Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Peony Lantern

Last week, the ladies of Yuugana Fuji presented the haunting tale of The Peony Lantern in our teahouse at Keisei. Please enjoy these few images from the show, and we look forward to performing and entertaining you in the future!

- Aisya

From right to left, Kaguyama-Tayuu, Abigail-chan and myself,
as we performed The Peony Lantern on last Thursday. We decided
to use the koto/shinobue duet for it's haunting music, which
was perfect for this ghostly tale. 
A similar shot to the one above, but with a much closer view
of the detail on Kaguyama-Tayuu's dance and kimono. 

On Saturday morning we performed the story again, for those
who were unable to attend during the week. Kaguyama-Tayuu
debuted her latest kimono - she truly is the trendsetter of our house. 





Sunday, January 11, 2015

New Year's Lion Dance

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu (happy New Year)! This past week, Tsukinoya, House of the Moon, began 2015 with a New Year's Lion Dance. Each year, since Shinmachi began in 2008, this dance has been held in some form. It is truly a wonder to behold how the same story can take on such varied forms as the years go by. This year, Oiran Kaminari-san and her attendants shared a modern take on the old tale. Please enjoy the pictures below, and we look forward to entertaining and socializing with you in the year to come! (Lines in italics are from the performance itself)

"This afternoon we celebrate the New Year by performing a variety of pieces which feature, whether directly or indirectly, the mighty Shishi or lion."



"[The Shishi] is also the guardian of paradise, believed to drive away evil spirits with the strength that only a lion can have. For this purpose, a lion dance is performed at the beginning of each New Year."


As the music changes, a pair of lions, father and son, arrive at the bridge of stone. 


Parent and cub fondly look at each other as butterflies come and hover about, having appeared in order to appease the lions’ hearts. Noticing them, father and son turn to watch their dainty flight and soon begin to snap at them playfully. 


The first of the two priests, Rennen, appears; he hopes to to climb the distant Seiryo Mountain to practice religious austerities. However, the mountain is steeper and more rugged than he had heard. So, he stops to rest for a while. 


Hennen turns and spots Rennen and calls out to the stranger. The two then discuss their reasons for traveling. With evident delight, Hennen suggests that the two travel together as they are both headed in the same direction.


The mountain’s started rumbling! This is no trifling matter! The ancient lion lives in these parts; surely he is approaching! They can’t just hang around like this! In a panic, the two run and bump into each other and fall to the ground.


Finally, the spirit of the lion enters in his full majesty.


Soon, the Shishi will take his seat upon the lion throne and take his final position as the king among beasts.


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Christmas in Japan

Last week, Shinmachi's Tsukinoya and East Asian Events proudly showcased their joint performance "Christmas in Japan" at Keisei (on Thursday) and at Sengoku (on Sunday). Christmas in Japan was a fun dance show / concert performance which featured the seasonal music of Japanese vocaloids and famous pop artists. During the show, we showcased Japanese versions of songs like Jingle Bell along with a few typical J-Pop songs like Hatsune Mi-Christmas.

I've included a few pictures of the shows below for you to enjoy. This show was the last event for both Shinmachi and EAE for the year. Both groups look forward to entertaining you in 2015!

The Winter Wonderland stage, during the cold open of
the Japanese version of "All I Want for Christmas is You"

Winter Wonderland again, this time with all four
performers dancing in unison. From left to right: Kaminari
of Tsukinoya, Len of EAE, Hamayu of Tsukinoya and
Kara of EAE. 

Hamayu as Hatsune Miku and Len as Kagamine Len
performing White Christmas. 


All 4 performers as Vocaloids: Kara is Kagamine Rin and
Kaminari is Gumi.

Kaminari and Hamayu during Silent Night.

The final stage: the three girls took center stage while
Len rocked out on the guitar. 

The finale!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Madam White Snake

Last Sunday (December 7th), the Lihai Lily Salon held it's grand opening event: a story telling session with a Chinese tea ceremony. I managed to take a few pictures of the event, but was too captivated by the story to take more. Though the stage was opulently decorated, the true flower and center piece was Lady Lily herself (the proprietress of the salon) who played the pipa while sharing the tale of Madam White Snake. Afterwards, she stayed and chatted with the guests before they departed to enjoy all of Keisei.

Lady Lily welcomes her guest with a brief overview of the
Salon and of the upcoming performance. To the left, you
can see the tea set used during the tea ceremony. 
A picture of Lady Lily playing the pipa for her guests. It was
a packed house, and I believe everyone was as enthralled with
the story as I was. 
A front shot of Lady Lily playing the pipa, and a little dragon,
which is quite possibly the cutest tip jar I have ever seen!


Monday, December 8, 2014

An Afternoon with Tsukinoya

Tsukinoya, Shinmachi's oiran group, held a performance which offered guests a brief glimpse into an afternoon with the ladies of the house, as they prepare for a night of entertainment at the local ageya. I managed to take a few pictures of the show, but was admittedly too enthralled with the performance to remember to snap more shots. Enjoy!

Oiran Kaminari addresses the audience directly, while
shinzo Hamayu brushes kamuro Lyn's hair, and shinzo
Kara lounges and watches the fish bowl. 

Oiran Kaminai contemplates her eventual fate as a
courtesan. She wonders what will become with her - in
what state will she eventually leave the pleasure quarters?

Kaminari-san, far left, applies her makeup while her
three attendants practice their dance for the evening's show.

The Oiran has departed to finish preparing for the evening.
The two shinzo practice their duet for the dance at the ageya.

Kaminari-san makes her grand re-entrance into the lounge,
looking every bit the part of an oiran of the highest class.

