Angelo Capulong, Geraldine Caratao, and Rejean Medina January 17, 2024

BSE English 3-C Sir Rafael Mendoza

Republic of the Philippines

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
Silang Campus
Biga 1, Silang, Cavite
TEACHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

A TALE OF AN ASIAN WOMAN, IMAGINED BY AN AMERICAN MAN:

A REVIEW OF ARTHUR GOLDEN’S MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

From a country that has an interesting viewpoint when it comes to sex workers, a place where
high-end artistry and sensual performances find their common ground in Japan’s geisha
culture. Not only are these women highly sought after for pleasure but they are also greatly
esteemed by patrons all over their localities. One might even say that they are the apex form
of the Taoist concept of “Yin and Yang”, achieving the perfect equilibrium between being
respected and being lusted upon. Thus, this proves that the culture that revolves around
geishas is truly one of a kind, which is why it is understandable that even foreigners are
perplexed and have their curiosity piqued by it. A perfect example of such an event happening
is Arthur Golden’s curation of his book entitled, “Memoirs Of A Geisha”. A novel that explores
the things that a geisha in Japan would probably experience during the 1920’s to 1940’s. An
expository story of the secrets of a very interesting profession. But when venturing into
Golden’s vision of Japan’s geisha culture, one may find asking if this truly is a movie that
perfectly encapsulates the tribulations that a Japanese geisha has. Did the author and the film
bring justice to this narrative? That is what we have yet to find out.

Misedashi (店だし): The Starting Point of All Geishas

Watch Some Hot Geishas Near You: From Paper Sheets to Screens
On September 27, 1997, Arthur Golden’s historical fiction novel “Memoirs Of A Geisha” hit the
shelves and sold 4 million copies in its first four years which made it top New York Times
Bestseller list for 58 weeks. After the successful launch of the book, production for the movie
adaptation of it began on September 29, 2004, up to January 31, 2005. The movie then graced
the big screens at the end of the year during the nearing of the holiday season (December 9,
2005) and lasted up until the 12th of March that succeeding year. The film adhered to the
original story that was written by Golden in his book. Showcasing the life of a child named
“Chiyo” and her transformation into “Sayuri”, her geisha persona, alongside all the things that
she faced throughout her life before, during, and after being a geisha. Set in Kyoto, Japan
during its time of war activities courtesy of World War II, viewers saw the secret life of a geisha
unfold before their very own eyes through the brilliant direction of Rob Marshall. The film had
an 85 million dollar budget yet a 162.2 million dollars box office gross.

“Konnichiwa, watashi wa Arthur Golden desu.”: Getting To Know Sayuri’s Pimp

The writer of the book, Arthur Golden, is an American author who has no Asian heritage in his
genes. His father was Ben Hale Golden, an American, and his mother was Ruth Golden, a
Jew. He grew up in Tennessee and and saw his parents divorce at 8 years old, 5 years after
the divorce, his father soon died, leaving him to grow up with his mom.

BSEE 37: Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent Literature Movie Review

 Angelo Capulong, Geraldine Caratao, and Rejean Medina January 17, 2024
BSE English 3-C Sir Rafael Mendoza
He attended Harvard University for his postsecondary education, where he majored in or
focused on Japanese art for his degree in art history. Golden was very much intrigued with
Japanese culture and had his interest piqued by an author and anthropologist named Liza
Dalby, who wrote a book entitled “Geisha”. After reading her book during the early days of
writing Memoirs Of A Geisha, Dalby helped him create the story of the book and encouraged
him to get more reliable information from the source itself, geishas.

