The country that Prince Regent Shotoku called Japan (originally translated by Hinomoto and later by Nippon as “place where the sun rises”) holds a rich history filled with many great achievements, fierce battles and amazing traditions. One of the most beautiful and incomparable discoveries can be considered the work of a geisha. The hardest work on which the girls spent all their time and energy to give others joy and admiration.
Who is she
Although once this question would have sounded differently. The pioneers in this profession were men. They began to be called geisha in the 17th century. At that time, they could not even imagine that women .
After a couple of hundred years, men finally lost ground to the weaker sex. Hard work, patience, and a willingness to learn helped them go from women of dubious reputation to incredible heights. Today, the Japanese geisha is influential, successful and rightfully the guardian of the national culture and traditions of her country.
BY THE WAY! The first female geisha was a brothel worker. Having paid off her debts, she became free and mastered a new profession.
The literal translation of the word means “man of art.” It was assigned to this profession because the first geishas were musicians and actors of the Kabuki theater. They entertained powerful men with songs, jokes, stories and dances of an intimate nature. In this way they increased the clientele of prostitutes.
A little history
Already at the age of 6, a girl from an impoverished family was sent to the house of a geisha (Okiya). There the grueling journey of learning this craft began. Only healthy, pretty girls with musical and other abilities were accepted. The family received money for them. In this way they sold or rented out their daughters.
The first thing they learned at school was their place in life. The girls did the dirtiest work in the house and served the elders. Exhausted, they managed to study:
- music;
- dancing;
- etiquette.
It was possible to withdraw from the okiya only by returning the money spent on training. The debt was repaid by relatives, the girl herself, or a patron. But they still did not return home. If funds allowed, they opened geisha schools or left the profession and got married.
Where it all started
She was born on November 2, 1949 in Kyoto. For her, the path to fame began when she was sent to be raised in a traditional geisha house in Kyoto at the age of five. Her family was poor. Although the father was of noble blood. Shinedzo Tanaka of the Minamoto clan was a bankrupt aristocrat who lost his title. He made a living by painting kimonos and selling them in his shop. It was a family business, but there was still not enough money to adequately support a large family consisting of a husband, wife and eleven children. Giving children away to be raised was in the order of things at that time. Thus, the family improved their financial situation and gave their offspring a chance for a good life. This is what they did with Mineko Iwasaki. Her four sisters - Yaeko, Kikuko, Kuniko, Tomiko - suffered the same fate. They all went to study at the Iwasaki Okiya geisha house.
Modern school of geisha
Today, children’s rights are protected and only girls over 15 years old can be sent to Okiya. Usually they go there themselves, but only with the consent and permission of their parents. Upon admission, you are required to present a certificate of education. Training is carried out in several stages:
- As soon as a girl is accepted into school, she becomes a shikomi (pupil). From six months to two years, the girl cleans the house, does household chores, and helps with the difficult dressing of elders. She begins to grow her hair for her future hairstyle and learns to wear a kimono. You can leave the house only with permission from the school owner. Among the new rules, students are not allowed to use mobile phones and the Internet.
- After completing the first stage, the period of minari (observation of the teacher) begins. The girl participates in social events, accompanying her older “sisters.” She does not dare to show any independence at the ceremonies, but she carefully watches what is happening. The stage ends with her presentation to the geisha affairs organization. After this, the minari will face a test - the performance of the ancient dance . If you fail to dance flawlessly 3 times, the path to becoming a geisha is closed forever.
- In the third stage, the girl becomes a maiko . She gets a personal mentor, who is assigned to her by the mistress of the house. The more influential the mentor, the more successful the career of the future geisha. During this period, the girl is painted in bright colors. She is distinguished by her high hairstyle, colorful kimono, and contrasting bright makeup.
In addition to attending banquets, tea parties and other events, you have to study all the time. After all, in addition to artistic sciences, a girl must speak languages, calligraphy, be able to write poetry, and understand politics. But the main thing is to listen carefully and be able to remain silent.
