A few times a year now I have short portrait sessions of about an hour with Kikugawa Tayū in Shimabara, and since these meetings are so brief, I approach them in a much different way than the longer and more formal sessions we have that last anywhere from 8 – 10 hours for me, including setting up and taking down sets.
I view these briefer encounters as a time to play photographically, to experiment and try different things.
I arrive in Shimabara 1-2 hours before I’m supposed to meet Kikugawa-san, and I usually have a plan. On the day this portrait was taken a few months ago, I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t really need one.
I had basically two options: to photograph Kikugawa on the streets of Shimabara or inside Kushigiku, the home of her okasan, the former Takasago Tayū. I have done both before, and I knew only that I didn’t want to repeat myself.
As I walked around Shimabara, I wasn’t getting very excited about photographing Kikugawa outside. As I have written about previously in the post “Tayū in Shimabara Today,” Shimabara has lost a good deal of its former luster, and there just aren’t many backgrounds I like in the area. The ones I do like I have already photographed, so there was no need to go back to them again.
It was also getting close to 1:00 p.m., and the sun almost directly overhead was bright and harsh on this cloudless day. I decided I would photograph Kikugawa-san inside, but I wasn’t sure exactly what I would do. I had one camera, one lens, one light, and one stand. That’s all.
There are some interesting bamboo screens in Kushigiku, so I figured I’d play with them somehow.
A little before one o’clock, I made my way to Kushigiku and was surprised to find the door open. I announced myself and Kikugawa-san came right out to greet me. We are in our third year of working together, so we know each other pretty well now.
We climbed the very narrow and steep staircase to the second floor, and we entered the main room. The first thing I noticed was a bright patch of sunlight on the sliding doors facing the entrance.
I had never seen it so bright in the room before, but I was usually there later in the afternoon. I decided I would make some natural light portraits of Kikugawa-san before I set up my light.
The window the light was coming from was covered with shoji, but it was also partially blocked by a 100-year old kimono hanging on a kimono stand. I was obviously reluctant to move the kimono, so I decided to just work around it.
I guess I photographed Kikugawa-san for about 10 minutes or so, and I liked the results. It was time to move on, or so I thought.
I started to set up my one light, and I even made a few test shots of Kikugawa-san. Then a little voice whispered to me, “Go back to the window. The light’s much nicer and you haven’t worked it enough yet.”
I moved my light to the side and told Kikugawa that I’d like to go back to the window. “Can we move the kimono?” I asked her. She said we could and helped me slide it very gently out of the way.
We had much more room to maneuver, and Kikugawa-san could get much closer to the window.
And for the rest of the time, we just played. I’d move Kikugawa-san closer or farther away from the window, or turn her face toward or away from the light. I’d also move myself closer or farther from Kikugawa, getting close-ups and full-length images. I’d make a portrait and see what I had.
Along the way, we’d chat in between photos or just be silent. It was all very relaxed and easy. I wish it were always that way!
Before I knew it, our time was up. As I walked back to the train station, I was stunned to see that it wasn’t even three o’clock in the afternoon yet. I had accomplished a lot and the day was still mostly ahead of me.
It is only a 7 or 8-minute train ride to Shimabara, so I can make it from my apartment to Kushigiku in about 30 minutes if I time it right.
The journey always seems much longer, though, because I feel I’m moving through time, space, and different worlds as I make the trip.
And when I get home, I always long to return.
Fabulous shot!
Thank you, RnT!
Kikugawa-san seems like an ageless beauty who has just stepped out of The Edo Period and into the light of the 21st century (literally and figuratively). You have continued to show these often misunderstood women in a truly beautiful and respectful manor. Please keep up the good work ^^!
As always, thank you, Justine! You will be seeing more of Kikugawa-san here in the future. She is the main focus of my photography now that Momifuku has had her erikae and Mamefuji has left Gion.
Why did you choose to work with Kikugawa and not someone from the Wachigai-ya? As I understand it there is a lot of controversy around the self-proclaimed tayû; they look the part and play the part, but Wachigai-ya seems to be the authority on the authenticity because they are the last old “true” (as in, registered) tayû house whereas the other okiya are modern additions where the women have taken on the entertainer role of tayû. The ways have changed so much that even the tayû at the Wachigai-ya are only a shadow of their predecessors. Kikugawa is beautiful though! It looks like she’s finally using her real hair rather than a wig
Welcome, Shizuka! When I started to seriously consider photographing a tayū back in June and July 2014, I investigated all my options and then decided based on what I found out and my own gut instinct that Kikugawa-san would be the best fit for me. I definitely made the right decision.
At first, I was only planning on photographing her one time at a photo session and a few times at public events, but it has become a much larger project now.
I am not aware of any controversy involving any of the few remaining tayū. Is there one?
Really beautiful, i love the look of Tayu so much, i really fascinated by Tayu und always want to learn more about them
I share your fascination, Marina! If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I am still learning myself, but I will try to answer as best I can!