Geisha
Geisha are traditional Japanese female entertainers skilled in various arts, including dance, song, and narrative performance. Their unique cultural role involves extensive training that often begins in teenage years, where aspiring geisha, known as maiko, reside in specialized training houses called okiya. These young women are guided by mentors to master traditional crafts, social customs, and the art of hosting. The geisha's distinctive appearance features white face makeup, red accents, and elaborate kimonos, all of which are integral to their identity.
Historically, the term "geisha" encompassed a broader range of professions, including male performers, but by the mid-1800s, it became predominantly associated with women. Despite common misconceptions linking geisha to prostitution, they are respected figures within high society, primarily entertaining in teahouses. As modern influences challenge traditional roles, fewer women are entering this profession, although geisha continue to play a significant role in Japan's cultural heritage. The evolution of the geisha's status reflects broader societal changes, and today, some Westerners, like Fiona Graham (known as Sayuki), have also sought to embrace this unique tradition.
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Geisha
The geisha tradition, unique to Japan, is part of Japanese culture. To become a geisha takes years of rigorous training. Viewed as professional entertainers, the geisha is highly skilled in numerous arts as well as being proficient in the art of entertaining members of high society. Although in earlier times, a geisha might have referred to a range of professions that included males, the traditional geisha from the mid-1800s refers to a woman. The world of the geisha is shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Only recently has the veil been lifted, so that non-geishas or westerners have been able to attain a glimpse of what it takes to become a geisha. The picture generally conceived is of a beautiful Japanese woman with a face painted white, makeup articulating specific painted features. She is dressed in a kimono of exquisite colors and design, her black wig hairdo set atop her head, and fan in hand. What is hidden is the intensive and immaculate training she undergoes to achieve her stature and to be able to perform her role as geisha tradition demands.
Brief History
The term geisha has various connotations in different historical periods of Japan. Doctors and certain scholars were referred to as geishas in the Edo period, between 1603 and 1868. Bugeisha was the name given to martial arts experts, with the prefix bu meaning military. From 1868 to 1912, the Meiji period classified foreign language teachers as geishas. Puppeteers of the Bunraku Theater were coined geishas, as were Kabuki dancers. With the passage of time, geisha became the term used for entertainers, not within the realm of the stage but in the private domain. The understanding of who or what is considered to be geisha is assumed in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries to refer to the tradition of the private entertainer geisha.
The word geisha translates as performer or entertainer. Originally performed by men, the role transitioned to women around the mid-eighteenth century. There is a misconception of geisha and prostitute being synonymous. Teahouses, the domain of geisha entertainment, became the center for high-class acts and beautifully hosted events with the geisha as a respected woman of society. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the art was at a peak. For a period following 1875 and the establishment of the Kyoto Spring Festival, geisha entertainment took place publically rather than only in the teahouses. By the end of the nineteenth century, the amount of geishas recorded was in the tens of thousands. As the twentieth century and modernism unfolded, the role of the geisha came under question. The notion of becoming westernized versus maintaining tradition was a pertinent issue in Japan. What this meant to geisha culture was a loss of stature as fashion icon and highly thought-of entertainer, to a smaller population of geisha women who uphold the tradition. This may mean in certain instances assuming the dress and the function as entertainer or hostess on a specific occasion, rather than actually living the geisha life. Geishas are still in demand in the twenty-first century. Their role may be more prevalent in the hotel or specialized restaurant industry, where their entertainment and hosting skills are utilized per the tradition.
Overview
A geisha is highly accomplished in the art of dance, song, and narrative singing. She is well versed in the method of acting as hostess with refinement and grace.
Geisha Training. Traditionally, a young teenager would commence her training as a geisha as young as thirteen. Due to statutory laws pertaining to education, the age later became closer to sixteen. The decision to become a geisha and undergo the process of training involves the young girl leaving her home in order to reside in the specialized training house. Trainees are not called geisha; instead the title they are given is maiko. The maiko girls live in a geisha home, known as an okiya, arranged like the teahouse in which they work. An older mentor or sister, an onesan, is appointed to ensure the training is perfect as well as establishing a sense of sisterhood that is intended to last a lifetime. The teahouse forms an integral part of the training experience and is the center of geisha entertainment. Training comprises gaining a high level of expertise in the art of playing traditional Japanese instruments and learning how to sing and dance. The instruments they are taught to play include the shamisen, a traditional three-stringed instrument, and the shakuhachi, a clarinet made of thick bamboo. In addition to acquiring the performance skills, training incorporates the social skills and customs associated with geisha entertainment and the polished interactions required with customers and clients (generally men).
Face Painting. Face painting of a geisha is uniquely part of the tradition. A thick white makeup is painted onto the face and neck. The eyes and eyebrows are accented with black and red. Red lipstick is placed on the lip area in a clearly defined line. The makeup of a geisha forms part of the elaborate training procedure. Considerable time is set aside to prepare the skin and to perfect each section of the makeup applied according to a specific routine.
Today. In the twenty-first century, the geisha may be at risk of fading to a certain extent. The acceptability of women becoming more independent and having access to other modes of education and self-development has played a part in less women choosing to enter the world of the geisha. Tricia Salvador posits that the role of the geisha has evolved into one of historic cultural identity within Japanese culture.
Geisha is associated with Japanese women in Japanese culture. The first European woman to enter the ranks of the geisha and actually be awarded the title is Fiona Graham, now known as Sayuki. An Australian female anthropologist with a PhD from Oxford, Graham decided to enter the geisha world, undergo the training, and become a full-fledged geisha. This has not been without controversy, with the professional geisha organization claiming that she has brought the profession into disrepute. Sayuki continues to work as a geisha and has offered insights into the geisha world and training.
Bibliography
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