After hearing this advice, he then traveled to Japan and went to conduct plenty of interviews
with geishas. One of which was Mineko Iwasaki, who was formerly a geisha at that time.
Mineko was one of the most influential people in Golden’s literary masterpiece. She was so
influential that even when they had agreed to the concealment of her identity, Golden still
found himself acknowledging her in his book. This resulted in a controversy which led to a
court case between Iwasaki and Golden himself. Iwasaki sued Golden for breaching their
contract and defamation of character as she received a huge backlash not only from her fellow
countrymen but also from her husband. The backlash was so severe that she even received
death threats. After the court case, Iwasaki then released her version or reclaiming of geisha’s
stories by writing “Geisha, A Life”. A novel that was said to feature history-accurate memoirs
that happened during her life.

“You put the “play” in role-play!”: The Cast of Memoirs Of A Geisha

For the cast of the movie, director Rob Marshall faced a lot of backlash when it came to the
lack of Japanese actresses that filled the roster of the film. He then proceeds to defend the
choices that were made for the casting by justifying that it was difficult to scout for renowned
Japanese actors who were very marketable internationally. The film ended up having Chinese
people play major roles in the movie that were destined for Japanese people to play. Zang
Ziyi played “Chiyo/Sayuri”, the main protagonist of the movie whose life we were able to
witness. Gong Li played Hatsumomo, who seemed to be the main rival of Chiyo and the
resident antagonist of the film. The character who aided Chiyo’s transformation into Sayuri,
who we know by the name of Mameha, was played by Michelle Yeoh. Ken Watanabe plays
the Chairman, the love interest of Chiyo, and the sole source of her purpose for being a geisha.
Kaori Momoi played a character we know as “Mother”. She was the lady-in-charge of the okiya
that Chiyo stayed in. Finally, we have Koji Yakusho who played Nobu, the very stern
businessman who grew to love Sayuri with his whole heart.

These actors, along with others in supporting parts, help to depict the complex world of the
geisha in pre-World War II Japan. The casting choices, especially the ones that put Chinese
actresses in Japanese roles, ignited discussions about cultural representation in Hollywood.

Monogatari (物語): The Tale of a Geisha

The film starts in 1929 in which we see two siblings being sold to a businessman we heard to
be addressed as “Tanaka-san” or Mr. Tanaka because their mother was already dying of bone
cancer. The two siblings are then sent to go their separate ways as Chiyo lands a place in an
okiya, a place where geishas are seen to be boarding, while her sister ends up in a brothel.
Chiyo then meets “Granny”, “Auntie”, and “Mother”, the matriarchal figures of the okiya she is
living in, and develops a strong bond with another fellow youngster, Pumpkin.

BSEE 37: Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent Literature Movie Review

Angelo Capulong, Geraldine Caratao, and Rejean Medina January 17, 2024
BSE English 3-C Sir Rafael Mendoza

The two are seen to bond with each other while doing their daily chores as servants in the
okiya that they are boarding in. Pumpkin shares her dream with Chiyo to become a geisha
one day, just like Hatsumomo, the top-earning geisha in their okiya. She is painted to be the
cash cow of the okiya as it is implied that Hatsumomo is the one providing their needs with
her money from working as a geisha. The two then start their journey as geisha by getting
themselves enrolled in a geisha academy, a place that trains young girls how to be geisha. As
Hatsumomo sees Chiyo, she sees a potential rival and proceeds to start making her life in the
Okiya a living hell, getting her in trouble and berating her.

As Chiyo still desires to see her sister, she grabs an opportunity to sneak out while escorting
Hatsumomo to one of her gigs. She successfully finds her sister and they both agree to run
away from the place that they’re currently in. Satsu instructed Chiyo when it came to the plan
but due to some unfortunate series of events, Chiyo ended up injuring herself while escaping
from the roof of the okiya. Due to this accident, she also lost her right to be a potential scholar
for the School of Geisha Arts.

As another day of slaving off approached Chiyo, she found herself crying on a riverbank where
she saw the Chairman. A very kindhearted man who treats her to shave ice and gives her his
handkerchief as a wiper of her tears. After Chiyo sees the women flocking around him (and
noticing that they are geishas), it inspires Chiyo to train hard and hope that she becomes a
geisha from there and there on.

