Frame size: 54.0 x 41.3 cm,
Image size: 35.6 x 23.0 cm
The Tsurui Ochaya's okāsan cutting the new geiko's hair during ErikaeKyoto, 2011Archival pigment print on photo ragTanaka Okāsan of Tsurui Ochaya cuts the hair of the maiko. It is said that the hair-cutting ceremony marks the beginning of the Erikae. One difference between a geiko and a maiko lies in the hairstyle. A geiko usually wears a simple wig over her natural hair. A maiko styles her own hair into elaborate arrangements that vary depending on the stage of training she is in. Here the maiko has a Sakkō hairstyle. This will be the last time she wears this hairstyle. The okāsan (manager) of an ochaya (teahouse) is the person who makes the decision to allow a maiko to graduate into a geiko, usually after 3 to 5 years of working as a maiko. There are many factors considered, including age, skills, popularity of the district, and desire to balance the number of geiko and maiko in the teahouse.
