I'm a man, French. I've been living in Japan for some years, Tokyo mostly and, since a bit more than one year, Kyoto. Tokyo was nice, but I definitely prefer Kyoto; I hope I'll be able to stay here, although this also depends on work imperatives that I do not control... We'll see.
Even when I was living in Tokyo, I used to come here at least one a year, more often twice, for the string/fall dances, or to accompany friends from France visiting the country.

I've been interested in Japan since I was a kid, which incidentally means that anime were *not* the start of it, although I did like a lot "Prince Saphir" (Ribon no kishi) when it was first aired on French TV a few years laters (and many others after that).

I can speak some Japanese, and read too, although not nearly as well as I should given the time passed here... too lazy, I guess. But it's gradually improving.

I like the Kyoto dialect a lot, this is definitely an advantage the geimaiko here have over other towns, and I think they are right to make the shikomi learn it (now that they are recruited from all over the country), although that adds to the load.

I've seen Gion corner for the first time when I came for a three months stay at the end of my studies, and was stunned by the way they were dancing.

I've read on the subject, went to a number of odori or other dances. I have nice pile of small plates and a collection of programs to show for it, plus a couple of the signed cloths they throw to the spectators at the end... I've never done a real zashiki yet, the closest I came to that was a party in Tokyo organized by a group of businessmen with links to France, so we got invitations. The geimaiko/guest ratio was small, but it still was a very enjoyable experience. Fukuha and Mayuha (then a young maiko) were there, with the okaasan of Tama (and a jikata I forgot the name of - jikata get shortchanged in the fame department, compared to dancers).

I'm not good at recognizing faces usually, plus I didn't keep up to date with the who's who of the geimaiko population in Kyoto (and even less in Tokyo, where I have only been to a couple of Aduma odori, mostly).
I like Umechika of Kamishichiken, she's been on my screen saver for a few couple of years.

I'll try to help a bit with translations or some internet research (no promises, but I'll give it a try, at times where work pressure is not too high).

I began taking a look at some of the things in the geisha library, I'll post comments there if I find anything I can contribute.

宜しくお願いします!

It 's great to have you here! I'm envious of you, I wish I could go back to Kyoto. Have you been enjoying Gion Matsuri?

welcome
it's so great that we have more and more members here, that are living in kyoto!