Geisha.pdf

Behind

the

Painted

Smile

Lauren Lockard

Honors Research Advisory Seminar RSCH 3001 CRN: 23695

Winter Term February 2009

Dr. James R. Moulton

Table of Contents

IntroductionÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ................ 1

Chapter One: A Brief History of the Origins of the Geisha..ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ. 3

Chapter Two: The Pathway to Become a GeishaÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.È.......... 7

Chapter Three: The Way of the Geisha ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ

A. Geisha Rites of PassageÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ..È..

B. BanquetsÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ...

Chapter Four: The LookÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.

A. HairstylesÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ..

B. Hair AccessoriesÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.......

C. Make-UpÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.......

D. ClothingÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ

E. AccessoriesÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ...

Chapter Five: The SkillsÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.

A. Musical InstrumentsÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.

B. Nō TheaterÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.....

C. Miscellaneous SkillsÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.

Chapter Six: Hot Springs ÐGeishaÑÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.ÈÈ... 27

ConclusionÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.. 29

AppendixÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.È... 31

GlossaryÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.. 33

EndnotesÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ.ÈÈ 40

BibliographyÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ........ 42

Lockard 1

Introduction

The geisha is the aristocrat of the mizu-shobai (water business)Èbut she is not a prostituteÈHer business is to

sell a dream-of luxury, romance, and exclusivity-to the wealthiest and most powerful men in JapanÈ 1

-Jodi Cobb

For many years the world of the geisha, often referred to as the flower and willow world,

has perplexed and intrigued people around the world. The most common image of a geisha is a

white faced, red lipped, kimono clad, glorified prostitute, but in truth they are so much more. A

true geisha is a person of art and can be male or female. To become a geisha requires more skill

and dedication than the Western World is able to comprehend and because of that, the

misconception is, more often than not, upheld. Arthur GoldenÓs critically acclaimed book and

feature film Memoirs of a Geisha was able to open the eyes of the Western World to the beauty,

grace, and plight of these women; however, there is much more than meets the eye.

The geisha culture is the only business in Japan that is run exclusively by women for the

pleasure of men and has been successful for many centuries. In this society, where a woman's

place was either in the home or in the brothel, the geisha carved out a separate niche, creating a

community of women that became known as the karyuaki (flower and willow world). Despite

the often harsh realities of this world, a geisha could gain an education of sorts, acquire an art,

make her own money, establish an independent identity, run a business, pursue romance, and

sometimes find true love.

The heart of the geisha life lay in two Japanese cities, Kyoto and Tokyo. One, Kyoto, is a

snapshot in time of the geisha of the past; living in the hanamachi with their geisha family,

learning the arts, and preserving the way of the geisha. The other, Tokyo, is struggling to retain

the dwindling geisha arts where technology advancement threatens to take over. In Kyoto an

Lockard 2

apprentice geisha is referred to as a maiko , person of dance, and a fully fledged geisha is a geiko ,

person of art. In Tokyo the names are hangyoku , because sharing in the company of an

apprentice would only result in half of a charge, and ippon , meaning literally Ðone full pointÑ,

respectively. For ease, rather than use their Japanese names the words Ðapprentice geishaÑ and

ÐgeishaÑ will be used. This is because this paper will focus on both Kyoto and Tokyo geisha and

to use one or both sets of names would become quite confusing. For convenience, there is a

glossary at the end of this paper where the definitions of italicized words are provided.

This paper will discuss the history of the geisha, clearly define the steps that must be

taken to become part of this exclusive society, the difference between an apprentice geisha, who

is most often seen by the public, and an actual geisha, and the skills acquired during the

extensive journey. The ultimate objective of this paper is to show that a geisha is something that

a prostitute can never hope to be.

Lockard 3

Chapter One: A Brief History of the Origin of the Geisha

How these conspiring courtesans allure men without resorting to force is beyond our comprehension.

-Anonymous 1

The history of the geisha began during the Japanese Renaissance when the class system

that previously governed Japan was being turned on its head. During this time, the first of the

pleasure quarters, called Yanagimichi , was built by a man with an entrepreneurial spirit named

Hideyoshi Toytomi. Before the Renaissance, the samurai had been directly under the shogun ,

and they still were, but they were forbidden from retaining other employment and as a result,

they were struggling survive on their stipend. To survive they had to borrow money and the

direct result was an increase in the income for the money lenders. To prevent the merchants from

overtaking the samurai, edicts were frequently passed forbidding them from using their wealth to

do things such as wear silk or live in three story houses. There was no tax system, but in order to

keep the merchants in line every so often the shogunate would come up with reasons to

confiscate everything.

Since no one wanted to relinquish all of their hard earned wealth to the government,

squandering their wealth became a common habit, but since there were edicts preventing the

merchants from acquiring silver and gold, the only option left was to go into the pleasure

quarters to squander their wealth rather than lose it. This caused the pleasure quarters to prosper

which was not what the shogun wanted in any way, shape, or form. He believed that if he walled

in all of the people and things that were directly related to pleasure, the upstanding citizens

would eventually get tired of having to travel to indulge themselves. However, the lure of sex

and other sensual pleasures combined with the "elegance, culture, and brilliant conversation with

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