VI
EN
Geisha - Artists of the Land of Cherry Blossoms
Geisha (Japanese: 芸者), transliterated into Sino-Vietnamese as "artist," means person of art. Bushido culture contributed to the emergence of Geisha culture. Bushido was a perfect system of ethics and morality, with an unwritten code of conduct that samurai were bound to follow: loyalty, integrity, righteousness, nobility, and chivalry. As one of the noblest and most respected classes in Japan, samurai led a disciplined yet refined lifestyle: they often found entertainment in swordsmanship, music, calligraphy, wine, flowers, and tea. They preferred the service of women in a wholesome cultural form that suited their samurai spirit, rather than purely sexual service. This need for refined entertainment led to the birth of Geisha.
Surprisingly, the first true geisha in Japan were men, appearing around 1730. Only about 20 years later, female geisha officially began to appear in the form of odiko (踊り子 - dancers) and shamisen players, and they quickly took over the profession, dominating it by 1780.
Some people have a misconception about Geisha, believing them to be prostitutes who provide sexual services. This is a very wrong stereotype. Geisha are simply conversants, serve drinks, and provide artistic entertainment. They are vastly different from Orians (high-class prostitutes who only served the nobility or people of high status) or ordinary courtesans. In reality, Geisha can be said to be artists who pursue the art of performing and social etiquette through a rigorous and lengthy training process, no less demanding than the training of a physician.
The journey to becoming a true Geisha.
To become a true Geisha, a beautiful appearance alone is not enough; girls must also undergo rigorous training from a young age. Around the age of 10, girls are sent to a specialized Geisha training school (later, the age was raised to 14-15 due to changes in Japanese labor law in 1950).
After entering the school, apprentices live in what is called an okiya (屋) – a type of inn for women only, owned by a madam called an okāsan (literally meaning mother) and other staff. Here, the okāsan pays for all the apprentices' expenses, including clothing, tools, food, housing, and training programs. This means that before becoming a geisha, the girls carry a significant debt. Upon becoming a geisha, their first task is to repay this enormous debt; only after paying it off do they gain their freedom.
Upon entering an okiya, the girls are considered Shikomi and work as maids. Their main job is to help other Geisha and Maiko dress... but at the same time, they are gradually trained and shaped into proper, disciplined individuals. For example, they learn to wear traditional yukata as everyday clothing. Next, they undergo a rigorous training program. These young women must learn manners, flower arranging, tea ceremony, dancing, singing, conversation, serving drinks, and playing a variety of traditional musical instruments such as kotsuzumi, shimedaiko, shamisen, and fue… After about six months, the Shikomi receive formal training, at which point they are called Minarai.
During this time, the minarai must find themselves a Geiko mentor (another term for Geisha), whom the girls will call onsan (older sister), who can take them to ozashiki (traditional screening room parties) so they can observe how their mentor and other Geisha interact with customers. In this way, once the apprentice completes her formal training, she will have some real-world experience, build rapport, and identify potential customers.
Training for a minarai begins a few months before a girl becomes a maiko (apprentice geisha). Even after becoming a maiko, the girls continue their studies by attending events with their senior mentors and continue training in classical arts. After becoming a maiko, it takes a long period (possibly several years) for them to complete their training and graduate as a full-fledged geisha.
As you can see, becoming a true Geisha is a difficult and arduous process. These girls must put in a great deal of effort to practice and hone their skills to be as fluent, natural, and skillful as possible. Because of this, Geisha are highly respected in Japan; for a long time, they even became the epitome of beauty, elegance, and grace that all women in Japan aspired to.
The truth about Geisha
Geisha's popularity and allure increased dramatically, and it was only when Japan entered World War II that their popularity began to decline.
Around that same time, the defeat in World War II shook Japan as a whole, and Geisha culture in particular. Many Allied soldiers and Western journalists and media outlets in Japan at the time had a distorted view of Geisha, equating them with ordinary courtesans. Although Geisha's duties often included flirting and suggestive banter (though coded in traditional ways), they did not engage in sexual relations with clients and were not paid for such activities. However, some Geisha might choose to have a relationship with one of their patrons or regular clients (patron) outside of their working hours as Geisha.
For example, in the famous work "Memoirs of a Geisha," author Arthur Golden portrays a geisha as being driven by men and money, which is completely inaccurate. As mentioned, for the Japanese, a geisha is like an artist or performer; it's a respected profession, and like any career you pursue in life that you are passionate about, you do it because you love it while also making a living from it. The charm and allure of geishas emanate naturally when they are performing or conversing with clients, and because their clients are mostly men, many people mistakenly believe that their job is to pursue and seduce men.
Geisha in modern times
Today, in modern Japan, the number of geisha has declined significantly compared to the pre-World War II era due to their exclusivity, high cost of living, and traditional status. There are currently around 1,000 geisha throughout Japan, most of whom attend gatherings at tea houses and ryoutei (a type of upscale Japanese restaurant).
Faced with the reality of the declining Geisha culture, many places in Japan are striving to preserve this unique culture, especially in Kyoto. It is considered the area that currently maintains the strongest Geisha culture. Most veteran Geishas are concentrated here, making Kyoto the most worthwhile destination for tourists interested in Geisha culture to visit and experience.
However, the cost of meeting and having a private dinner at a ryoutei (traditional Japanese inn) and admiring the dances and musical skills of a geisha is quite expensive, around 100,000 yen or more. Because of this, some restaurants, hotels, and tea houses have started organizing public performances for around 4,000 yen per person. This service allows tourists to save a significant amount of money.
Today, geisha still live in traditional geisha houses called hanamachi (meaning flower town); however, due to changing social contexts, the principles and traditions of the geisha profession have also undergone certain changes. Unlike traditional geisha, girls who want to become geisha today usually begin their training after completing high school or university, with many even starting their geisha careers in adulthood. Despite the difference in the age of apprenticeship, the curriculum for modern geisha hasn't changed drastically. The biggest difference is that, upon starting, the girls no longer have to run errands; instead, they learn how to choose kimonos, accessories, and proper etiquette. Overall, although the number of geisha in modern times has decreased significantly compared to the past, with their talent and efforts, modern geisha remain skilled performers of traditional arts and masters of etiquette in the Land of the Rising Sun.
.JPG.JPG)
