Mao donated her crested kuromontsuki to her former yakata, Minoyae, for Maya to wear on her erikae. Do other geikos who retire sometimes donate their kuromontsuki to their affiliated yakata to have available for use? Not necessarily for erikae, but just to have available.

Sometimes they do, but most elect to keep them or will give them to a close geiko friend rather than their starting okiya. Mao was also Maya's direct onesan, so it was a nice gesture to give it to her imōto to wear on the day of her erikae ^^