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goldenkamuyhunting · 4 years ago

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Is Ogata a virgin?

To be honest...

I’m probably not the right person to ask this as I genuinely don’t have the slightest idea about it and I’m not really interested in this.

You see, those were different times from now.

While Japan had different ideas than the west about purity, marriage and so on, from what I know folk girls at the time wouldn’t really be willing to sleep around with boys easily, unless they planned to marry said boy and move to live with him (Meiji era is a time of changes though, so cut me some slack on this as I might be anticipating a bit a mentality that will develop in the future).

To make it simple, Harumi Chiyo (or Igogusa if you prefer) might have slept with Tsukishima prior to him leaving for war because Tsukishima made clear he wanted to marry her once he were back and she might have believed him so, if she were to remain pregnant no harm would be done as they would get married anyway.

On the other side it’s more unlikely Kakizaki Umeko slept with Sugimoto even though she equally loved him, as they apparently weren’t engaged, even though they were childhood sweethearts... while if she had lived in present times she would have been more willing to spend a night with the boy she liked even if they weren’t talking about getting married.

I genuinely doubt Ogata was/is in a serious relationship with a girl, so it’s strongly unlikely he got to sleep with someone for free.

Of course the typical male method in all the centuries and in almost all the countries (if not in all of them) to lose their virginity was to sleep with a prostitute, and it was especially popular among soldiers, even more when they were at war... which is something I don’t really consider praiseworthy.

Girls were often forced into the profession by misery or by being sold (or even kidnapped as they attempted to do with Asirpa), and taking advantage of their conditions has been something men had done for centuries and that really doesn’t make them that special in my eyes, just because in this way they managed to get rid of their virginity.

Maybe it’s just me.

Now... feel free to correct me if I’m wrong but I think this question was spurred by the Q&A section in the fanbook and more specifically by this bit.

Q18: “The scene in which Ogata tries to corrupt Yuusaku by taking him to a brothel and telling him that brothers are supposed to do bad things together was very sexy and impactful. Does it mean that Ogata frequented brothels, and has the appropriate experience?”

Noda: “He just pretended that he knows what he’s doing.” (Translation courtesy of @piduai)

To be honest the asker never mentions brothels but the "red light district” (遊郭 ‘yūkaku’ lit: “play quarters” but it was generally used in the sense of “pleasure quarters”) however he/she is clearly referring to Ogata’s visit to a specific place (and the image that goes with that ask in the fanbook is the one above just to visually help who didn’t remember about it).

(If someone is wondering “experience” is just ‘Keiken’ (経験) which means, well, “experience” in general)

Now... there’s a huge chance no soldier of Ogata’s rank or lower got a chance to have experience in such a place.

The price from prostitutes varies and the troops didn’t get much money.

The prostitutes working in the slums of Sapporo were probably the cheapest choice as they seemed to work directly on the streets and it was their customer who had to provide a place in which to go, if he wanted to do it somewhere more comfortable... and as you can see in the manga some still had to turn down the chance to spend time with them for a lack of money.

We know Otaru is packed with brothels (私娼窟 ‘shishōkutsu’), disguised as Soba shops.

The ones working for the pimp Sugimoto and Shiraishi interacted with are possibly a bit more expensive than them as they supposedly had a place in which to handle their trade, but as Shiraishi points out they’re ugly and their place is likely modest.

We then move to the brothel in which Ushiyama goes the first time.

It’s likely a bit better as his girl seems prettier and the owner will later brag they’ve the best girls and the best soba.

Sugimoto can afford the soba but the girls would likely cost more. Still maybe he could afford them. We’ll see though how they aren’t there to serve him or something.

Still the girl working there is definitely prettier than the previous, so I’ll say she should be more expensive than the ones with the pimp.

And then we move to the high class places.

We don’t get to see the inside but the girls seems even prettier and by the look of it pretty expensive. Ushiyama likely moved there because Hijikata and Nagakura are now economically supporting him.

Shiraishi (and Ishikawa too) will start visiting expensive brothels as well once Hijikata will start founding them.

The structure of this place is more like the one in which Yuusaku and Ogata went... but the girls are back on not being pretty...

To climb up to this very pretty Oiran.

Oiran (花魁) was a specific category of high ranking courtesan in Japanese history. Divided into a number of ranks within this category, oiran were considered – both in social terms and in the entertainment they provided – to be above common prostitutes, known as yūjo (遊女) (lit. 'woman of pleasure'). Though oiran by definition also engaged in prostitution, they were distinguished by their skills in the traditional arts, with the highest ranking oiran having a degree of choice in which customers they took.

