History of Geisha - Part I
Geisha Our western images of the geisha were very limited until recent times. When we thought of the country of Japan, we have come to picture the geisha with her painted white face, and cherry red lips. Probably the next image we get is her elegant and colorful kimono, perhaps dancing, singing, playing the traditional 3 stringed instrument known as the "shamisen".
Technically "geisha" refers to "one who lives as art". What "art" are we referring to? It is a multifaceted art, playing the shamisen, drums, dancing, performing the tea ceremony, calligraphy and the ability to converse. The institution of geisha as we know it today, came to be in the late 1800's. Geishas live in communal type areas, or close neighborhoods. These are known as "hanamachi". Here they have their living quarters "okiya", tea houses, and various shops. The head of the household or the "mother" if you will is known as the "okamisan". She looks over and trains her family. Young girls known as "tamago" (meaning egg) are taken in at various ages and perform various household chores and they observe the "maiko" (geisha's in training) and the geishas. At the age of 17 these "tamago" may become "maiko" to train to become geisha.
As maiko, they learn traditional dance, how to play the shamisen.
They will attend
Geisha and maiko are known by their white face makeup and cherry red lips. The maiko only puts red lipstick on her lower lip. Other differences are seen in how the kimono is worn or how the "obi" is tied. She trains for 3-4 years. Around age 20-21, the maiko goes through a ceremony called "erikae", with literally means "to turn the collar" and refers to a manner in which the way the kimono is worn when she becomes a geisha. Now forbidden, there was a time not to long ago when the maiko went through what is called "mizu-age". This was a ritual in which she lost her virginity to the highest bidder. Once a geisha, her makeup changes, and is no longer as bright and starke. Her kimonos are no longer as bright and colorful. The older one gets the more subdued the kimono. Like all cultures where the youth tend to wear brighter fashion statements, the maiko wears bright colorful patterns, like young beautiful butterflies. The older one gets, they become more experienced and poised. Their dress reflect this subtle maturity. Geisha mainly make their living working in teahouses. There they serve beverages, and entertain the guests with charming conversation. Their services are very expensive, and their clients are primarily the rich and powerful. Their lifestyle is a very elegant and expensive lifestyle. Often their livelihood is supplemented by gifts of fine kimonos or even money. Yes these men obviously do get more attention, but that attention does not necessarily include sex. It is strictly up to the individual geisha to decide what her sexual intimacies will be. A geishas training and life are very expensive. The cost of acquiring her either through a "slave trader" or directly from her parents is covered by the "okiya", as she underwrites all of the expenses. She would repay for her training through the years. She could be bought out by a wealthy patron.
History The art of geisha began in the 1600's in the Tokugawa period (1600-1868) in Japan, but did not really take hold as an institution until the late 1800's in the Meiji era (1868-1910's). Originally geisha were men, who entertained. If you can imagine the USO shows in the south pacific, when they had no dames, servicemen crossdressed and put on shows to improve the moral of the men. Eventually all geisha were women. They were not allowed however to compete with the prostitutes. They were kept separate. Geisha play a significant role in the change in governments from Tokugawa to Meiji. Much of the planning of the revolution took place in the Tea Houses. The geisha was cited for keeping her mouth shut, and rewarded for their support with more official support shall we say from the seats of power. With the modernization of Japan and the new materialization of Japanese Culture in the 1920's, geisha soon realized that they must maintain their uniqueness in Japanese culture or soon they would be just like every other bar hostess (jokyu) or cafe girl. With WWII the geisha institution was disbanded. After the war they returned to their old areas, but their numbers were few. The jokyu has assumed the place of the chief "entertainers" (in the western sense), and geisha became an institution celebrating the traditional arts. A war of modern and traditional took place. Prostitutes started calling themselves geisha in order to draw the attention of the American GI's. End Part I ( History - To Be Continued 8/2001)
7/2001
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parties
with the geisha, to learn and observe, but will not have
the responsibilities of the geisha.
