LAJ 100 JAPANESE

Academic Session: 2018/2019

The Geisha of Japan

Name of Student: Liew Mei Jun
Matric No: 133065
Name of Instructor: Ms Kim Hyun Sook
Introduction
• Geisha has existed in Japanese culture for more than 300 years.
• The first geisha were actually a male (taikomochi). This profession
was dominated by female geisha in 1780.
• Technically, geisha are professional art performers and entertainers.
They have high social status and regarded as cultural property in
Japan.

What Geisha Do？

• Skilled in traditional music,
dance, flower arrangement and
poetry (play Shamisen, drum,
flute)
• Performing the tea ceremony, and
calligraphy, entertains their
costumers
• Work at high-end dinners, private
parties and special event
(traditional festival)
Geisha’s Career Stage

San san Okami-

Shikomi Misedashi Minarai Mizuage Erikae Hiki-iwai
kudo san

Shikomi works as a maid or servant in the okiya, they need to do cleaning, and do.
Nowadays, they usually are the daughters or relatives of the Erikae-okiya or working
geisha. At Erikae stage she will change her kimono from furisode to kosode, change her hair
to the more adult sakko style and change her collar from red to white. The turning of the
collar or graduation from apprentice is the ceremony when a maiko becomes a geiko. San san
kudo is a stage when a geiko is bound to a danna. Its also means the marriage ceremony
outside the geisha world. When a geisha retires from public life, she is at hiki-iwai- stage and
Okami-san is a proprietress of either an ochaya or okiya.
Make Up

Oshiroi 白 Ishineri
Kyō-beni
粉 Shiro- Bintsuke 石練
nuri 白塗り 京紅

Sanbon-
Ohaguro Beni-fude Eri-ashi
ashi
お歯黒 紅筆 衿足
三本足
Clothing & Accessories

Kimono Obi
◆A large robes, worn with ◆A large waist bands
an under robe. (more than 4 meters)
◆Seasonal, range in ◆Wrapped around the
formality and style. kimono.

Wigs
Tabi
◆Buttoned socks with a ◆Large ornamental wigs
split toe wear by Geiko for formal
occasions and dancing
recitals.
◆Maiko have their own
hair styled,
Clothing & Accessories (cnt.)

Okobo Zori
◆made of wood and
◆Flat lacquered sandals
lacquered on the straps

Collar
Kanzashi ◆A heavy white or white
◆seasonal, containing and red brocade
seasonal flower replicas. ◆An indicator of the
maturity of the maiko or
geiko.
Clothing & Accessories (cnt.)

Fans
Obi-jime
◆Used as cooling fans,
dancing props ◆Used to tie the obi
◆ Kept in the folds of the
obi

Kimono bags
◆A rattan or palm woven
flat bottoms with a string
Haori
tied fabric tops made from ◆A short loose kimono
traditional style cotton dyed style ‘coats’
fabrics in old style patterns
(often indigo)
 Where we can
find a Geisha?
• Place: Hanami-koji-dori
in Gion, Kyoto (form
Shijo-dori to Kennin-ji
Temple)
• Time: Around dusk (early
evening), especially on
weekends and holidays.
Interesting Facts About Geisha
• Geishas are not prostitute.
(Geisha are different from Oiran and Tayu )
• Instead of using pillows geisha are trained to sleep takamakura
with takamakura (vintage Japanese geisha pillow)
• Usually, geisha don’t serve green tea or dango on special occasion
but Maiko do it.
• In modern time, Geisha learn foreign language such as English to
communicate with foreign visitors
• An average girl can’t be a geisha within a short time. She needs to
be educated for about 4 years. ( they must be a Japanese who not
over 1.6m tall)
• Clocks are not used to measure a geisha’s time at a party. Instead,
they use incense sticks which take roughly an hour to burn.
• Geisha can get married after her retirement.
 Conclusion
In conclude, Geisha are beautiful entertainers who can
sing, dance and play traditional Japanese musical instruments.
In the old geisha industry, it has a very strict standard of rules
and regulations, from training performances to marriage that
geisha must be abide. It’s really sad to hear people call them
prostitutes. As we know, the geisha tradition is in danger of
disappearing. With the changes of the times and coupled with
its training is a very strict and arduous task, thus, fewer and
fewer people in the modern society engaged in geisha
industry. I really hope Japan put more afford to protect and
inherit it so that this beautiful and mystery ladies will always
shine in the long history.
References
• http://education.asianart.org/explore-resources/background-
information/introduction-japanese-geisha
• https://www.japan-zone.com/culture/geisha.shtml
• https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-geisha
• http://www.wafuku.co.uk/kimonoinfo6.htm
• http://geishaofjapan.com/fashion/clothing-vocabulary/
• https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2017/11/25/general/jap
ans-geisha-battle-protect-future/#.W8SOymgzbIU