Time passed and we are now witnessing the debut of Pumpkin as a maiko. All this was done
under Hatsumomo’s training. In line with that, Mameha, Hatsumomo’s greatest rival, went and
took Chiyo under her guidance to transform Chiyo into the best geisha in their district. Mameha
then proceeds to make a deal with Mother that if she couldn’t get her to be successful. We
now see Chiyo transforming into a maiko and suddenly Chiyo starts to get pulled from one
place to another by Mameha, when she asks Mameha only says that it is for her future.

During the training process of Chiyo, we see her popularity rise with the people. This infuriated
Hatsumomo further. In Chiyo’s debut, we see Hatsumomo casually throwing shade at Chiyo.
In a sumo match where Chiyo was brought, she sees the chairman and his fellow
businessman named Toshikazu Nobu, who despite having established that he hates geishas,
learned to like the company of Sayuri.

As the time for Sayuri’s mizuage to be bid upon, many of the men placed their bids for her.
This even included Mameha’s “Danna” or a consistent fan or suitor that will finance them all
the days of their life. Dr. Crab, an old Japanese doctor who had a knack for young geishas,
proceeds to cast his bid for Sayuri’s mizuage which amounted to 15,000 yen, an amount that
surpassed all amounts of bidding made for any geisha that there was. This resulted to Sayuri
getting adopted by “Mother” to be the inheritor of the Okiya. This got Hatsumomo and Pumpkin
very frustrated. This aggression towards Sayuri lead to Hatsumomo burning the Okiya down.
This resulted to her getting banished from their district.

BSEE 37: Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent Literature Movie Review

 Angelo Capulong, Geraldine Caratao, and Rejean Medina January 17, 2024
BSE English 3-C Sir Rafael Mendoza
Sayuri then gets deflowered by Dr. Crab and now suddenly, World War II happens,
contributing to the slowing of demands for geishas. She is sent by the Chairman to a kimono
manufacturer in the haven of the countryside. Sayuri is asked by Nobu to assist him in
impressing an American Colonel who could sanction funds for their firm after the war. She
meets up with Pumpkin, who is now employed as an escort, and Mameha, who grudgingly
consents to assist her in making an impression on the Colonel.

Sayuri goes to the Amami Islands with Nobu, the Chairman, Mameha, Pumpkin, and the
American soldiers. Sayuri is approached by the Colonel, but she turns him down. When he
sees this, Nobu approaches her and says he wants to be her Danna. Sayuri enlists Pumpkin's
assistance in her scheme to have Nobu discover that she is having an intimate relationship
with the Colonel in order to make him lose interest. Pumpkin, on the other hand, brings the
Chairman. She claims it is her retaliation for Sayuri being adopted by Mother rather than her
when questioned. Sayuri gives up on pursuing the Chairman after becoming discouraged.

In the final scenes, the Chairman visits Sayuri's teahouse, revealing that he has been aware
of her feelings for him. The two characters express their emotions, and the film concludes with
them walking through the streets of Kyoto together.

Seiseki (成績): Outstanding Aspects of Memoirs of a Geisha

If there is anything praiseworthy to talk about the movie, it would be the themes that it explored
all throughout the duration of it. The movie explored so much interesting concepts for
something that was produced in very early times. Yes, the cultural appropriation issue was
indeed a big letdown as some aspects of the movie were not culturally accurate but it was still
nice that the movie still tapped into some very interesting topics. Here are some of our favorite
themes from the movie.

“I’m Becoming!”: The Journey of Womanhood

All throughout the film we have witnessed how Chiyo evolved from being a young female kid
turning into a very well-known geisha. The film showcased both her immaturity and maturity
as we witness her literally and figuratively grow.

A Lover from Afar: The Concept of Sacrificial Love

Chiyo is seen to be an admirer of the Chairman from far away. As the film draws us all
throughout their seemingly weird love story, we see how Chiyo represses and controls her
feelings (sometimes), to stay professional in her occupation as a geisha.

