NHK WORLD PRIME (2017) : 5x22

Kyoto Prefecture's entertainment districts, called Kagai, are famous for the young maiko girls who live and work there. The maiko serve guests and entertain with high-quality performances of Japanese traditional arts. Yamanaka Emiko, age 92, has been putting maiko's hair up in their unique styles for half a century. She is like a grandmother to the young maiko. In the hour or so they sit and get their hair tied up, the girls talk about what's on their minds and share their innermost feelings. As the coronavirus raged on in early 2021, the Kagai districts were forced into a predicament. This documentary features no narration, and the conversations between Yamanaka and the maiko acutely portray the struggles they face under the current situation.