（English）Please watch our art in a new way.

After much consideration by the geishas, maikos, etc. we are thinking of showcasing Ponto-cho's art by online video and asking for everyone's cooperation through crowdfunding.

We will use everyone's heartfelt and generous donations to carry out the online version of "Kamogawa Odori".

 

All of us at Ponto-cho would like to thank everyone for their warm support and cooperation and hope that we may make into reality a place where we perform our "art".

 

 

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How to Support by Credit Card

 

"Online Viewing" Course  [3,000 yen]  ◆Online viewing ticket

"Support" Course   [10,000 yen]   ◆Online viewing ticket

"Support" Course   [30,000 yen]   ◆Online viewing ticket

"Support" Course   [100,000 yen]   ◆Online viewing ticket

"Support" Course   [300,000 yen]   ◆Online viewing ticket

"Online Talk with Geisha/Maiko" Course   [50,000 yen]    ◆Online viewing ticket  ◆Thank-you video ◆Online talk with geishas and maikos  *After the announcement with the dates available for Online Talk, the schedule will be arranged individually.   *Limit of 50 guests.

*Available anyone around the world

*Online viewing is scheduled to be broadcast late January 2021. Details will be announced in December.

"Support" Courses will allow us to use the support received toward implementing as many projects as possible instead of delivering a return. 

 

 

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One of the Gokagai, Kamogawa Odori of Ponto-cho

In Kyoto there are five red-light districts called "Gokagai" formed by Gion Kobu, Kamishichiken, Ponto-cho, Miyagawa-cho and Gion Higashi.

Ponto-cho, where our stage is, creates a street that runs vertically through the city of Kyoto alongside Kamogawa River. Therefore, when one visits the teahouses, one can enjoy the natural scenery of Kamogawa River and Higashiyama, a unique feature of Ponto-cho.

More than anything, especially when compared to other red-light districts, or hanamachi, there is an atmosphere of feeling at home not only among the geishas, maikos and teahouses but the people of Ponto-cho as well, another unique feature. We support the hanamachi culture every day through heartfelt hospitality for guests and the performance of dance, song, shamisen and other traditional arts.

"Odori" is held twice a year, in the spring and fall, in the Gokagai. Among them the history of Ponto-cho's "Kamogawa Odori" is old, starting in the fifth year of Meiji (1872). We take pride in it having the most number of performances among the Gokagai odori, making it a Kyoto spring tradition.

The public performance is composed of two parts, the first one a dance drama, the second one with Japanese traditional classical music, and is unique as a story-style original dance drama. The cast is different for each performance, three times a day for 24 days.

Being a dance drama with many lines, first-timers can understand the odori easily and are able to experience the rare chance to see the gorgeous performance and dance of geishas and maikos of which the appeal is widely known not only in Japan but overseas as well.
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Geishas and Maikos during the Pandemic

Even in the Hanamachi areas of ​​Kyoto, the impact of COVID-19 is enormous. There are almost no tatami room parties in teahouses and in April and May the teahouses, geishas and maikos had almost zero income. When explained in numbers, compared to April the previous year, income was down 90% and in May it was down 100%.
On May 14th, the state of emergency was lifted from the 39 prefectures but from June until now the amount of guests for the tatami room, the amount of visitors to Ponto-cho have not returned to before COVID-19.

The tatami room has a strong connection with celebrations but it may be difficult to have everyone come while the atmosphere of refraining from going out and participating in banquets continues. We have already received notification of cancellation or postponement of the large tatami room held in January every year.
Despite all this the geishas and maikos devoted to practicing their art every day.
And while many concerts and events are being canceled all over Japan, the same applies to the cancellation of the odori of the Gokagai of Kyoto. With Ponto-cho's "Kamogawa Odori" in the spring and "Suimeikai" in the fall being canceled, the main source of income for Pontocho other than the tatami room has been cut off.

These stages were an opportunity to deliver the liveliness and gorgeousness of Ponto-cho to more people. In addition, they were goals for the geishas and maikos who don't miss a day of training. Especially this year seven maikos were scheduled to make their first public appearances and there were geishas who had worked hard thinking the stages would be their last.
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In Order to Carry Out the Will of the Ancestors Who Have Protected the Hanamachi Culture

The resumption of cultural activities in the future is expected to be long and harsh. However, we must carry on while searching for hope.

Currently many people are taking a look at themselves again and beginning to discover familiar things that were hard to see until now. The negative impact of this COVID-19 on the world is far beyond imagination and we can't take it positively without thought. However, we now think that we have the opportunity to make many people reflect on the Hanamachi culture and cultures that have taken root in Japan for a long time.

Until now we have survived a long history of wars, the Great Depression, etc. and in order to carry on the will of past guests who protected the Hanamachi culture, the teahouses and senior geishas and maikos we can't lose to COVID-19. So that we can greet guests from home and abroad with smiles and make them smile through our hospitality, we have to be patient while brushing up on our arts although the times are tough.

 

 

What We Want to Achieve with Your Support

This year, while keeping close the whole town's desire that the "Kamogawa Odori" which is the history of Ponto-cho should not be extinguished at all costs, we are thinking of making it a reality in a new form.

It will be a different season than usual but at the beginning of the coming year we are planning part of the performance to be held at Ponto-cho Kaburen Theater and live-streamed by Internet. We plan to accept a very limited number of spectators after taking sufficient measures against infection.

We are hoping to color the beginning of the 3rd year of Reiwa (2021) from Ponto-cho.
This effort is undoubtedly not possible based on precedents. Finding hope in crowdfunding, we thought to get clues for income as a town and through the arts, a large part of geikos and maikos, 
In order to make this event a reality, we ask you for funds to accommodate the necessary venue usage fee, the cost of prop production, the cost related to the production and operation of dances and songs and the cost for Internet distribution and video production. And we would like to ask for your support for expenses including some renumeration for the geishas and maikos.

As with our usual hospitality, we will endeavor to provide a satisfying return to everyone who cooperates. Thank you for your support.

 

How to Support by Credit Card

 

Message from Geisha and Maiko in Pontocho