Maiko

Two maiko walking in patterned hikizuri, photographed in March 2011. Outside the formal black of a debut, a maiko's hikizuri can be all color and pattern, and the long sleeves matter: they mark her as an apprentice, with tucks at the shoulders and sleeves that show she is still young. A fully fledged geiko wears shorter sleeves, so the sleeve alone shows who is still in training.