Start Date: 2024-01-26T15:00:00Z
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If anyone’s wondering the same thing I was, I’m pretty sure the things that Kiyo is washing on page 77-78 are jika-tabi.
Kinda interesting that Kiyo’s doing the washing here only because noone else was available - in the drama version, this balcony scene with the girl in the neighbouring house is a regular ocurrence.
I’m still trying to figure out how those coathangers go over the washing poles.
Start Date: 2024-02-02T15:00:00Z
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Well, now I want karaage too.
It bugs me a tiny bit that on page 92, two of the maiko walk into the kitchen, but in the following panels, there’s at least four of them. Possibly five. Think what it needs is panels with motion in them - they’re standing at the door, then they’re standing at the sink, then they’re standing at the table, but where’s the girl in the middle of walking across the room in the second panel, or in the middle of sitting down on the stool in the third, and so forth?
Me too! 
In case anyone else was baffled about the bag that Momohana carries around in pages 96-98 like I was, apparently it’s called an お座敷かご and is made of a basket at the bottom connected to a cloth drawstring bag at the top.
Start Date: 2024-02-09T15:00:00Z
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Bit of a rapid-fire sequence of real-world locations on page 108, there. Panel 1 is the front gate of Yasaka Shrine, panel 2 is Minamiza Theatre, panel 3 Shijo Bridge, and panel 4 is the Takashimaya building. Right down the middle of Shijo-dori. First panel of page 109 is probably something famous too, though I don’t recognise it enough to guess where it is. By page 110, she’s back on the east side of the river again, at Tatsumi Shrine.
Start Date: 2024-02-16T15:00:00Z
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It’s probably apparent what’s going on from the context, but if anyone’s wondering what that thing in the second panel of page 116 is, it’s a stencil to draw the makeup edge on the neck accurately. The day-to-day version of the makeup is drawn free-hand in a shape called 襟足, but for formal occasions (like a maiko’s debut), they use a different shape called 三本足, which is applied with this stencil to get the edges sharp. More info: linky.
It’s called 切火.
Yes! They look just like that, it’s funny that it’s also a relatively easy way to make pasta with a shape
Finally made it back to schedule and will be reading with the club again!
Start Date: 2024-02-23T15:00:00Z
Final chapter of the volume!
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I love that the single most horrifying thing is that she was caught saying こいしょ as she stood up.
But yeah, her going “I can’t let them know I’m suffering” was a real mood whiplash. Have you tried… not suffering?
Anyway, some stealth real-world things on page 133.
Panel 1 is dorayaki from Oboroya Zuiundo
Panel 2 is mamemochi from Demachi Futaba
Panel 3 is popcorn from Kyoto Kameyoshi
Panel 4 is matcha shortcake (?) from Patisserie Tendresse
Panel 6 is some… kind of baked apple? from Raguneau Sasaki - this place appears to lack a branch in Kyoto (any more?), so I’ve linked main store in Hirosaki (Aomori) instead.
Ohh, yeah, I read this chapter last night in bed and couldn’t quite put my finger on why it wasn’t satisfying. Then I read your comment and I realized oh yeah, it’s all about Suuchan not letting the other maiko help her. It’s nice that Kiyo is there, but …
Anyway, I feel like this chapter is a good microcosm of how this manga sometimes feels sort of distant and … almost disjointed? Still super cute obviously, but it feels like so many parts of the story are skipped or only shown in retrospect. I wonder if the story structure will tighten up at some point, like we are still only in the introductory phase? Cause if it continues to go at this pace it feels like we’ll be all the way through Suuchan/Momohana’s career in just a few more volumes. (Actually don’t know how long maiko/geiko careers last, so that could be off by a lot, but still.)
Also, I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations for realist fiction or entertaining non-fiction about the world of maiko? I’m learning a lot from this, but it’s one of those situations where it feels like learning more is only making me realize how little I really know.
I’ve completed the series so I can answer some of the questions, but of course it’s in summary tags + spoiler tags, not sure you want to know now maybe you prefer to find out by yourself!
The Maiko training is 5 years
I believe they are around 15 when they arrive in Kyoto
Not really. There’s a whole plot line where she sprains her ankle but convince people that she wants to perform anyway 
At the beginning you only get those glimpses of their life, what are specific things to the Maiko life, and time goes by quickly, one, two years. Then around volume 13 the story picks up a bit and it’s almost continuous from then on
