Special event: New Years celebration & housewarming party

After a cycle of twelve years, the dragon zodiac sign has returned in 2012. In Japan the dragon is a mighty symbol, as it is not only representing power and wisdom, but fortune and prosperity as well (read here and here for learning more).

On top of welcoming this special year, we would like to celebrate with you the opening of our new home! New years house-cleaning is done and everything is furnished cosily. Be the first to see it! Enjoy tea, sake and a special New Years dish, listen to the winterly story about the kasajizo (protective Buddhist stone statues) and have a nice conversation with us.

When: January 2nd, 2012, 11am SLT
Where: click for a SLURL

To celebrate this special day, all Maiko and Geiko of our Okiya will wear formal attire. Please feel encouraged to dress up as well!


Ichisumi
Junior Head Geiko

Triple debut at the SS Galaxy

Dear patrons, friends and companions of the Blue Lotus Okiya,

after several years of training the time has come for me and my sr. Maiko sister Umeha (Hana Hendrassen) to complete our training. For two weeks we have been wearing sakkou, the last hairstyle in Maiko stage, and have blackened our teeth (see photo below). Both is an old tradition originating in the Edo era (1603-1868) and used to be a characteristic of married women. Nowadays it marks the last weeks in Geiko training.

For Umechie, Umeha's younger sister, the day of our erikae (Geiko debut) will be the day of her misedashi, her Maiko debut. Umechie was for internal and other reasons Minarai (Maiko aspirant) in expectation for her debut for more than one year and assumed the responsibility of a jr. Maiko this whole time over. With the retirement of our beloved okaasan Mikido Yoshikawa in January this year she deservedly gained the sr. Maiko rank without ever having officially had her misedashi. This we want to make up now.
On the day she will debut and Umeha and I will become Geiko, both of them will also officially take the sansankudo ceremony. This tying ceremony is an important part of Maiko training and creates a lifelong bond between a young Maiko and a more experienced, older sister who becomes a role model and takes on the responsible task to guide and lead her younger sister in her training. This is also reflected in the name of the young Maiko who takes on a part of the name of her official older sister (oneesan) - like Umechie the "ume" of Umeha. This name expresses her personality and will guide her her Geisha-life long.

The day the three of us are going to debut will be October 1st. From 2-4pm SLT we would like to celebrate this wonderful occasion with you at the Japanese restaurant on the SS Galaxy cruise ship. There will be traditional Japanese dance, music, sake and tea as well as an opportunity to learn more about these traditions and the Blue Lotus Okiya.

Please come and bring high spirits with you. Otano moushimasu (I ask for your support)!


Ichisumi (Leonie Aeon)
Sr. Maiko

Moving on without a home

Dear patrons and friends of the Blue Lotus Okiya,

we want to thank you for everything you have done for us and the Okiya so far. Due to unfortunate circumstances influenced by the RL of the senior Okiya members we have currently lost our home, and will therefore not longer be able to perform on our own land in our own teahouse.
However our Okiya will carry on to exist, even though in slightly modified shape, and though we will no longer be one of the biggest Okiya in SL we will continue to strive to train some of the best Geisha of SL and to entertain as such. Thus we will keep on holding Ozashiki in the Japanese gardens aboard the SS Galaxy twice a month until we find additional places to perform at.

You all have supported us all for a very long time, in stable times as well as in times of change, with actions and nice words. Over all these years, you have been dear patrons, friends and companions of our Okiya and all its members, and not only for us but also for many of you the lands of the Blue Lotus Okiya have served as home and place of retreat. That's why we hope that, despite of all these changes, you will retain as our patrons and continue to support us in the future.

Taking her hands from her lap and moving them from aside to her front, lining up her fingers, Ichisumi bows deeply with respect and gratefulness. "Douzo yoroshuu otano moushimasu! It is such a big favour to ask you, but please bear with us."

A new home for the Blue Lotus

A lot of things have happened since our last post in this blog, even though we have unfortunately not written about it. For this months-lasting absence in our blog we apologize to all our patrons.

Over the last months the Blue Lotus Okiya has developed and grown bigger, which has not only reflected in the modification of our dorms and the landscape in Zarathud, but in the restructuring of our internal organization as well. These various changes have prompted us to move our home to a new place which we have found in an Edo-styled sim (Edo is the first period of modern Japan, also called Tokugawa period, 1600-1868). Please find the SL URL here.
The moving of our home also means a new start for us in a way, because not only will Blue Lotus be the new home of our Okiya but of the Kanzeon clan as well. So, fittingly to the Edo period, you will probably encounter Samurai now and then.

We apologize for all inconveniences caused by the construction of our new place. Still, we would be very happy to may welcome you again to future events. Meanwhile, you can still visit Zarathud till December, 31st. On this day our old sim is going to be closed. Please find a time to say goodbye to it!