Now... maybe the ladies with Ogata and Yuusaku aren’t the most expensive in the market, but they’re clearly in an upperclass place with 3 beautiful ladies, drinking sake.

I bet this is much more than Ogata’s salary allowed him and the patron for such visit is Tsurumi. Ogata though couldn’t take Yuusaku to a lesser, more economical place, as the point is to tempt an upper class boy like he is, so beautiful women and an elegant place are a must.

Long story short, while Ogata might have had sex with a prostitute... in that situation he’s clearly blind flying as it’s highly unlikely he could allow himself to do so much as drink in such a place, even less to have the girls.

To me it looks like a place for officers, with girls who are even taking care to be discreet, the perfect place to tempt an upper class official like Yuusaku, not a place for superior privates or common soldiers to spend their money regularly.

So, back to the question, did Noda refer solely to prostitutes in places like this, or to prostitutes in general?

No idea.

It can entirely be Ogata didn’t feel like having sex with a prostitute, as not only the affordable ones are ugly, but he might live it as a call back to his mother’s situation.

Although Ogata Tome was a geisha and not a common prostitute, Ogata has likely heard her being accused to be as such many times and the thing might have left a mark.

He’s not utterly repulsed by them, as, once Yuusaku is gone, he let one of them to keep hanging with him and touch him...

...even though he clearly was expecting Tsurumi and couldn’t do much else (especially since the whole thing was a fiasco and it’s unlikely Tsurumi would apprecciate Ogata getting fun from it).

So again, no idea.

It’s not surprising Ogata had no experience with that type of brothels and girls.

He might have had experience with much cheaper prostitutes but if he had or not is not really that interesting to me and not having it might even make sense considering his upbringing as the illegittimate son of a woman accused to sell her body.

He might not want to cause the birth of other children who’re in his place, nor he might feel comfortable with the idea of paying someone for sex.

A common joke among me and some of my friends is that Ogata’s only love is his rifle and, at most, he might fall for the girls of “Girls' frontline“ as they’re weapons’ personifications but, of course, this is just a joke.

So sorry, but I really don’t have an idea if he had sex previously or not. He seems to at least know how men are when they have sex...

...but again it could be a reference to how his father acted so... no idea.

Sorry if I wasn’t really helpful and thank you for your ask!

#Ogata Hyakunosuke #Ask #Ogata Tome #Harumi Chiyo #Tsukishima Hajime #Sugimoto Saichi #Kenmochi Umeko #Hanazawa Yuusaku

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welcome-to-the-cafe · 4 years ago

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Snake Eyes (2021)

Snake Eyes (2021) was bad. Sorry to be negative for the first post on this blog, but it was bad. There are some redeeming qualities that I will give credit to, but first, a brutal round of just criticism.

The biggest glaring issue was the representation of Asian culture. It is literally a caricature of Japanese culture and people, so much that it almost became self-aware of how ridiculous it was. People are saying "H O N O R ! T R A D I T I O N ! D E A T H ! The C L A N!" all the time, in grunting Japanese accents. Everyone and their mother wields a katana, that they also have no idea how to properly use. We can go down the whole laundry list of modern Japanese tropes: ninjas, katanas, Yakuza, flower blossoms, tradition, ancient clan, brotherhood, honor, revenge, bloodline, inner peace, clouded minds, motorcycles, castles, neon, Tokyo. Put the whole list through the washer, adding some bleach, and then through the dryer, and the resulting shrunken soppy mess is this movie. There was even technicolor taiko drums with geishas(?) in the end, a bizarre choice. I guess what can I expect from nonAsian writers and directors.

The scene I laughed most grimly at was at the climax, the main bad guy had his last contingent of yelling Yakuza boys with him, facing down the 6 deadly martial artists (Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Akiko, Hard Master, Blind Master, and Grandma) and two white women (Scarlett and Baroness). The white women are the only ones with firearms by the way. What happens next is so...American.

The Yakuza boys charge. They are promptly gunned down by the two white women, without so much as blinking. The main bad guy doesn't seem to care either (he is protected by the magic Macguffin). This, more than anything, showed me the level of respect that this movie had for the average Asian male, and Asian culture in general. Why do the main characters even bother with ninja shit if katana users could be so casually shot like that? This Yakuza was supposedly trafficking firearms into Japan, shouldn't they at least be packing something? Okay now I remember, they were using guns in the road fight scene, but they randomly sprayed shots and never hit anything. Regardless, it is just more reinforcement that "Asian people are exotic, they use swords and martial arts." Fuck that, I want Asian guys double wielding C96 machinepistols.

Of course, the wider context of this movie is even dumber. GI Joes, of which I dabbled in in my youth, is yet another tendril of the American miltary-industrial propaganda machine. A diverse, yet very stereotypically American task force of badasses with thematic skills are faced with international terrorist cults. Snake Eyes was a fan favorite, because he was a cool silent ninja dude who you can't even see the face of. Awesome! In his original origin story, he was an orphan who got picked up by Storm Shadow's ninja clan; when they grew up, Storm Shadow got jealous and murdered their master, and they've been enemies since. The funniest thing is that most material has Snake Eyes be White. It's so typical...the coolest, most Asian-themed character can't be Asian, he has to be secretly white, an "outsider" welcomed into the clan. It makes so much sense, as little white boys could self-insert so much better knowing mute ninja was like them, instead of like the villainous Storm Shadow, who's Asianness is always obvious from his lack of visor.

Oh which reminds me: Storm Shadow uses only traditional ninja weapons, while Snake Eyes uses a submachine gun along with his katana. Now I may be reading too much into this, but I feel that this suggests that the good guys always have a touch of Western modernity, while the bad guys are always more exotically Asian. Oh yeah! In the movie, the bad guy also wore an ancient shogun outfit with the pointy shoulders, whereas the young good guys wore modern suits. The villain is always more Asian than the hero.

But hey, Asian male protagonists! Maybe Hollywood did this on purpose to confirmation bias that Asian male lead movies don't do well.

I fear there will be a similar phenomenon in Shang-Chi.

#snake eyes #storm shadow #media review #rant #asian representation #henry golding #andrew koji #gi joe #kevin watches #joy i dont know what else to tag #semiasian media

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jwbjwb · 5 years ago

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Guess what I found in the middle of the night.

While resting from writing, I searched up the term ‘Danna’ which led me to the Geisha sector of Wikipedia. Apparently, the original Geishas were males called Taikomochis/houkans. Like their female counterparts, they specialize in arts and entertainment whom they perform specifically for their patrons called ‘Danna’s’. Seeing how Geishas are a prominent figure in Japanese arts, is it that far of a reach to think our beloved artists’ dynamic is partially inspired by this piece of history during conceptualization? I mean, look at the idea of both the Taikomochi/houkan and Geisha: "Geisha" means "arts person", while hōkan was the formal name for "jester".

By the 16th century, they became known as otogishu or hanashishu (story tellers), where they focused on story telling, humour, conversation. They were sounding boards for military strategies and they battled at the side of their lord.” parallel it to akatsuki’s most comedic and personable character (not to mention prettiest), Deidara.

Then look at Danna:

“It was traditional in the past for established geisha to take a danna, or patron. A danna was typically a wealthy man, sometimes married (to fucking kazekage puppet LOL), who had the means to support the very large expenses related to a geisha's traditional training and other costs.”

and consider:

Deidara is a hired arts person, (a fuckin geisha my guy, he’s too fuckin pretty not to be) partnered with one of Akatsuki’s senior members, Sasori, who we can consider as his patron. What you could have here is Deidara being Sasori’s personal little shit Geisha/Taikomochi. To sum up what I’m trying to say, its that our favorite artist duo could have been influenced by this dynamic.

Coincidence? I think not! But at the end of the day, with this being an analysis on characters Kishi probably didn’t give too many fucks about, its probably a reach. And you know what? That’s alright, its an interesting concept regardless. It would be nice to read fanfic about it though. *nudge nudge* Bonus: “The taikomochi pretends to be talking to a pretend danna (patron) who obviously wants to have sex. The taikomochi explains that he isn't homosexual (something Deidara is always accused of honestly xP), and that he's called a geisha (demand to be recognized as an artist?LOL), but the pretend danna is impatient. So the taikomochi gives in to please the client, and acts out (half hidden by a screen) the sex with moans and rolling of eyes, until the climax. The taikomochi then gets a tissue to 'clean up'. The audience roared with laughter because they all knew that this was a joke, making fun of how geisha and taikomochi please their customers! Of course they don't go that far”

#sasori #deidara #danna #akasuna no sasori #sasodei #taikomochi #geisha #geisha/danna au #wheres it at #someone write that down #revive dead fandoms 2k20

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the-art-of-geisha · 6 years ago

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Relationships with male guests

The appeal of a high-ranking geisha to her typical male guest has historically been very different from that of his wife. The ideal geisha showed her skill, while the ideal wife was modest. The ideal geisha seemed carefree, the ideal wife somber and responsible. Historically, geisha did sometimes marry their clients, but marriage necessitated retirement, as there were never married geisha.

Geisha may gracefully flirt with their guests, but they will always remain in control of the hospitality. Over their years of apprenticeship they learn to adapt to different situations and personalities, mastering the art of the hostess.[36]

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rougedraconteur · 4 years ago

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I spent a lot of time studying this photo when it first came out. This was summer of 2013, the second stop (after home town San Francisco and his family in the audience, which made that one a very “personal” performance in a way) of his Listen Up tour, and he was backstage preparing to perform in front of many of his industry friends, co-workers, and other Hollywood professionals. Because of this, I consider this to be the actual “coming out” of his music contract p.r. obligations kicking in, with all the hard push for “straight” that went with it.

There were other released photos that went with this set. One was the typical pose we have seen before of the happy couple, except D wore a male geisha t-shirt art image for that photo, that she partly covered with her hand, for a version of the obligatory posed straight man with sexy clingy draped all over him rocker chick girlfriend photo. This staged photo would become so common over the years as he pursued a bigger career. The weird hand position, though, like she was pushing his chest, in this particular photo made me notice the image more and look up the shirt, as well as the history of male geishas in Japan. I have seen him wear it since, but not often, so I assume he still has it but wears it very selectively where a public facing image is concerned.

There was another photo released from the same location of a large group of celebrity friends who showed up backstage, minus his SO. The ones I recall were Julianne Hough, (who I just found out is a second cousin of Ryker Lynch, who knew?) Kathy Griffin, and Topher Grace. Yeah, that last one threw me, too, but I have some thoughts, based on his past co-stars on That 70’s Show. There were several others, Less than 10, more than 5, I just don’t remember who but I probably recognized others at the time. I DO recall that photo had a male in a checked shirt and tight jeans that had his facial image cut off by the edge of the photo so you could not recognize his face. Could have been anybody who had that build and normally dressed like that, I suppose. And the band also dressed somewhat similar to that when on stage. It’s like, D has a fresh-faced farmboy fetish or something, I have never seen a pop or rock band dressed alike quite like that style, at least I thought it was odd.

There was another photo of this backstage area, with D surrounded by elaborately hand-painted images of a dragon and a phoenix, very Harry Potter, staged in silhouette in one hall, and several with the band in the heavily graffitied area. You can see one of the band members in one of these photos in his little tucked in checked shirt and tie.

But back to this photo of D. You can see the jade ring here, but what you can’t see, is another ring that he had on his finger, that looked similar to an engagement ring. He was somewhat dangling it between his fingers that are cut off in this image. And there was this weird little box that looked a little like a bow topped package drawn on the wall among all that graffiti from past performers, that looked like it enclosed a name and another word. The second word means nothing I recognized in English, but D speaks many languages and it is easy enough to find a possible translation. You can see it in this photo if you look for it, it is slightly cut off here, but in the original photo it seemed really obvious and central to the eye in the framing of the original photo. I assume all the performers were encouraged to leave their mark of some kind on the walls.

I love this photo. He seems on the edge of something, about to leap. The timing of it is key, for reasons I prefer to keep to myself. Of course I can be wrong, only D knows the truth of his story, but as they say, every picture is worth a thousand words, even staged ones. I think it is sad that so many new fans have no real context for what they see when they get these random old images. Fandom used to have those references, to dig into or ignore, as they chose. Fans now only think they know the story behind D’s old images, but they only know a highly edited version of a story that was already largely hidden, and remains so.

#darren criss #listen up tour #los angeles

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marsjapanjoaolampreia · 5 years ago

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Things You Didn't Know About Japanese Culture

Omiyage Are More Than Souvenirs

The term ‘omiyage’ is often translated as ‘souvenir’ in English, but omiyage are much more than that. Unlike souvenirs, which people often buy for themselves, omiyage are something people bring back for their friends, family and co-workers after a trip. Omiyage are typically speciality foods from different regions, which are packaged in beautiful brightly colored boxes with the food items individually wrapped inside for easy sharing. While bringing back souvenirs in the West is a nice gesture, in Japan, bringing omiyage after a trip is an expectation.

Christmas Is A Romantic Holiday

Christians only make up about 2% of Japan’s population, so Christmas is more of a novelty in Japan than a religious holiday. Elaborate light displays and Christmas trees are common, but most people celebrate on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. Furthermore, Christmas Eve is considered to be more of a date night, similar to Valentine’s Day, with couples going out for fancy dinners and exchanging romantic gifts.

