living kagai culture:

the world of geiko & maiko:

a picture essay by Robert van Koesveld, cultural photographer.

(eight pages click through to read)

Kyoto Journal is an award-winning,
quarterly magazine founded in Kyoto, Japan,
presenting cultural and historical insights from
all of Asia since 1987.

“To me a living culture is rooted firmly in a continuing cultural tradition and in a place. Without this deep rootedness, cultural practices may border on nostalgia or at worst a kind of ‘Disneyfication.’ Those who devote years, decades and even generations to the world of maiko and geiko have, of course, made adaptations to Japan’s complex transition from feudal to modern society. A living culture evolves to survive, but retains its essence.”

— Robert van Koesveld : living kagai culture: Kyoto Journal