Geisha and maiko from the red-light district Kamishichiken visited Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, praying for success in the Kitano odori and improving their skills this spring. Approximately 20 geisha and maiko in kimono walked in a line along the approach to the shrine, which was scented with the faint scent of plum blossoms that were in full bloom, and at the main shrine, they clasped hands with serious expressions on their faces.
At the Shinto ritual held at the main shrine, Umeharu, head of the Kamishichiken Geisha Guild, swore, ''I want to perform on stage with all my heart and soul, with all my heart and soul.'' A shrine maiden (miko) performed the kagura ''Beniwarabe,'' which is named after a waka poem that Michizane Sugawara, the deity enshrined at Tenmangu Shrine, composed when she was five years old, and all the geisha and geisha bowed their heads in a solemn atmosphere.
Kitano Odori will be held from March 20th to April 2nd, 2024 at Kamishichiken Kaburenjo (Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City). The name Kamishichiken comes from the fact that when Kitano Tenmangu Shrine was rebuilt during the Muromachi period, seven teahouses were built using leftover wood and were used as a resting place for worshipers and were called ''Shichigenchaya.''