There Are Cues For Your Shoes

You might know that it’s polite to take your shoes off when entering someone’s home in Japan. But it can be difficult to tell if you’re supposed to take them off in many other buildings, such as temples, shrines, and restaurants. Fortunately, there are a few cues to look for, such as if slippers are set around the entrance, it’s a clear indication that guests should take their outdoor shoes off and put the slippers on instead. Additionally, if the floor is raised at the entrance, it means guests should take their shoes off in the doorway before stepping inside and onto the raised surface.

Japanese Women Used To Blacken Their Teeth

For centuries, tooth blackening, known as ohaguro, was a common practice for Japanese women, particularly married woman and geishas. In addition to being considered attractive, this practice was also believed to help protect the teeth against decay and other dental issues. Women would apply various substances to their teeth, such as mixtures of tooth wax and ink, to maintain their black appearance. The practice was banned beginning in the late 19th century, in an effort to modernize Japan and make its culture more appealing to Westerners.

It’s Rude To Eat Or Drink While Walking

It’s pretty common to see someone eating a bag of chips or sipping coffee while walking down the street in Western countries, but this is not the case in Japan. While it isn’t considered quite as rude as it used to be, eating or drinking while walking is still looked upon as low-class behavior. When most Japanese people buy food or drink from a vending machine on the street, for example, they’ll consume the whole thing while standing beside the machine to avoid walking with it.

Baseball Is Extremely Popular

Sumo may be Japan’s national sport and the one people most often associate with the country, but baseball is actually its most watched and played sport. It was introduced to the country during the Meiji Period and gained huge popularity thanks to the heavy American presence in Japan after World War II. Japan has two professional baseball leagues, as well as countless high school and university leagues across the country. Japanese baseball games are particularly notable for their fervent cheering sections, with people singing fight songs and participating in organized cheers continuously throughout most games.

Chopstick Positions Have Meaning

When you’re dining in Japan, it’s important to never stick your chopsticks into your food to rest them when you’re not eating. This actually resembles a ceremony performed at funerals in Japan, and it’s considered to be a bad omen. For the same reason, it’s also taboo to share food with others by passing it chopsticks to chopsticks. If you want to share, use your chopsticks to place the food on the other person’s plate.

Eating Horse Meat Is Common

Horse meat has been consumed in Japan since the late 16th century. Its use in cooking increased significantly in the 1960s, as the role of horses in agriculture and transport diminished. Raw horse meat, known as basahi, is commonly served in restaurants. It is typically eaten with grated ginger and sweet shoyu. It’s nicknamed sakura niku (cherry blossom meat) for its pale pink color.

The First Geisha Were Men

Geisha actually means ‘person of the arts’ and the first geisha were men, who advised feudal lords in addition to entertaining the court with various artistic performances and stories. Female geishas began entertaining in the late 18th century and were originally known as onna geisha (woman artist). Female geishas became extremely popular, outnumbering males less than 25 years after their first appearance.

Everyone Pours For Each Other

When groups are drinking together and sharing a bottle, such as sake, at the table, it’s polite for people to refill each other’s glasses rather than pouring their own drinks. Wait for someone else to top up your glass when it’s empty, and keep an eye on everyone else’s glasses, because they’ll be waiting for you to refill them. If you don’t want to drink any more, then simply leave your glass full.

There’s A Proper Way To Appreciate Bonsai

You may know that bonsai are potted miniature trees that are artistically styled. The trees are styled to be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing while also mimicking how the tree might look in a larger form out in nature. It is, therefore, unsurprising that after looking at the bonsai’s overall appearance, viewers are meant to lower their line of sight to the same level as the tree. To properly appreciate bonsai, viewers should try to imagine themselves being small as they look at the tree, so they can imagine how it might look in its natural environment.

Slurping Is A Compliment

For a country with so many strict etiquette rules, it comes as a shock to many Westerners that slurping noodles or soups while eating is perfectly acceptable in Japan. In fact, slurping isn’t just acceptable — it’s actually encouraged. It’s considered to be a sign that the food is delicious, and it’s a compliment to the cook. It makes it easier to eat the noodles quickly while they’re still hot, which is said to be the best way to appreciate their flavor. Slurping can also minimize messiness, helping to prevent broth from spilling on your clothes as you eat.

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marsjapanjohannahairas · 5 years ago

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Japan - Culture

It’s been more than 150 years since Japan opened its ports to the Western world after centuries of isolation, yet some things about it still mystify us. Here are 12 things you probably didn’t know about Japanese culture.

