Cosmetics Supported by Geisha Gain Popularity

When Japan’s top geisha prepare for a party, they rely on one company — Chidoriya. An international success story, this family business sells traditional, organic products and beautiful accessories to both working geisha and elegant ladies worldwide.

The company was established by HORIKIRI Osamu in 1949. Now run by his daughter HORIKIRI Tomomi, she recalls how the company started. “My father was inspired by the graceful geisha in Kyoto’s geisha district of Gion,” she says. “When they needed a special bag for carrying a dancing fan and cosmetics, he designed and created it.”

Five decades after Osamu began, Chidoriya was selling over a hundred products. Former make-up artist Tomomi took a chance and established the company in New York. It was an immediate success. “One beauty expo in 1999 was all it took. Soon we had a distribution deal with the best-known beauty boutiques in NYC.” This sparked even more interest back in Japan. “Isetan in Shinjuku and Barneys Japan have contacted us. Now we sell our original products at some selected retail shops.”

All our products have a heart and soul What is the secret of Chidoriya’s success? “People have become sensitive to where their products come from,” she explains, “We use organic cold pressed oil and traditional recipes to create original natural skin care with unique packaging. Those small details lift up the product’s quality and people love them. Also, we believe all our products have a heart and soul, so we treat them as gently as we treat our customers. Our products talk and smile to our clientele!”

Chiyoda’s best sellers remain the classic geisha beauty products, ‘Azuki Bean & Brown Sugar Facial Soap’ and ‘100% Pure Camellia Oil.’ The number of working geisha may be falling, but these elegant women remain the company’s inspiration. “Our shops are now full of customers of many ages and looks, fromschool girls in punk clothes to 86-year-old ladies with excellent skin. But we still learn so many different aspects of beauty from geisha themselves. They give us hints for new products.”

Tomomi is looking firmly to the future. “We are interested in handing down our artistic sensibility, traditional technique and natural skin care formulations to the next generation.” And whatever the economic future holds, she is confident her products will fly off the shelves. “My father always says that even in times of war and turmoil, cosmetics are one of the staples for women that continue to sell.”

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