Tsuukai Everyday! 痛快！エブリデイ

On January 23 I will appear on Kansai Television's morning show "Tsuukai! Everyday" (Thrilling! Everyday) as a guest, along with geiko Umechika and comedy duo "Daian" (the group named themselves after their school's English teacher, Dianne). The hosts of the show explored northen Kyoto, at which point they stumbled across me in Kamishichiken, where I taught them how to take pictures of geiko and maiko.


Peter, Umechika and Daian.

Umechika in her Hometown, Yamagata

On December 30, Peter went to Yamagata Prefecture in Northern Japan to work on his two projects- his photobook on the geiko Umechika (due out in June), and to get video footage for his documentary "Real Geisha, Real Women" (TBC in 2009).


Umechika (lower left) and friends from high school.


Umechika with high school friends and Peter.



The Tohoku Shinkansen pulling into the station.

New Video on Youtube!

The video of the New Years Greetings is now available for viewing on YouTube.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGAleE36Xs

We will continue to upload geisha and kyoto related videos from time to time, so keep an eye out!

Omedetou-san dosu.

On January 6, the "Shin Aisatsu" or New Years Greetings were held in the geisha district of Miyagawa-cho. Peter went to photograph and film the proceedings, as well as say Happy New Year to all the geiko and maiko he works with.



There were many amature photographers and tourists (Japanese and foreign) gathered around to see the event, all hoping to catch a great shot. As most were not customers of the tea houses, they must have been surpised to see the geiko and maiko greet Peter by name along with the other regular Japanese customers!



The video from this event will soon be uploaded on YouTube, and may be included in Peter's upcoming documentary "Real Geisha, Real Women".



Some of the photographs he took are now available to see on Peter's Flickr account.

Happy New Year everyone!