Through the Eyes of a Geisha

Shy, delicate and seclusive. One wonders what goes on behind that thick white makeup and a wig that has so many ornaments hanging from, evidencing its weight and heat in the hot days of summer. Their attires look beautiful and expensive, nothing an ordinary person could dream on wearing daily. Yet, the Geisha are like many things “Japanese” – they are best kept enigmatic, shielded with a degree of mystery and definitely shrouded by its own cultural history. It is estimated that between 40,000 and 80,000 geisha operated nationwide in the early Showa Era (1926-89), though today, only 600 are active in some 40 districts nationwide, mainly in Kyoto.

Many people ask me whether a geisha is some sort of high-class, sophisticate courtesan, and if I feel like being pedantic, my answer will be – it depends on the time we are talking about. The current geisha are highly trained professionals (training lasts ~5 to 6 years), who master traditional dancing, singing, musical instrument playing and the art of conversation. They are hired for parties and events to entertain guests and visitors, but their services do not include any sort of sexual work.
Gion is the most famous district of Kyoto, thanks to its high concentration of geisha. It originally developed in the Sengoku period (1467 – 1600), and is located in front of Yasaka Shrine (formerly known as Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of the travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan. Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in the last one hundred years, the area is still famous for the preservation of the traditional architecture and entertainment.

In Kyoto, the word Geiko (芸子) is used, instead of Geisha (芸者). The former means “woman of arts” and the later, “person of arts”. But for the purpose of these narratives, I will use the word Geisha and Maiko (apprentice of geisha).

We can indeed, trace the roots of geisha to the oldest profession in the world and if we rely solely on written records, it is sometime before the Heian period (794 – 1185). Many girls from impoverished backgrounds or families displaced by wars had to work as “women of pleasure” to earn money. Some of them were better educated, had more polished skills and were better looking than the others. Hence, apart from providing sexual services, they also entertained high-ranking officials with their dancing and singing. Records of when changes happened are scanty, but it seems, by the 18th century, we had three distinguished classes: the Yujo, which were just ordinary prostitutes, the Oiran, who were high-ranking courtesans, also trained in the traditional arts, and the Geisha. The Yujo and Oiran professions were banned by law sometime after the WWII and today they are just legendary or historical characters.

The grassroots and fate of a modern geisha, though, have an unexpected turn. Believe or not, they were initially men. Male geisha had already been around for hundreds of years. Technically, they didn’t call themselves geisha until the 1600s, but the idea had been around for more than 500 years. Since the 13th century, there had been men who did exactly what the geisha did: entertained male lords by serving them tea, performing songs, telling them jokes, and making them feel like the most important person in the room.

Therefore, the literal meaning of the word is Geisha (芸者), is a “person of arts”, rather than a “woman of arts”. The first female geisha appeared in the 1750s and they were vetoed by law from offering sexual services in order to distinguish them from the oiran. And men being men, they preferred to be pampered by a female entertainer, rather than men and the profession changed gender. But before achieving the status they enjoy today, the craft of geisha went through lots of different phases. By the 1830s, geisha were considered to be the fashion and style icons in Japanese society, and were emulated by women of the time. During and after the war, the geisha name lost some status, as prostitutes began referring to themselves as “geisha girls” to attract members of the American military occupying Japan. Today, following the advent of the internet, a greater number of recruits have decided to join the profession through watching online documentaries and reading websites set up by okiya (geisha lodging houses), that inspired young women to join the profession.

"The geisha system was founded, actually, to promote the independence and economic self-sufficiency of women. And that was its stated purpose, and it actually accomplished that quite admirably in Japanese society, where there were very few routes for women to achieve that sort of independence."

Mineko Iwasaki in interview, Boston Phoenix

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