Geisha

The image of Japanese geisha, with their distinctive clothing and make-up, is one of the most

recognisable icons of Japan. The word ‘geisha’, like all Japanese nouns, can either be singular or

plural. In written Japanese, ‘geisha’ is a combination of two kanji, a type of Japanese character,

one meaning ‘art’ and the other ‘person’. Because of this, ‘geisha’ could be translated into English

as ‘entertainer’.

Many people outside of Japan do not understand what a geisha does. Are they actresses, waitresses,

hostesses or prostitutes? Westerners don’t comprehend the role of geisha because there is no

equivalent role in western society. Let’s take a closer look at the history of these women and their

role in Japanese culture.

In the 600s, Japan had economic problems and this meant that numerous families lost their homes

and land. Due to this, many young girls had to find work. Some of these desperate girls became

prostitutes, while the better educated ones amused rich people by dancing, acting, singing and

being good hostesses.

This continued for many years and in the sixteenth century special areas were created called

‘yūkaku’ (meaning ‘pleasure districts’). These were official red-light districts, where prostitution

was legal. There were ‘yūkaku’ in the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo. There were different levels,

or classes, of women who worked in these districts and the highest of these were called ‘oiran’.

As time passed, some of the oiran started to offer skillful services such as singing, dancing, the
playing of instruments and good conversation. In fact, many of these women stopped working as

prostitutes but instead became solely entertainers. These women were the first geisha.

In the past, geisha started training when they were very young (sometimes as young as four years

old). However, in the 1950s, Japan introduced a law making child labour illegal. Nowadays, if a girl

wishes to become a geisha, she must first finish high school.

A trainee geisha is called a ‘maiko’. A similar word in English would be an ‘apprentice’ (which

means someone in training for a profession). A new maiko must train for several years living in an

‘okiya’ – this is a geisha house or tearoom. Here, they carefully watch the more experienced geisha,

learning everything they can.

Geisha houses were always found in special geisha districts called ‘hanamachi’ (meaning ‘flower

towns’). In the 1920s, there were around eighty thousand geisha in Japan, however today there are

much less. Some people estimate the number of geisha in modern Japan as between one and two

thousand.

In the past, a geisha often had a man who supported her financially, who was called a ‘danna’. A

geisha’s danna would pay for her ‘kimonos’ (the traditional dress of Geisha and very expensive),

make-up and training. Some geisha had relationships with their danna, although today most geisha

do not have a danna.

There is one rule which all geisha still follow, which is that no geisha can be married. If a geisha

wishes to marry, then she must leave the profession. A geisha may have children but once she

marries, her career is over.

‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden is a wonderful book which, although fiction, lets you enter

the secret world of these fascinating women. If you would like to understand more about this

enthralling world, this novel is definitely worth reading.

Questions about the text

1. What is the name of an apprentice geisha?

2. What is a ‘kanji’?

3. What has happened to the number of geisha in Japan this century?

4. For which three things would a geisha’s danna pay?

5. What does the phrase ‘red-light district’ mean in English?

6. During the 600s, what kind of problem did Japan have?

7. Which law affecting geisha training was introduced in the 1950s?

8. How do trainee geisha learn?

9. What rule must all geisha follow?

10. True or false? - ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden is a true story.

Glossary

icons – an ‘icon’ is a person or thing that represents something.

character – here this means one of the symbols used in Japanese writing.

entertainer – someone who entertains people, e.g. with dancing, singing etc.

comprehend –‘to comprehend’ means ‘to understand’.

amused –‘to amuse’ means ‘to entertain’.

red-light districts – a place where prostitutes work.

skillful - having or showing skill.

solely – only.

child labour – work by children.

trainee – someone who is training.

estimate – ‘to estimate’ is to make an educated guess.

supported – ‘to support’ means ‘to help’.

enthralling – extremely interesting and attention-grabbing.