Every year in April, the Miyako Odori, or “Dances of the Old Capital,” is a series of dances performed in Kyoto, Japan. These dances featured traditional Japanese art and culture, and they were well-attended both Japanese and foreign visitors. The Miyako Odori also includes displays of Japanese art, such as paintings, historic kimono, and flower arrangements, as well as formal tea ceremony and Japanese music performances.
These dances began in 1872, shortly after Japan’s capital was relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration, a period of turmoil in Japanese history. Kyoto is known as Japan’s cultural capital, and city officials were concerned that the move would dilute or overshadow Kyoto’s rich history of performance. As a result, the city decided to begin sponsoring the Miyako Odori, collaborating with Yachiyo Inouye III, the master of a well-known Kyoto dance school.
The Miyako Odori’s performers are geisha, who are trained in a variety of traditional Japanese arts such as music, tea ceremony, painting, dance, and flower arranging. In Kyoto, these women are referred to as “geiko,” which means “artist woman,” rather than “geisha,” which simply means “artist.” In addition to full-fledged geiko, the Miyako Odori features apprentice geiko known as maiko, as well as young women in training to become maiko. Each year, the dancers are dressed in elaborate costumes, including a formal uniform kimono, to honor thousands of years of Japanese tradition.
The Miyako Odori offers a variety of traditional dances, which are usually performed several times per day in an hour-long show. The Miyako Odori is a difficult month for the dancers, as they must perform flawlessly multiple times a day for a month, but being able to participate is a great honor. Every aspect of the Miyako Odori is governed the strict rules and traditions of the Gion Kobu district, from which dancers are allowed to perform to the order in which the dances are presented.
The number of maiko and geiko in Kyoto is declining due to changes in Japanese culture, and even fewer are fully trained dancers. This has sparked fears that many aspects of traditional Japanese culture will be lost forever, prompting some former geiko to advocate for reforms that could help to save the geiko tradition before it is lost forever.