Shigyoshiki2025_2 - a photo on Flickriver

Shigyoshiki2025_2

            Today, Kyoto sim [Second Life] held our most important yearly ceremony, Shigyōshiki.

Shigyōshiki is an "opening ceremony" of a new term, such as a school term. In the Kagai, the "Flower Town" where geiko and maiko live and work, these ladies will receive various awards from their work and dedication during the previous year. A very formal ceremony, all geimaiko dress in their most formal outfits: tortoiseshell hair ornaments, black-crested kimono and heavily embroidered gold obi.

They also wear celebratory New Years kanzashi -- a small bamboo ornament featuring that year's zodiac--in this case, it's Year of the Snake! -- and an unhusked rice ornament. As it ripens, this rice "bows" in its shape. Ears of rice represent a good harvest, so it is one of the symbols of good fortune.

It also has a meaning that preaches humility, as the saying goes, "The more ripe the rice, the more it bows its head," and geiko and maiko wear it to represent humbleness and wishes of wellness for their community and patrons.

Every year, our own geimaiko work hard to provide the best in omotenashi--a way of serving our patrons and community that is whole-hearted, genuine, and full of devotion to what we do.

Our district is called a "kagai" (or "hanamachi" in Eastern Japan), and both terms use the kanji meaning Flower Town (花街). Each geiko and maiko is a flower of this community; starting as a young, new bud, as shikomi san, they form closed petals as maiko, first blooming when they become seniors, and finally reaching a beautiful, fully-bloomed flower as geiko, showing their charm and grace through their arts.

To learn the "gei" of geiko--that is, the Art of being an Artist--and to truly earn that title, one must work hard, for it is not easily given or earned. In our humble Kyoto sim, each girl spends at least four or five real life years as a maiko, on top of her initial 5-10 month training period as a shikomi, before she can become an SL Kyoto geiko. 

It is an honor for us to share this beautiful culture, and because of that we are careful to spend a lot of time learning as much as we can about the kagai in real life--and not the stereotypical western fantasy--so that we may do this representation justice. 

And we do so like the rice hair ornaments we wear today--bowed in humbleness, under the weight of our duty, which we carry in honor. We have an obligation to the hundreds if not thousands of years of arts culture and customs that go into what geimaiko do and all the women who made this culture, and to the women we admire today, still actively working in the real life kagai. Our duty is to provide an accurate-to-life experience that is informed by knowledge, dedication, and our own love for this floating world.

Everyone in Kyoto sim really has given it their all this past year, and I'm so proud to be part of it. Behind me, these posters represent just some of the events we held through the year, and I hope everyone's heart swells with pride recalling everything they've done in 2024--you really deserve to feel a sense of joy and pleasure in your hard work! Omedetou san dosu!

Further, to our patrons, none of this would be possible without your presence. You give us joy and a sense of purpose to keep us going. You are not just patrons to us, but treasured friends. If we call you Oneesan (older sister), Otousan (Father) or Oniisan (older brother), these are special terms of endearment in the kagai community, and they show what you mean to us.

I hope you enjoyed the events of 2024 as much as we loved conducting them.

Thank you all so much. Itsumo ookini san dosu!

Taken on: January 12, 2025

Groups appears in: • Second Life-Kimono • ＳＥＣＯＮＤ　ＬＩＦＥ　ＪＡＰＡＮ more » • Second Life - Japanese Beauty • SL Asia • Geisha Second Life • Second Hanamachi • Secondlife@Japan • Second Life® Ancient Japan (PG) • I ❥ Second Life • Second Life Roleplayers • [ Kimono Mania ] ♥ SL • Second Life Official • Karyukai of Second Life • Role Play from SL • SL - Asian Avatars, Fashions, and Places • SL Asian Teki • The real role players of Second Life • Komayaka Okiya of Second Life • Asian Magazine - SL • GeiMaiko Spotting SL • ASIAN ICON MAGAZINE SL « less

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