Hera Joy L.

Delgado

What is
a
Geisha?
Geisha (/e/ .The word
consists of two kanji, (gei)
meaning "art" and (sha)
meaning "person" or "doer".
The most literal translation
of geisha into English would
be "artist," "performing
artist," or "artisan." Another
name for geisha is geiko (
). A geisha is a woman
highly trained in the arts of
music, dance and
entertaining. She spends
many years learning to play
various musical instruments,
sing, dance and be the
perfect hostess in a party of
men. A geisha, when she is
working, is just that: the
illusion of female perfection.

History
As early as late 600s in Japan, there have been 'female
entertainers' hosting gatherings, pouring sake and
offering company to men. Known as 'saburuko' translated as 'serving girls' - some of these women sold
sexual services, while others simply hosted high-class
occasions. And around 794 the culture of the geisha
began to emerge.
The first geishas were actually men, entertaining
customers waiting to see the most popular and gifted
courtesans (oiran). Later on the female entertainers
called themselves Geisha after the male entertainers.
By 1800, being a geisha was considered a female
occupation.

World War II brought a huge decline in the geisha

arts because most women had to go to factories or
other places to work for Japan. The geisha name also
lost some status during this time because prostitutes
began referring to themselves as "geisha girls.
When they regrouped themselves after the war, they
bring back traditional standards in the profession,
though with increased rights for the geisha.
Before there are about 80,000 geisha in the whole
country but nowadays there are just about 1,000
left. The simultaneous growth of Japanese industry,
which opened other opportunities for women, further
contributed to the decline of the geisha industry.

The Rankings
The gokagai of Kyoto are its five geisha
districts, also known as hanamachi ("flower
towns"):
Gion Kbu
Pontoch
Kamishichiken
Gion Higashi
Miyagawa-cho
Hot-spring Geisha

Stages in the Life of a

Geisha
Shikomi : Prior to becoming an apprentice

geisha, a young woman helps the maiko and

geisha in her okiya and does chores around the
house to earn her keep.
Misedashi : Around the age of 15, a shikomi
finds a mentor and undergoes the misedashi
ceremony. This ceremony binds them together as
sisters, and the new maiko begins her training to
become a geisha. She now has a new name that
is derived from the name of the mentor.

Maiko : As an apprentice geisha, a maiko spends

about five years learning the arts of music, dance,

and hostessing. She attends parties to observe and
be seen.
Erikae : The Erikae (turning of the collar)
ceremony marks the transition from maiko to
geisha.
Geisha: Throughout her career, a geisha lives in
the district in which she works. She spends her
time entertaining, studying arts and performing. If
she binds herself to a danna (patron), she may
move out of the okiya into her own apartment.
Hiki-iwai: The hiki-iwai ceremony marks a geishas
retirement. She no longer entertains at parties, and
she may discontinue her studies.

APPEARA
NCE
A geisha's appearance
changes throughout her
career, from the girlish,
heavily made-up maiko,
to the more sombre
appearance of an older
established geisha.
Different hairstyles and
hairpins signify different
stages of a girl's
development and even a
detail as minute as the
length of one's eyebrows
is significant. Short
eyebrows are for the
young and long eyebrows
display maturity.

Modern Geisha
Modern geisha still live in traditional geisha houses
called okiya in areas called hanamachi (
"flower towns"), particularly during their
apprenticeship. Many experienced geisha are
successful enough to choose to live independently.
Before the 20th century, geisha trainign began at a
very young age. Now, girls begin their training
after completing middle school, high school, or
even college. Geishas still studies traditional arts.
But there is a decline on their numbers as most
people now dont have interest on traditional arts.

NonJapanese
Geisha
Liza Crihfield Dalby
(born 1950) is an
American
anthropologist and
novelist specializing in
Japanese culture. For
her graduate studies,
Dalby studied and
performed fieldwork in
Japan of the geisha
community which she
wrote about in her
Ph.D. dissertation. For
her to be able to
understand the lives of
a geisha she became
one.

ICHIGIKU

FIONA GRAHAM
She is from Melbourne,
Australia. Afterattending
Japans prestigious Keio
University, she went on
to study a doctorate in
social anthropology at
Oxford, where she
developed a particular
interest in the exclusive
geisha world. She
debuted under a geisha
name Sayuki.
Sayuki began work on a
documentary about the
culture, and said that she
found herself drawn into
the world completely.

SAYUKI

Historical Significance
The geisha of Japan have played a significant role in
defining the culture of the country. They leave a
distinct mark on the minds of the international
world. Their unique mannerisms and high demand
as entertainers have allowed them to be a part of
the Japanese culture for the last four centuries. At
a time when women in the world were unable to
have control in a male dominated society, the
geisha were able to lead an independent lifestyle
in an undegrading way, thus further proving the
uniqueness of Japan.
Memoirs of a Geisha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdgqWPdsA0