In this particular scene you see a group of foreign guests enjoying their own exclusive Gion ‘ochaya-asobi’ banquet experience in the company of several Maiko and Geiko artists.
After guests are seated, several geiko and maiko artists arrive. Their arrival and entry is a truly thrilling moment. They are the personification of fine manners and genteel, graceful etiquette, - qualities deeply valued in Gion. Even the simple act of bringing a tray of drinks requires a slow, respectful, bow before entering the banquet room. The arrival of the sake for a toast also signifies the formal start of the banquet.
A deluxe course of ‘kyo-kaiseki’cuisine is served by the maiko and tea-house attendants. There is no menu sheet because all the courses have been prepared off-site by one of Kyoto’s top kaiseki master chefs. Kaiseki, a high-class culinary style with tea ceremony origins, includes local ingredients that reflect the best offerings of the season and each course is intended as an entrée to compliment an evening of sake and good company.
Protocol dictates that no guest will ever pour his own drink. ‘Oshaku’is the courtesy of pouring someone else’s drink and is all part of an authentic Gion hospitality experience. There are a number of customs to observe during the evening. For example, an exchange of name cards with the maiko, soon after they arrive, is a pleasant ice-breaking ritual (which also provides some excellent keepsakes).
During the banquet, the geiko perform a traditional‘kyo-mai’ or‘Kyoto dance. Such dance was developed for small interior performances within the ancient Court and not for theatrical stages. As such the moves are minimalist, delightfully subtle, suggesting the style of Noh theatre to which it is related. Abstract gestures and the accompaniment by shamisen players and vocalists reveal the tale behind the dance.
The geiko themselves take years to perfect the repertoire of ‘kyomai’dance styles and tales. The‘mai’in the word ‘kyomai’ is also the‘mai’for maiko, meaning dance, yet the maiko artists are relative kyomai novices. Nevertheless they have mastered sufficient steps and delicate movements to perform the most popular kyomai routines. Their splendid dress, regalia and youthful sincerity mask any lack of accomplishment.
This is a banquet for and by the guests so the entertainment later becomes more interactive. The maiko and geiko lead a number of easy, audience-friendly, games that keep everybody fully engaged. They choose which game to play according to the mood and the moment, such as a cup-pick-up contest called ‘konpira fune fune’ – a game of coordination and quick thinking. They demonstrate the game then invite guests to try for themselves.
The “Tiger, Tiger” play is a humorous role-playing eliminator game with the same rules as ‘paper, scissors, stone’ but far more impressive. Guests and maiko in turn choose to pose as a samurai, a tiger, or an old woman. A screen prevents the players from seeing which role the other is adopting. The samurai can beat the tiger, the tiger can beat the old woman and the old woman can beat the samurai.
A course meal in many other countries might end with a coffee. In Japan, and in this kind of banquet, a ceremony of tea provides a zen-like calm to close the evening. Green tea also helps to counter excess alcohol and refresh the body. This complete change in mood provides a timely reminder that this kind of ozashiki banquet is a very unique and rare experience, especially for the visitor to Japan.