May the never withering flowers and trees of our old sim continue to grow and bloom in this new place!
Please continue to support us, douzo yoroshii otano moushimasu!

Ichisumi
Sr. Maiko of the Blue Lotus Okiya

A month full of events: reviewing Miyako Odori

Today, with our final dance and a ryurei tea ceremony, a month full of events and celebrations has come to an end. Not only we had a diversity of things we did, like cherry viewing, celebratory dances, a play and a time to share poetry, but also various places to perform at - be it under the splendor of the cherry trees in our Okiya gardens or the Noh stage at our teahouse, on the SS Galaxy cruise ship or in the home sim of the Kanzeon clan. And to each single event a lot people came to witness this special time with us and make this month full of successful, enjoyable and rememberable days, making us look forward to next year already. Thank you, dear patrons, for all your time, presence and support!

As we had so many differents events, a summary of each one would make this post too long. But please enjoy the attached pics and let the past month pass by your eyes once more!
All pictures but the last three are from our flickr photo pool. Please follow this link to see more.

Lining up before the opening dance on April 9th

Okaasan's opening speech on April 9th

Sharing poems about the cherry blossom in SS Galaxy, April 10th

Hanami, cherry viewing, on April 15th

Celebratory dance in Asuka, April 17th (above & below)


The winter scene of the stage for the play "blossom flower", performed on April 21st (no other pictures available yet, but please follow this link for a video)

Closing ceremony on April 30th: the final dance, performed to a story of shikomi Siell

The ryurei tea ceremony with Umeha preparing the tea, Ichisumi explaining all steps and minarai Kiki and Icefyre (left) serving the tea to the guests, April 30th. Picture taken by Izzy Yuhara

April: month of Miyako Odori

When you travel through Japan this month, you will encounter a country covered with blooming trees: red, white and pink blossoms of peach and cherry unfold their splendour, and here and there still lingering plum blossoms can be found. It is the month of hanami, cherry blossom viewing, when thousand of people gather for a picnic around blooming cherry trees, it is the month of chatsumi, the start of picking tea, and for tea people it marks the start of the summer season when they part from the sunken hearth (ro) built in into the tea room to the portable hearth (furo). But this time I don't want to set the focus on tea, as April features another exceptional event: the third anniversary of our Okiya on April 9th! And it also marks the start of our Miyako Odori.

Miyako Odori is a whole month lasting dance festival performed by the Maiko and Geiko of Gion Kobu that goes back to the 19th century. In 1869 the capital of Japan was moved to a former fisher village called Edo, now known as Tokyo, and caused the decline of Kyoto (back then still known as Miyako) that had been the capital for more than thousand years. That changed in 1872, when Kyoto used the there put world exhibition to promote prosperity with an a whole month lasting "dance festival of the old capital" - Miyako Odori. It is now one of the main events in Kyoto.

We are very happy to invite you to celebrate the following events with us!


Miyako Odori Opening Ceremonies and Blue Lotus Anniversary
Friday, April 9th, 12pm SLT
Blue Lotus Cherry Paths

~*~*~ Sakura Poem
~*~*~ Saturday, April 10th, 2pm SLT
~*~*~ SS Galaxy

Blossom Viewing
Thursday, April 15th, 1pm SLT
Blue Lotus Cherry Paths

~*~*~ Festival of Blossoms
~*~*~ Monday, April 12th, 5pm SLT
~*~*~ Blue Lotus Okiya

Celebratory Dance
Saturday, April 17th, 12pm SLT
Asuka

~*~*~ Play "Blossom Flower"
~*~*~ Wednesday, April 21st, 12:30pm SLT
~*~*~ Blue Lotus Noh stage

Blossom Dance
Thursday, April 22nd, 7pm SLT
SS Galaxy

~*~*~ Blossom Viewing
~*~*~ Thursday, April 29th, 1pm SLT
~*~*~ Blue Lotus Cherry Paths

Closing Ceremonies
Friday, April 30th, 7pm SLT
Blue Lotus Cherry Paths

"The First Rabbits" in Babbage Square

On this Saturday, Feb 20th at 2pm, the Blue Lotus Okiya will revive the rabbits. Once more we show the traditional story about their origin, but this time in a different location - in the New Champagne Rooms in Babbage Square.

If you weren't able to attend the last performance in December or wish to see our play again, don't miss this chance! You are cordially invited!

Please use the SL Url below for finding the way to the venue or ask us for a teleport. Douzo yoroshii otano moshimasu!

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http://slurl.com/secondlife/Babbage%20Square/214/219/106/?title=The%20New%20Champagne%20Rooms