Omiyage Are More Than Souvenirs

Christmas Is A Romantic Holiday

It’s Rude To Eat Or Drink While Walking

It’s pretty common to see someone eating a bag of chips or sipping coffee while walking down the street in Western countries, but this is not the case in Japan. While it isn’t considered quite as rude as it used to be, eating or drinking while walking is still looked upon as low-class behaviour. When most Japanese people buy food or drink from a vending machine on the street, for example, they’ll consume the whole thing while standing beside the machine to avoid walking with it.

Baseball Is Extremely Popular

Chopstick Positions Have Meaning

Eating Horse Meat Is Common

The First Geisha Were Men

Everyone Pours For Each Other

There’s A Proper Way To Appreciate Bonsai

Slurping Is A Compliment

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poolenick-blog · 6 years ago

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Have you ever had the chance to watch the movie: ‘Memoirs of a Geisha‘? Or at least read the book? Well… I’ve done both at a young age and I instantly fell in love with Japan’s geisha as I witnessed their unique beauty, grace, and discipline. In fact, ever since then, I have been deeply enamoured by their mystifying world — which, thankfully, have still survived up to this day!

I say ‘survived’ because I was also interested in the samurai (Japan’s olden warriors who typically serve a feudal lord or daimyo). I badly wanted to witness their noble way of life; however, it made me terribly sad when I learned that they no longer exist, and this is because their social class has died down long ago around the late 1800s after the emperor favored a more modern western-style army. Sure, there may be descendants and even people who still try to practice samurai behavior and/or swordsmanship today, BUT it’s not the same given how the whole samurai lifestyle and system is absolutely non-existent anymore.

The geisha tradition is not as old as the samurai but it IS old and I’ve surely developed some sort of mild fear that they might eventually disappear too — which I hope to goodness, they won’t — and this worry of mine makes a bit of sense because there aren’t many geisha anymore. To put it into numbers, back in the 1920s they numbered around 80,000. Their current number? It is now estimated to be only 1,000 to 2,000!! Because of this and more, it couldn’t be helped that I’ve made ‘meeting or seeing a legit geisha‘ as an item on the very top of my bucket list.

Well… guess what? I already made this dream come true when I went to Japan this year!

What have I done, precisely? I talked to a geisha in Tokyo over a dinner banquet, I played games with 2 young senior maiko in Niigata, I caught sight of a legitimate maiko (who was on her way to work) in one of Kyoto‘s narrow alleys, and I watched two young Japanese maiko perform in Gion Corner — breathtaking experiences that I will surely remember and treasure forever.

Of course, now that I have met and seen them, my wish for their practices to continue for eternity has been strengthened even more!

But before I go on, actually, let’s talk about the movie again because I find it imperative to note that since ‘Memoirs of a Geisha‘ was made in Hollywood, it had several aspects that were false (if not overly romanticized) thereby contributing to the already growing misconceptions of this culture. Thanks to my discussions with a geisha, Kimicho of Tokyo, as well as to my long research sprees, I have come to learn MORE of the truth.

Today, I will be imparting that knowledge with you so that you too can be cleared of any misconceptions that you may have about them.

RELATED READ: Sample Japan Itineraries

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Understanding the Geisha of Japan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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» What is a ‘geisha’? How about a ‘maiko’?

A geisha, which translates to English as “performing artist” or “artisan”, is a high-class professional and traditional female entertainer in Japan trained in various forms of art.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In west of Japan such as of that in Kyoto, they use another name for geisha: geiko. Whereas in Kanto area (around Tokyo), they call them geigi. For Tokyo and other places, they commonly use the word ‘geisha’. For the sake of consistency in this article, I will use the word geisha. Besides, it is a more widely recognized term that can be used to encompass both that of western Japan’s geikos and Tokyo’s geisha.

Meanwhile, a maiko, which translates to English as “dancing child”, is an apprentice geisha.

Historically, a maiko starts her training at a very young age: around 3 or 5 years old. But now, their training starts at a much later date: in Kyoto they start at 15 or 16 and in Tokyo they start at 18.

Nevertheless, any girl who wants to enter the community does not have to begin as a maiko because it’s said that they can already proceed being a geisha. (Still and the same, they are required to do at least a year’s worth of training before debuting as a geisha.) For women who are aged 21 to 23 and above, they are deemed to be too old to become maiko so they already become a geisha when they join the community — again, still with training beforehand.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In Tokyo, maiko are rather called as hangyoku (“half jewel”) and they can remain to be so until they are 23. For the sake of consistency in this article, I will use the word maiko.

