Have you ever wondered about the mysterious Geishas of Japan, with their colourful kimonos and unique make-up, their cherry lips and their elegant wigs? Becoming a geisha requires years of intensive training and it is, in fact, an art form that involves music, dance and the intricate etiquettes that make up a Geisha. Let's dive a little more into the history and discussions around this fascinating and mysterious tradition.
The background of the Geishas can be traced back to the women of the Saburuko culture of 7th century Japan and the Shirabyoshi culture of 13th century Japan. These women performed for the nobility and also offered intimate favours. It was not until the 16th century that these activities were confined to places called "pleasure quarters", outside of which the entertainment between men and women would be prohibited. During this period, the women from these neighbourhoods who entertained the men with various art forms were called "Tayuu". However, it was at the beginning of the 18th century in Japan that these exclusive entertainment centres began to attract more attention, where the geisha culture first began to rise. But the interesting fact is that these artists were men in the beginning. Much later, young girls started performing dance, music and poetry and started calling themselves Geisha. The word Geisha means "Gei" for the arts and "Sha" for the person. Originally, Geishas accompanied the Oiran, who were courtesans highly prized by the nobility. Contrary to popular opinion, Geishas were not allowed to form intimate relationships with clients, their role being rather to entertain the male public with their show. But male visitors to the " pleasure districts " began to take a greater interest in Geishas because of their easier availability than the Oirans, who held very high statuses.
With the 2nd World War and the wave of westernization in Japan, the Geisha culture saw major transformations. It started with the interaction of the American army with the Japanese culture and the huge misunderstanding of the cultures. Some Japanese prostitutes deliberately called themselves geishas to attract the US military men so that they would be more valued, because geishas were very well-liked and that's where the confusion started. Although in Japanese culture, a geisha is known to be an artist and an entertainer, in the West, however, due to a lack of knowledge and cultural interaction, the association of the geisha with prostitution is quite common. Another commonly believed idea is that Geisha’s entertain men only but in the contrary, the Geisha have audiences which includes both men and women.
Today, the Geisha culture is disappearing. Mainly because of the rigorous training required to become a Geisha from the early age of 5 and the renouncing, if any, of any other interest and marital life in order to become a Geisha. Today, there are about a countable number of Geishas. The Geisha culture is fading away, also due to more progressive interests in careers by females who are in the forefront of the Geisha culture. A major factor for Geishas is that they need a male godfather who is willing to take care of all expenses until the girl becomes a complete Geisha. This is fairly rare in the 21st century. Nevertheless, Geisha have always held a high position in Japanese society. To have them perform or see them performing requires a lot of contacts and connections, as their art is very precious and elusive. The next time you are in Japan, especially in Kyoto, the birthplace of geishas, cross your fingers and hope to spot one of the charming Geishas.
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