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 Toyoka
Pontocho Hanamachi, Kyoto
Toyoka was born near the Kabuki Theatre in Osaka before the second world war. No doubt the fact that Toyoka's aunt was a geisha played a major influence on Toyoka at an early age in her life.
At the age of five, Toyoka made her first stage debut in the Ashibe Odori of the Osaka Nanchi Geisha Quarter. She was a pupil at the Yamamura School of dancing in her early days of training. With the end of the second world war allowing geisha to practice their profession again, she became a maiko in Pontocho and took up dance training at the Wakayagi School.
After a year and a half of training as a maiko, Toyoka finally turned her collar (eri-kae) and became a full-fledge Geisha. Toyoka also held a diploma as a master of the taiko and is entitled to use the name of Hiroko Tosha.
Toyoka's story was referenced from "Geisha of Pontocho" by PD Perkins. Her photograph is from the 1954 Miyako Odori program.
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