Only after completing each stage does the student have the right to be called a geisha. Now she can entertain guests and conduct tea ceremonies. She already has the right to leave the okiya, but she can continue to live in it. Her day is planned down to the minute. Learning never ends. We must not lose the acquired skills, follow the news in literature, art, economics, and politics.
Giving up the past
The first thing little girls were taught was traditional Japanese dance. Mineko Iwasaki surpassed the other girls in this activity. At 21, she was considered the best Japanese dancer. The classes took a lot of physical strength from her, but her efforts were rewarded. Mineko Iwasaki is a geisha who danced for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. Few have received such an honor. But even as a little girl, Mineko Iwasaki found herself in a privileged position. She was noticed by the owner of the educational institution, Madame Oimoi, and made her an atotoriti, that is, an heiress. That is, after some time she would own the Gion geisha house. To make this possible, she had to be abandoned by her parents at the age of 10 so that Oimoi could adopt her and take on the surname Iwasaki, although she was named Masako Tanaka at birth.
What does a geisha look like and what is different?
The appearance of a geisha attracts the eye. They have a sense of proportion in everything. Behavior, manners are restrained , wardrobe is elegant, makeup is modest. The look is refined , not flashy, and this attracts attention. An important accent is the small area of skin on the back of the neck that is not covered with white. This creates the illusion that the woman is wearing a mask that you really want to look under. Just as I want to look into her soul. But this woman knows how to keep her distance. She is always a mystery.
Shoulders, necks and faces covered with whitewash, eyes brightly lined with red, distinguish only young geishas. The older and more experienced they become, the more restrained their makeup is. At the moment of transition to the last stage, a ceremony takes place to change the red collar of the kimono to white. The style changes, a different hairstyle is done. Usually they start wearing a wig with expensive jewelry.
In a geisha's attire, every little detail carries meaning - the number of combs in the hair, the color of the strap on wooden sandals or a sock. There are many external signs by which a geisha is recognized. But you are unlikely to meet them on the street. They don’t walk, take taxis, avoid journalists and don’t like publicity.
Let's look into the wardrobe
A geisha's wardrobe is unusually extensive, but does not allow any liberties. It certainly contains:
- At least 28 kimonos made of the finest, expensive silk. Each of them corresponds to a season, of which there are 28 in the Japanese year.
- A set of wigs made from natural hair and accessories for them - combs, hairpins, jewelry.
- Belt supporting the back (obi). The length and method of tying the obi determines the status of the hostess.
- Shoes with thick wooden soles - shoes or more often sandals. The color of the straps also indicates what stage of the geisha’s career she is at.
- Definitely white socks. They will not allow the owner to be confused with dubious women.
Speaking of geishas and available women.
In Western countries these concepts are identified. But this is a mistake. The reason for the confusion lies in the following:
- The habitats of both were at first adjacent;
- the first woman of this profession left a brothel;
- during World War II, women of easy virtue called themselves this mysterious word to attract American soldiers;
- unreliable literature on this topic.
In fact, these seductive women are successful and influential. They are not required to provide sexual services to clients. This is enshrined in law. But they find themselves a patron. Sometimes this is a philanthropist with whom there is no intimate relationship, but more often a lover. Donna (that’s the name of this benefactor) pays for expensive outfits, buys real estate, and takes care of her. But he is not a guest who pays for services. Only wealthy men can afford this. But for the sake of communicating with a mystery woman and confirming their status, rich Japanese are ready for this.
Daily routine of a geisha
The day begins early with hygiene procedures, taking care of the body and face. After all, according to the geisha code, she is always clean, tidy and smells good. Then there are classes. The acquired knowledge and skills must be maintained and developed.
play , perfectly . The skill of playing will disappear without daily rehearsals. The ability to play other musical instruments will increase your status in the eyes of guests.
BY THE WAY! The shamisen played by geishas is covered with cat skin, and the strings are tied with a gold plate. If you buy a simpler tool, this will reveal the difficult situation of the housewife, which is not desirable.
