Info/plans for Kankame/Kanki Inari Yoimiya?
There's an Inari shrine in East Gion called Kankame Inari (観亀稲荷), where geiko and maiko have an event in mid May. Based on the videos I've found, there's a little walk around the district, a short dance, a beer counter. Personally, I think it would be very interesting to see hanamachi natives socialize, maybe even chat to a few. Understandably, the event is not widely advertised, I couldn't find any definitive information online, and when I went to the shrine last night, all I saw were two strips of paper saying
"May 15th, 11am execution" (as in performance, 執行) and
"May 14th, 5-9:30pm"
Without any extrapolation. And then some of the videos I found have the recording date as May 13th, 2025, which is a bit worrying.
Hence my two questions:
Does anybody know for sure when the event is held? Apparently last year they held Shirasagi-no-Mai, and the proper version at that, so I'm mentally prepared to come every evening just in case, but I'd rather avoid that.
Does anybody else plan on going? I don't know much about geiko culture and will mainly be there for photo/video (and white herons!), but it would be nice to have company, especially if it's somebody who can offer some insight into the ways of Gion.
PS
I find it very interesting that this small shrine uses the word Yoimiya to describe the night before the festival, I think I have only seen that word in relation to Gion matsuri, but maybe I just haven't been paying attention. Still, I can't be the only one who sees the festival's connection to Gion matsuri, since (according to unverified sources, https://youtu.be/au5o01MIVGQ?t=183) in 1956 the organizers have began arranging a white heron dance, which has historically been a part of the float procession. And unlike the heron dance performed by children during the Mikoshi purification procession (and the analogous dance performed in Asakusa), this one seems to be recreated based on the Tsuwano tradition, which seems to match the historical depictions of the heron dance much closer (the dance was originally transmitted from Kyoto to Tsuwano).
Here's a rather long read, if you are curious:
https://hosei.ecats-library.jp/da/repository/00024135/20_thesis_kahlow.pdf