A full shot of the Oiran's resplendent kimono.



Thursday, November 27, 2014

Anniversary Celebration Recap, Part 2

This final part of our anniversary celebration recap contains the reflections from 4 of the groups within the Shinmachi District. Please enjoy.

Shinmachi District, Overall








Ever changing winds,
the bamboo bends, unbreaking
and we are grateful
swaying in the strong tempests
this ‘new town’ stands, unbroken
-Aisya Destiny, Director of Shinmachi

"Bamboo swept by the elements, remaining pliant and strong, rich and flourishing, despite its battering, returning always to upright growth.” – Barnhart


After six years of operations, all I can say is thank you to everyone who has supported and believed in Shinmachi. Despite our ups and downs, Shinmachi remains committed to bringing the elegant arts of traditional Japanese and Chinese entertainers to Second Life. And so we will continue on into our seventh year of operations, staying as flexible and as strong as the elegant bamboo. 

Tsukinoya















A nightingale's song;
Through a thicket of bamboo,
The moon, grown full, shines brightly.
-Kaminari Mai, Lead Oiran of Tsukinoya

Reflecting back on six years in secondlife has yielded many thoughts on the numerous changes Shinmachi as undergone. And yet, just as the bamboo, we remain strong. And just like the moon, we continue to shine brightly, from the ladies of Tsukinoya, Shinmachi's House of the Moon.

Shinmachi School
A new bamboo shoot,
struggling; but the winds change
and lessons begin
-Aisya Destiny, Sensei of the Shinmachi School


The Shinmachi School is very much a work in progress, but has already started to train students inside and outside of the Shinmachi District in the basics of Japanese RP and performance. As Shinmachi moves towards its seventh year of operations, we plan on seeing an impressive expansion of the school’s work within and outside of the district. We can’t wait!

Yuugana Fuji










In this time of beautiful Autumn day comes celebration.Through the years the Shimachi has grown, yet still remains strong, much like bamboo that flourishes. Continuing with this theme "Bamboo swept by the elements" I have a poem and a picture to share with everyone, please enough.

Bamboo through the Seasons
Sweeping away the lingering snow fall,
gentle spring blooms throughout the land.
Trees regain their greenery and a special few began to bud
While the soft sakura blooms bloom and fade one plant remains true...
The bamboo remains, and continues to grow steadfast
It's slender shoots aim towards the heavens.

Behold Summer in all it's slender,
bold vibrant colors replace the gentler ones of spring
Charming Azaleas, rich purple colored Iris',
even the peony began to bloom
Standing a mist the slender,
the bamboo remains, still growing
undaunted by the summer's heat and sporadic storms

Now, come Autumn in all it's glory,
ending summer's long standing rein.
The leaves begin their downward journey in brilliant shades of  golden rod, orange and rouge
Yet the bamboo remains a stunning green,
growing strong despite the colder winds.

Vibrant colors quickly fading,
the north winds usher in the winter season
Most of the trees' leaves have fallen,
And like the strongest evergreen tree,
the bamboo continues to strive
It's leaves  remaining even during the heaviest snow fall

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.... through all four seasons the bamboo remains strong.
It survives the winds, the rain, heat... and even a few heavy snow falls
May our charming Shinmachi hanamchi continue to survive,
like the bamboo against the elements.
-Kaguyama 香具山, Lead Tayuu of Yuugana Fuji

     




Sunday, November 23, 2014

Anniversary Celebration Recap, Part 1

This past week, we were honored to celebrate the beginning of our seventh year of operations in Second Life and to debut our new location in Keisei. While we continue to pack our furnishings and move into our new land (which is amazing, special thanks to Dow-sama for literally moving mountains for us!), you can see a recap of our celebration below.

Fireworks Odori
We began the celebration with a bang, and held our fireworks odori in the theater at Keisei.
Kaguyama-san, Lead Tayuu of Yuugana Fuji, performs
a solo as part of the fireworks odori.
A shot of all four dancers in the odori; from left to right: Aisya
of the Shinmachi School, Kaminari and Kara of Tsukinoya,
Kaguyama of Yuugana Fuji.
After the odori, we celebrated with some real
fireworks right outside the theater. Lead oiran of
Tsukinoya, Kaminari-san, stands next to her patron.

An Evening of Tanka and Haiku
Our next celebratory event was an evening of tanka and haiku, hosted by the lead tayuu of Yuugana Fuji at the Sengoku Teahouse. Unfortunately, I was too caught up in the beautiful (and occasionally humorous) poetry to take a picture.

An Afternoon with Tsukinoya
The ladies of Tsukinoya took center stage in our next event, and held an amazingly emotional performance titled "An Afternoon with Tsukinoya" in their home in Keisei. In this show, we were given a small glimpse into the lives of the four women within Tsukinoya, and how they prepare for an evening of entertainment.

Oiran Kaminari-san contemplates her eventual fate as a
courtesan within the district.
Oiran Kaminai-san stands center stage, addressing the
audience, as her attendants (Lyn, Kara and Hamayu)
prepare for the evening ahead.
The two shinzo of Tsukinoya (Kara and Hamayu) dance along
side the now fully dressed Oiran, signifying that they are
all headed out for the evening.
Farewell to Autumn Tea Ceremony
We closed our celebration quietly, with a well performed tea ceremony by Kaguyama-san in the Shinmachi Garden. With the tea ceremony, we bid farewell to autumn 2014, and welcomed the start of our seventh year in this virtual world.
Kaguyama-san of Yuugana Fuji prepares tea for those gathered.