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2006 1st Place Photo

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Apprentice Geisha
Ronnie Osko
Place: Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
Date: March 23, 2006
Description: These 4 Japanese girls were photographed at the Kiyomizu-dera, Temple of Pure Water; an amazingly peaceful and spiritual place in Kyoto, Japan. The Temple was erected in 798 AD with most of the surrounding buildings reconstructed during the early 1600's under Shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa. Kiyomizu Temple is dedicated to honoring the Juichimen Kannon, the 11-faced Goddess of Mercy, who is said to bring easy childbirth to expected mothers-to-be.

Apprentice Geisha found in Kyoto are confined primarily to the Gion and Pontocho districts and are often used as the penultimate symbol of Japan. A rare breed now and while beautiful to look at they are still young girls, so the social mastery they are expected to attain as accomplished Geisha is still not fully formed. Young girls may become an apprentice at 16, under current Japanese law, as all adolescents must attend high school to this age. The apprenticeship is usually 5 years and so at 21 she may become a fully fledged Geisha. Young women's kimonos are very vibrant, colorful, and rich with patterns. What it means to me: I read Memoirs of a Geisha prior to my trip to Kyoto and was spellbound by the story of the Geisha Sayuri, Mameha, Hatsumomo, and Pumpkin. Seeing these young girls at the Temple was profoundly life imitating art of old world Japan with narrow streets and tea houses with carp gardens.