Why do Japanese geisha paint their faces white?

Japanese geisha not only painted their faces very white, but also their necks very white. This custom, or habit, originated in Japan in the17th century. As we all know, in the17th century, there was no such great invention as electric light. If the makeup is not thick enough, the effect on the face will not be seen at all. Many geisha perform at night. If they can't even see clearly, there is no need to perform.

At that time, the Japanese still used candles. Although the makeup of Japanese geisha looks a little scary to us today, at that time, the candlelight was weak. Against the backdrop of candlelight, this makeup is not so scary. Instead, the guests saw the five senses of geisha, highlighted the beauty of geisha and won the favor of the guests. So geisha were asked to paint their faces very white. Some people even say that a geisha can reflect candlelight after painting her face white.

Moreover, Japanese geisha like to turn their mouths into cherry mouths, and the parts that are not painted with red pigment will be painted with white, which forms a very obvious symmetry with the red lips. In their aesthetics, they think that small lips are a kind of introverted female beauty. Red lips and white skin color, such makeup, is particularly beautiful in the eyes of the Japanese.

In Japan, there is a view that the most beautiful place for women is the neck, so many Japanese kimonos are low-necked at the back to show the neck of girls. Therefore, many geisha will paint their faces white when performing, and they will paint their necks white with heavy makeup. This kind of makeup can give people a mysterious feeling and attract others' attention.

Later, such makeup became popular, and a white and flawless face became the pursuit of Japanese women.

So Japanese geisha like to paint their faces white. Geisha is a very popular job in Japan.