My Body, Who’s Rules?: Freedom of Women

As a geisha, Sayuri was faced with the conflict of fulfilling her own aspirations and desires
versus the social responsibilities that a geisha demands. This was reflected and emphasized
during her last monologue in the film. I remember her saying that “to a man, Geisha can only
be half a wife.” In line with this, the line of Mameha saying “No Geisha can ever hope for more.”
Displayed also the struggle of freedom that women had when they went and worked as
geishas. The concept of selling one’s virginity and giving it to a person based on their money
also robs women of the right to consent.

BSEE 37: Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent Literature Movie Review

 Angelo Capulong, Geraldine Caratao, and Rejean Medina January 17, 2024
BSE English 3-C Sir Rafael Mendoza
Making Sex Work … Work?
A geisha's training and daily life in the framework of the novel and the film involve the
expectation of developing connections with clients, and these encounters have a transactional
component. Geishas are frequently thought of as offering company, amusement, and a classy
setting during social gatherings. The movie discusses the subtleties of these relationships,
highlighting the difficulties, sacrifices, and social expectations that geishas must deal with.

It's crucial to remember that the phrase "sex work" usually has certain, modern implications,
and that a geisha's life in historical Japan could not correspond with how the sex work business
is currently understood in the West. The rich and nuanced depiction of geisha life in "Memoirs
of a Geisha" explores issues of identity, tradition, and the place of women in a culture with
strong cultural standards.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world or maybe in this sense … a bitch-eat-bitch?”: Female Betrayal

The theme of betrayal underscores the intricate relationships and power dynamics within the
geisha world. It contributes to the emotional depth of the story, highlighting the challenges
faced by Sayuri as she navigates a world where trust is elusive, and personal aspirations are
often in conflict with societal expectations. The exploration of betrayal adds a layer of tension
and complexity to the overall narrative of "Memoirs of a Geisha."

Iken (意見): An Obsessive Weeb’s Fan Fiction about Geishas or A Great Historical Fiction?
Overall, this movie has indeed its praiseworthy acts and condemnable mistakes but all in all
when we are asked if we liked the movie, we would still give it a “Yes.” Although it won’t be an
enthusiastic one, it will be much more of a remark that tends to give off an impression that this
movie should not be taken as a holistic piece of art but rather a gold mine where one can
struck gold from time to time. This movie should be ingested just like how one eats fish, you
eat the meat and you throw away the bone. It is quite easy to get lost in the whole plot if we
were to approach this film in a superficial way but if we decide to look beyond the shallowness
of it all, we can surely get some very important lessons.

At the end of the day, this is not the perfect basis for anyone to graft their understanding of
the geisha culture. Yes, as writers, we often “wear the shoes” of the character that we make
for them to have a justifiable storyline and an outstanding character. Still, when it comes to
cultural material, there are matters that are and should be left untouched and used by locals
only. This is a living proof of how misappropriation could happen when one does not fully
understand the culture but just want to aestheticize it. The disrespect towards confidentiality
also made us dislike the author and the piece more but if we were looking at the art and not
the artist … we can still salvage some gold nuggets from here and there in this movie.

Ketsuron (結論): The Post-Climax Clarity

In conclusion, “Memoirs of A Geisha” is indeed a movie that should at least be viewed by all
at least once in their life. It is a great source of inspirational material but not a valid resource
for historical basis. Hence this really justifies the word “fiction” in its “historical fiction” label.
People should not expect to learn about a culture when watching this film, they can have a
little feel-good moment or understand about quite a few things about womanhood and taboo
concepts like sex work and maybe just a teeny-weenie minuscule glimpse of a geisha’s life
but this is surely not something you will fall in love with. Just like a geisha, it’s just half a wife.

BSEE 37: Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent Literature Movie Review