Information about Geisha

Japanese Geisha (Geisha) originated in Tokyo and Osaka in the 17th century. The original Geisha were all men who made a living performing dances and musical instruments in brothels and amusement parks, and in the middle of the 18th century, the profession was gradually replaced by women, a tradition that has continued to this day.

Before World War II, most geisha were forced to take up the profession in order to make a living. Today, there are still a few Japanese women in the Geisha profession.

Most of the women who work in the Geisha industry are beautiful, with beautiful costumes, specializing in song and dance, and their main occupation is to drink and have fun with their clients. The Geisha industry is a performing art, not a pornographic show, not to mention the sale of sex. However, this contains the male and female elements of pleasure, so it is called Geisha. Geisha elegant and not vulgar place, not only because it is different from the brothel, but also because it is not abusive, do not know people are difficult to intervene, most of them are acquaintances or celebrities introduced. Geisha mostly in the Museum of Fine Arts guests, but sometimes also invited to the teahouse restaurant accompanied by guests as art. The industry stipulates that geisha are not allowed to get married during the period of their employment, or else they must retire first, in order to maintain the "pure" image of the geisha.

The geisha industry in Japan was once quite developed, with tens of thousands of people working in tens of thousands of geisha houses in Kyoto as a centralized area. However, after World War II, the geisha industry went into a major depression, and it was only during the period after the economic recovery that geisha flourished again, with the rise of the corporate public relations industry and the boom in tourism, and in the late 80's and early 90's, there were still several hundred geisha left. However, with the bursting of the bubble economy and the recession of the Japanese economy, the business of the companies decreased, and the geisha industry fell into the doldrums again. It is estimated that there are only about 200 geisha in Kyoto at present, and the opportunities for accompanying customers have been greatly reduced, which can be said to be "a cold place in front of the door, and the horses and carriages are scarce". The decline of the geisha industry is indisputable, with some geikan being converted to other uses, costumes and musical instruments being sold or rented out, and geisha working as entertainers in nightclubs.

Traditionally, the geisha was not seen as a lowly person in the past, and many families were proud to have their daughters in the arts. On the contrary, many families were proud to have their daughters enter the art world, because it not only showed that the family was highly educated, but also that they had enough money to pay for their daughters to learn the art. This idea is less prevalent today, but the Geisha is still regarded as something special. In fact, it is not easy to become a Geisha. Learning the art, usually starting at the age of 10, is a grueling 5-year program that includes lessons in culture, etiquette, language, decorations, poetry, books, and the qin and se, as well as bowing and pouring sake. From the age of 16, they can go into the sea as a maiko and then as a geisha until they are 30 years old. If you get older, you can still work as a Geisha, but you will be demoted to the position of a young and famous Geisha. As for the way out of old age, most of them are not very optimistic. The ideal is to marry a rich man and live a stable life, but this is rare. Some use their skills to run an art school or class, which is also very good. If you have the opportunity to enter the company as an image of Miss, although only a "vase", can still show the former style. Of course, there are also a lot of people fall into the vulgar as a servant, or even fall into the greenhouse, it is very unfortunate.

The decline of the geisha has also prompted some reforms to adapt to the requirements of the times, such as hiring women outside of Kyoto to join, change the face, set up a bar in the teahouse to attract late-night customers, etc., but the results are not very good. The reason is that in the eyes of modern young men and women, Geisha has become obsolete. What satisfied Japanese men most was the art of geisha conversation. Whether it is international news or gossip, they know it all. They know how to appeal to men's egos and are good at reading men's moods. Their work is actually very stressful, while the men get completely relaxed.

Cultivating a Geisha invested a lot of money, but once it became famous, the price is also very high, especially young and beautiful senior Geisha price is higher, the general staff dare not ask for, but the rich and famous ﹑ flower rich ﹑ large enterprises and large corporations but do not hesitate to throw a thousand dollars. When the economy is booming, large companies to solicit business, always have to Geisha as a means of public relations. Geisha although the decline still exists, but the scenery is no longer, the decline is the trend, the demise is only a matter of time. It is worth noting that the geisha who still work in the industry have not lost their confidence. They felt that the geisha were the "face" of Kyoto and Japan and should be preserved. They even traveled around the world to increase their value. Some of them are even more explicit: Geisha is the symbol of Kyoto, and it is important to preserve this traditional and ancient culture. In recent years, there has been a tit-for-tat struggle between the decline and rise of geisha, and between preservation and abandonment.

The world of the Japanese geisha has always been a mysterious one. Their profession is known as the "flower and willow world". The young and beautiful Geisha with their powdered faces and heavy makeup have charmed countless men. However, when you enter their world, you will find that the life of a real Geisha is something else.

