00:00With white painted faces and cherry blossom-shaped fans,
00:04these geishas are performing the traditional Miyako Odori dance to welcome spring in Kyoto.
00:11Just as people look forward to the cherry blossoms,
00:14the people of Kyoto feel the arrival of spring by attending the Miyako Odori.
00:18I get the sense that today, visitors from all over the world also come to experience and feel the Japanese
00:24spring.
00:24The dance is a centuries-old tradition that geishas have performed here since 1872.
00:30Geisha performances combine traditional Japanese music, theater, and costumes.
00:34Nowadays, they're often confused with courtesans.
00:37But their work is demanding, and it helps keep traditional industries alive.
00:43It is precisely because geishas are active and full of energy
00:47that we continue to create new costumes, kimono belts, and hairpins.
00:51While the use of kimonos is declining,
00:53and these artisanal industries are on the verge of disappearing,
00:56the active presence of geishas maintains a steady demand that keeps this entire sector alive.
01:03Maria Superata, a geisha expert who works with this dance school,
01:07says the demanding practice schedule means that fewer young people these days are willing to commit.
01:12Each city has their own unique traditions,
01:15and those traditions can vanish if we don't support them.
01:18Young Japanese people nowadays, they are not really interested in traditional culture and traditional art,
01:23in kimono as well.
01:25So I think here, foreigners have a chance to participate and to support the culture,
01:33so it will not disappear.
01:34And with visitors coming from near and far to see the annual performance,
01:38these geishas are hopeful their art form can continue to blossom each year.
01:42Chris Ma and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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