Small is beautiful!!

These little name plates are hang on the outer wall just beside the entrance of Okiya, a place to send Maiko or Geisha to Ochaya just during parties. Ochaya is a traditional restaurant, serving elegant cuisine, where guests sit on tatami mat and enjoy dining, drinking, chatting with Maiko or Geisha and watching them dancing and playing some music with some instrument.

By the way, each name on the plates is Maikos' and Geishas', who belong to this Okiya. Nick names for working are to be given to each Maiko or Geisha. Its name consists of two or three Chinese letters, as is shown on the photo and the photo shows that all the names has the same one character. The character has been passed on to the names of younger Maikos at the Okiya, like other Okiyas.

This Okiya have passes on the letter, Ko, 小, meaning small or petite. The letter is well suited to the cuteness of Maiko. Plus, Mame, 豆, is often used for the name of Maikos, too. Mame originally means beam but also have a meaning of "little" or "petite".

Japanese seems to prefer the smaller to the larger. Small is beautiful!