Do "famous geisha" to pay the hard work

The reporter visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Mukojima, is one of the only six remaining "Hanayagi". ***There are 18 kaiten, or high-class hotels, that offer geisha services. Currently, 156 Geisha, ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old, live and work here. Traditionally, Geisha must belong to a certain "group". They then go through "Shugyo," or training, before going to a banquet or performing on stage. The "Mukaijima Mukati Group" is both a management organization and a training facility for geisha. Here, this reporter visited the Geisha's training center with a sense of wonder and excitement, and learned more about the true meaning of the word "Geisha".

What the word "Geisha" means

At the entrance, the reporter saw clogs arranged in a very neat row, and the large glass windows were filled with small wooden plaques with the names of the Geisha, which gave the impression that the place was in order. Into the interior of the sound of drums and flutes. In one room, seven women dressed in plain kimonos were dancing, and the Director of Combined Affairs explained that they were receiving professional training in Japanese dance. Sure enough, a kimono man sits against the wall in the room, barking orders to the dancers, reminding them to keep their bodies soft and supple. In another room, the geisha were practicing their music, drummers and flute players, all sitting very still and serious. Next to the drumming practice was the song class, where two geisha practiced the sanchin and sang Japanese songs under the guidance of their teacher. Their voices were warm and melodious, and their rhythmic cadences conveyed traditional rhythms. In this small "group", the geisha learn to play and sing as much as they can until they become proficient. So the simple word "art" is so profound that it may take them a lifetime to master it and become a "famous geisha!

Face painted white because there was no electric light in the past

In a large single room with a stage, the reporter watched the Geisha's dance performances, which was also their real state of "work". Only to see the different ages of the size of the geisha, put on heavy makeup, wearing brightly colored kimono, simply with the practice of the time a different person. Between performances, the reporter and a young geisha called "Orange" to talk. She is only 22 years old, 18 years old into the "Hanayagi", aspiring to become a geisha. She says she has little time for leisure. She wakes up around 9:00 a.m. in the morning, then goes here for training, returns home after lunch, takes a bath and starts to prepare her makeup, and is usually ready to "accompany" her clients around 6:00 p.m. She gets off work around 2:00 p.m. late at night. She gets off work late at night, around 2:00 p.m., and goes back to her dormitory to rest. She said that Geisha not only to song, dance and music all-round, but also to learn to receive guests, training in the skills of speech, so that guests happy. The reporter asked her if she had any worries about being a Geisha. She smiled and said the main thing is to drink too much alcohol, which can damage the body. So, one has to always take medication to protect one's liver. Many of her sisters are like that.

Making women more feminine

Close examination of Orange's makeup showed that while her face was all white, the corners of her eyes were dabbed with red, while her hands had no makeup whatsoever. An older geisha said the red color had no special meaning, but just made the women more feminine. The dance teacher added that the reason why the Geisha's faces were painted very white was because in the past there were no electric lights, but candles, and that was the only way to make them look more beautiful. As for the Geisha's hands, they were not painted white to show that they were clean, so that they could reassure the guests when providing food and drink services.

Disappearing Cultural Landscape

Geisha society is highly regulated by various precepts. For example, women were not allowed to marry, but they could find a man to be their "dana" (sponsor). In order to avoid competition, a man could only be the "dana" of one woman. Legend has it that a woman born in the year of the "Bunun" will bring disaster to a man and should not get married. As a result, many Japanese women were sent by their parents to the hanayagi world, where they remained alone for the rest of their lives. Because of their ability to sing and dance, and their commitment to chastity, geisha were adored by many of the most powerful and influential people in Japan.

Now a sunset industry

As times have changed, similar precepts no longer exist in Japan. Because of the rigorous training and hard life of the Geisha, as well as the fact that they are a service industry that focuses on pleasing men, the industry has become a kind of sunset industry, and their numbers are dwindling. It is said that there are now only about 200 people who can truly be called Geisha. Kyoto is the largest concentration of geisha, and there are currently five "hanamachi" (geisha districts) in Kyoto. Japan's "Sightseeing Kyoto Network" offers a special service for dining with a maiko***. A maiko is a geisha who has not yet graduated. Because they are younger than geisha, they are very popular and expensive. A meal at a high-class restaurant accompanied by a maiko can cost as much as 7,500 yen for a 90-minute service.

Geisha-like public relations girls

In order to attract tourists, many areas in Japan have introduced geisha-like public relations girl services. These are either college graduates or high school students. They are trained in some of the skills necessary for Geisha, but none of them can be called real Geisha. In order to promote the development of the Geisha sector, Kyoto also introduced the Geisha Pension. The aim was to attract more young people by providing a secure retirement for this ancient profession. However, this did not stop the decline of the Geisha industry. Today, the image of the Geisha with her smiling face is being used as a symbol of Japanese culture, a symbol of the society's quest for the perfect woman.