can finish.

Here they are:

1. Thou shalt wear ridiculously high heels in order to appear taller and skinnier than you already are.



2. Thou shalt wear as many types of dead animal carcas as possible, screw ethics, its fashion right?



3. Thou shalt dye your hair to the point that it is straw like and starting to fall out.



4. Thous shalt port as many pointlessly oversized accessories as possible: giant hat? check. Giant shades? check. Giant scarf? check. Giant sea turtle attatched to back? check.



5. Thou shalt frequently be mistaken for a homeless person/ drug addict / crackwhore that lives in an old tyre under a freeway.



6. Thous shalt hunch, skulk, and attempt to 'hide' from the paps.



7. Thou shalt use any woman over the age of 80 as your style icon, oh yeah, Angela Lansbury baby!



8. Thou shalt practice 'twincest' for the cameras



9. Thou shalt always carry an enormous cup of coffee and tote a cigarette, that is a full week's calories after all.



10. Thou shalt appear in magazines, on TV, pretty much everywhere, and earn millions, wait, billions...and for what?

Noone truly knows.