• What a geisha does •

A geisha is usually hired to attend to guests (who are predominantly and traditionally male) during banquets, meals, parties, and other occasions as she demonstrates her skills through various ways such as dancing to a tune played with the shamisen (a stringed instrument), initiating games, doing the art of conversation, and more.

Japanexperterna / Color edit applied / CC For these affairs, they meet up with their guests at an ochaya* (tea house) or at a ryōtei (traditional Japanese restaurant) and charge their customers by the hour with flat fees.

*Ochaya are highly exclusive places that customarily only grant entry to regular or trusted customers. This is mainly because of how they operate: they don’t bill their guests at the end of the evening, but rather once a month for all the expenses accrued — hence, there is a special level of trust involved. For instance, not just about anyone can go up to an ochaya without being introduced to it first by an already existing customer (and that existing customer would essentially risk their reputation by trusting the behavior of the person that they are introducing to the ochaya). Going by this train of thought, hiring a geisha to have a dinner banquet with is not easy especially if you’re not Japanese and not well-connected, as it is exclusive AND expensive.

Fortunately, most ochaya have lessened their restrictions lately and tourists can now have a geisha dinner if they go through partnered travel agencies and hotels. However, you will still need to prepare a considerable budget for this because a full geisha dinner can be worth around 50,000 yen and up ($470~ or Php 22,500~) per geisha or maiko. This does NOT include dinner yet which starts at 10,000 yen ($95~ or Php 4,500~), as well as an interpreter if you don’t know how to speak Japanese (since geisha and maiko don’t train in English conversation).

Want to meet with a geisha?

Come and check out these geisha encounters and/or dinner activities that you can do either in Nagoya or Tokyo that already include English translators!

TRIVIA: Some people will say that it can be a ‘waste’ of your money to have a geisha dinner if you don’t speak Japanese — the magic of it all may cease to exist! They say that this is because you’ll be missing out on one of their best talents: conversation or witty banter.

No matter the case, this is all up to you of course! The way I see it, it might indeed be a waste of money, BUT I don’t think it’s a bad idea to do it anyway and get an interpreter (better yet, drag along your Japanese friend). And if you’re up for it, there are also already a few trained and recognized foreigner geisha in Japan who can speak English. I went through this experience myself and I enjoyed it so much! (To learn more about these modern foreigner geisha, go • History of geisha •

Geisha started to appear in the pleasure quarters of Japan before the turn of the 18th century. The first geisha were actually men, whereas the first female ones who appeared years later were teenage odoriko who were expensively-trained “dancing girls” or dancers-for-hire. (As time passed on, being a geisha was mainly regarded as a female occupation.)

Slowly, geisha became more widespread and a lot of them started to work primarily as entertainers — anyone who was selling sex (which was against their intended kind of work) were imprisoned after all in order to protect the oiran who were licensed high-class courtesans or prostitutes at that time. However, when 1800 came in, the oiran slowly fell out of demand when wealthy Japanese men chose geisha more as their companion of choice due to their ‘chic’ and modern demeanour.

Simply put: the rise of the geisha was the fall of the oiran.

Japanexperterna / CC | Right photo by: Keisuke Makino / CC . Meanwhile, when World War II began, geisha started to decline; they had to close their okiya (geisha houses), and the teahouses and bars had to close shop as well. As a result, they went to other places in Japan for safety or for work (such as in factories, etc.). It didn’t help either that some prostitutes started to refer to themselves as “geisha girls” to American military men.

Nonetheless, when the war ended, the returning geisha made it a point to reinstate their traditional standards as highly-skilled entertainers, and at the same time, they proposed increased rights for their profession. • Myths to bust about the geisha and maiko of today •

1 MYTH: Geishas are prostitutes. TRUTH: Geisha are NOT prostitutes. They are and always will be highly-skilled entertainers. (It helps to note anyway that prostitution is illegal in Japan ever since 1956.) Plus, even though there were some of them in the olden times who offered sex to their clients, it helps to note that it wasn’t a part of their true traditional function or training — call them rebels if you will, and they might just be so since as I’ve discussed previously, a geisha is imprisoned in the past should they ever offer sex to others casually.

Of course a geisha is free to pursue personal relationships with any man that she meets through work; but such would most likely never be casual nor will it ever be her goal for such an interaction. They live in a geisha district (hanamachi) which is very closely-knit community, and given how greatly they value their reputation, they would always pick their relationships carefully. Should they ever fall in love and want to marry, then sometimes they must retire because geisha (most especially in Kyoto) are expected to be single. Nevertheless, there are now a lot of places in Japan (like Tokyo) that allow married, divorced and/or women with children to become geisha.

