When we hear the word “Geisha” our minds immediately picture an elegant woman, dressed in the finest silk clothing, a delicate figure that seems to float with unhurried and dainty footsteps. Her hairdo is a fantasy, and her makeup hides a mysterious world of art and seduction that can be traced back 300 years. The secretive nature and their tradition, along with our proclivity to judge and appropriate that which we do not understand has led to many misrepresentations about these women.
A geisha (or geiko) is a Japanese artist. The literal meaning of the word is “art person.” At the beginning, this occupation was mainly dominated by men, but little by little, women started to replace them. Since childhood, geishas are taught several traditional arts like dance, singing, music and shamisen (the most distinctive musical instrument), sadō (tea ceremony), literature, and poetry, all that with the aim of becoming entertainers in parties, gatherings, or other elite events.
In the past, most girls arrived to the okiyas (a geisha house) after being sold by their parents. They were usually daughters of peasants or fishermen from Japanese provinces who were so poverty-stricken that they decided to sell their most precious treasure in order to survive. Geishas lived in a completely matriarchal society. The highest figure in an okiya was the okaa-san (which means “mother”). She was the one that purchased the girls, nurtured them, and trained them. All of this would build up and become a debt that that the girl would have to repay later on.
Many years would have to pass for a girl to become a geisha. Upon their arrival to their new home, they became responsible for the household chores and were called shinkomis. During that time, they also started to receive lessons on all the arts they had to learn. Only when “mother” thought a girl was ready to become a maiko (a geisha’s apprentice), she was taken under the care of an “older sister” that they called onee-san. This transition was commemorated with a ceremony where the mother, the older sister, and the new maiko exchanged sake cups and sipped liquor from each one of the cups in the presence of five witnesses.
The older sister, who was an experienced geisha, was in charge of teaching the girl everything she may need to know: from sitting to bowing with graceful and elegant gestures and movements. She would take her to all the events she attended, so the maiko could watch her onee-san and learn the art of conversation and storytelling. She was introduced to potential clients, so when she gave her first artistic performance, the most high-ranking people would be part of the audience. Maiko and oneesan were also expected to become inseparable and forge a special bond.
When the maiko turned 15 years old, she had to go through a very special transition called mizuage, meaning that her virginity would be auctioned. This event was carried out in the most discreet and ceremonious manner. The onee-san chose the potential bidders, men that not only would pay the highest price, but also be prestigious and honorable themselves. The Mother received all the bids, and selected the highest, as this ritual could also settle a significant part of the maiko’s debt. The following ceremony was the erikae (“turning of the collar”). The maiko, who was now officially a woman, started to wear white kimono collars instead of red, and finally became a true geisha. In case she was successful and outshone the others, she could aspire to be adopted by the mother and inherit the okiya.
The districts where geishas work were called hanamachis (flower cities). Okiyas were usually found outside the “pleasure quarters,” where prostitution was openly practiced. Maikos and geishas dedicated themselves to entertain and capture the guests’ attention through their many skills in serving tea, reciting poetry, playing instruments, dancing, and singing. It was common to find many geishas in the same events. Sometimes guests also wished to enjoy a geisha’s company alone, but in this kind of cases, the company of a chaperone was necessary to avoid gossip that would damage the woman’s reputation. The amount of time spent in a specific place was measured by the senkōdai, a flower incense that would last a whole session. Once burned out, the session would come to an end.
What about the men that paid huge amounts of money just to be in the company of this mysterious woman? Well, most of them were successful businessman, high-ranking military men, or influential political figures. In the past, most marriages in Japan were arranged, so men were often unhappy and recurred to geishas. They saw them as a sort of refuge because they knew they had the obligation to keep confidentiality about anything they heard and saw.
When a man fell under the spell of a geisha’s beauty and grace, he would offer to become her danna, a word that meant “husband,” but actually made him her lover. A geisha could have only one danna at a time. The more powerful the man, the luckier the geisha. With the help of such a man, a geisha had the possibility to settle her debt, as well as receive expensive gifts and go to luxurious events. If the danna could no longer cover the expenses or decided to end the relationship, the geisha could look for a new one.
Across all eras, geishas have been an unmistakeable sign of elegance. Through their makeup, kimonos, and elaborate hairstyles they convey a mysterious and spellbinding aura. There are certain elements that distinguish a maiko from a geisha. The maikos are supposed to wear bright clothes in general, like red or pink shades, which represent joy and the innocence of youth. A geisha ought to be discreet, as she is the very image of elegance and maturity, so she dresses in blue, lilac, and shades of red.
Her white make up used to be a blend of oils, rice powder, and lead. A geisha usually left an unpainted “W” or “V” shape in the uncovered nape of her neck, as this area was deemed as highly sensual, according to traditional Japanese culture. She painted her lips red to make her mouth seem smaller. A maiko only painted the inferior part. A geisha also delineated her eyebrows and eyes with black color, while maikos wore red and pink colors, and then adopted lighter shades as they grew up.
Their intricate hairstyles were achieved with the help of some oils and natural scents. These are very difficult to get nowadays, but there was no big difference in the past, since they were also really expensive. To keep the hairstyle intact for days, they slept in an omaku, a wooden pillow that kept their head still while sleeping at night.
A geisha didn’t wear western underwear, but cotton laces to cover her hips and chest. Then, she placed the kimono’s collar, a decorative skirt, and a thin blouse that styled the shape of the kimono; finally, everything was tied up with a silk belt called obi.
These kinds of practices and the rough quality of the makeup pigment caused early hair loss, skin blemishes due to lead, and spinal afflictions. Luckily, contemporary geishas now use wigs and simpler and more natural makeup.
Today, the number of geishas has dropped to only a hundred located in Kyoto, as a consequence of the Second World War. When American troops invaded Japan, many okiyas were destroyed, so geishas fled and searched for different occupations. Since this tradition wasn’t controlled anymore, women from the pleasure quarters saw an opportunity to pass themselves off as geishas by imitating the make up and attire, and started to provide services for the soldiers, which created a wrong impression of real geishas and their tradition.
Yet, the tradition managed to endure, and now women are free to choose if they want to take on this profession or not, whether it is due to admiration or cultural heritage. Practices like the mizuage are now buried in the past, and they can have a danna if they want to. They lead normal lifestyles; they can go to school, get married, have children, and take on other jobs. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the mystery. Geishas still learn the art of seduction, which is quite different from our western conceptions; it is based on fascination and pleasure through conversation, arts, and mysticism.
Source:
How Stuff Works
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Translated by Andrea Valle Gracia
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