The movements of a geisha are brought to perfection . Skillful control of the body, seductive dancing, bowing, squatting and graceful movement requires maintaining physical fitness. And the weight of the kimono, multi-meter belt and necessary accessories also does not allow you to relax.
Once a week, be sure to visit the hairdresser. A hairstyle is being constructed there, which according to the rules cannot be touched until the next visit. Therefore, you have to sleep on a special varnished wooden stand.
It takes a lot of time (4-5 hours) to put on a kimono, tie the belt, apply whitewash and makeup. It is impossible to cope with this on your own. The clothes are dressed by students or older sisters. They do magic on the face, shoulders, and neck. The main thing is to observe moderation in everything and not to confuse anything. Do not accidentally cover up the clean area on the neck below the hairstyle. The complex knot of the belt covering the kimono is placed at the back. An obi tied casually in the front speaks of accessibility.
Work begins in the evening. A real geisha always collects information in advance about the profession, interests, and hobbies of the future guest. Then she skillfully uses the information in her work. Tea ceremonies and accompanying guests last until night. After such a busy day, a dream on a wooden stand will seem sweet.
Architecture
Houses in Japan are recognizable all over the world and can only be confused with buildings in China. Japan is not rich in natural resources, but it is rich in forests, so until the 20th century, all buildings were made of wood.
Japan was famous for its architects, including military ones. Many castles are still impregnable, and even here the oldest wooden buildings still welcome tourists.
The houses were made asymmetrical, and every element of the house meant something. This is the path of a pilgrim in a monastery from north to south or an offering to a deity. Whatever, every protrusion of the building definitely means something. Japan is characterized by curved roofs.
Residential buildings were called minka, the roof was supported by columns and beams, and there was not a single load-bearing wall in the house itself.
How are they provided?
It has long been known that “you have to pay for everything.” The number of zeros in the amount a modern geisha earns per year makes girls strive to master this craft. But a significant portion of this money goes to the owner of the school for expenses incurred. And 28 kimonos a year take away some of the zeros from the most expensive silk. If you consider that nothing can be cheap for a geisha, then...
Then remember what the geisha herself gave for her welfare. This is usually freedom, family and ordinary youthful joys, to which she had no right.
Life after dancing
After leaving the Geisha world, Mineko Iwasaki married an artist named Jimchiro. At first, she acquired several beauty salons and hairdressing salons, but over time she decided to devote herself to art. Her husband taught her to restore paintings, this is her main occupation today. In addition, she studied at Kyoto University in the faculties of history and philosophy. Iwasaki has a daughter, who is now 31 years old. The former geisha lives with her husband in the suburbs of Kyoto.
The most famous geisha
Many people have heard about Mineko Iwasaki, the most expensive geisha in Japan. Her career was brilliant, but at the age of 29 she left her usual line of work. Although there are no age restrictions in this profession, Mineko Iwasaki worked for only 6 years. From the very beginning of her training, the mistress chose her as the heiress of the okiya. To do this, according to the rules, I had to abandon my family and change my last name.
INTERESTING! Visiting businessmen and politicians prefer that tea ceremonies be performed by young geishas. Japanese men choose older women to host their holidays.
Mineko Iwasaki started a family and began restoring paintings. She published 2 books at the same time. "True Memoirs of a Geisha" tells the story of the role of a geisha in the culture of her country. “Journey of a Geisha” is the author’s personal journey through life.
Inheriting a house
There is a special place in the okiya hierarchy that can only be occupied by one girl, later called atotori (legal heir). The owner of the house personally finds and selects a girl for this purpose. One of the most famous atotori is Mineko Iwasaki (who took this place at the age of 5). This girl has a special status from the very beginning. She is in charge, after the owner of the okiya, and all the others treat her as a future mistress and fulfill all her demands.
The moment a girl becomes an atotori, she gives up her family name and becomes the adopted daughter of the owner of the okiya and henceforth bears her surname. After this, the girl can see her real family, but she is no longer officially connected with them.