2 MYTH: Geisha have personal relationships with a patron or danna. TRUTH: This is NOT true today. It may have been tradition in the past for geisha to take a danna or a patron who was wealthy enough to support the expenses related to her training and other costs in order to have a personal relationship in return (which was not inherently sexual) with a geisha. But today, it is very unusual for a geisha to have a personal relationship with a danna and should they ever have one (which is rare because most of them love to be autonomous now), it’s mainly because of the patron’s desire to help prolong the geisha arts and traditions — nothing more. Again, a geisha and her danna can fall in love but intimacy is never viewed as an exchange for the danna’s financial support.

3 MYTH: Young girls are sold to okiya (geisha houses) by their parents because of poverty. TRUTH: It may have happened way in the past, but nowadays, NO young girl is sold to an okiya due to poverty as it is more of a personal career choice in order to become a maiko/geisha. In fact, a lot of girls have to persuade their parents today in order to let them become one. Once a girl’s parents do consent to it, she will have to be interviewed first by the association as well as the female owners of the ochaya (tea houses) before being accepted.

4 MYTH: Geisha are lead by men and money (as portrayed in the movie: Memoirs of a Geisha). TRUTH: This is NOT true. It helps to always remember that the movie was mainly fictional and set to be ‘sellable’ to audiences. (Well, hello Hollywood!). Being a geisha is like being an artist or a performer — it’s a respectable profession and much like any career you pursue in life that you are passionate about, you do it because you love it while also earning your living from it. They don’t go around chasing after men either; it just so happens that the people that they present their art and performances to are predominantly men.

5 MYTH: Maiko go through mizuage wherein a patron would pay to take their virginity. (As also seen in ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’). TRUTH: Nope. This kind of mizuage was actually a ceremony done by young courtesans and prostitutes in the past — NOT by maiko. Though there are speculations that this mizuage (taking of the virginity) was done by some maiko in the past, what’s important to remember is that this is NOT done today nor was it ever traditionally accepted to be done by geisha for their maiko. The only kind of mizuage that maiko have done was a ceremony wherein older geisha would symbolically cut the topknot of the maiko’s hair to signify her coming of age (of becoming an adult). • How to identify geisha and maiko •

As you visit Japan, take note of the below points to help you quickly differentiate a geisha from their apprentice (maiko):

AGE. As I’ve already discussed, maiko usually start their training at a young age (15 to 16 for Kyoto and 18 for Tokyo) so they are much younger than a full-fledged geisha who often start at around 21 to 23. .

HAIRSTYLE. Geisha usually wear wigs whereas maiko have their hair styled naturally. A geisha’s wig and a maiko’s natural hair are regularly styled by highly-skilled artisans (lately though, traditional hairstyling is slowly phasing out because it can sometimes lead to balding on the top of their head).

TRIVIA: Maiko have their hair styled elaborately every week. To keep their hairstyle intact, maiko sleep with their necks on small supports called as takamakura (they are tall uncomfortable-looking pillows; if you’ve watched the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, you’ll know what I’m talking about).

HAIR ORNAMENTS. Maiko wear more elaborate decorative hair ornaments called as kanzashi and the designs can vary depending on the stage of training that they are currently in. During their .

MAKEUP. On a typical day, a maiko will be seen wearing the most recognizable feature of geisha: the full white face makeup. Geisha, on the other hand, do NOT have this makeup on unless they are going to do a special performance. . Maiko will always have a noticeable white band of unpainted skin on their hairline (since they don’t wear wigs) and their eyebrows will be shaded in red or pink, their cheeks slightly blushed, and their eyes outlined with black eyeliner and red eyeshadow. During the early stages of their training, ‘junior’ maiko (or minarai) will only have their lower lip painted in red and as they advance (as ‘senior’ maiko), both their lips will be painted but only in a thin line. For geisha who need to have their face painted when they work, apart from having no visible part of exposed skin near their hairline (since they wear wigs), their eyebrows will also only have a faint shade of red, their eyes outlined in black (if a ‘senior’ geisha) or with a slight red (if they’re a ‘junior’ geisha) and their lips painted fully in red. Joe Baz / CC | Circle & right photo by: Annie Guilloret / CC

TRIVIA: This white makeup fully covers the geisha or maiko’s face, neck, and chest — except for the nape (called komata or the back of a person’s neck) which they will make sure is visible when they would later on wear their kimono. This part is considered to be a traditionally erotic area in Japan so they accentuate this sensuality by customarily leaving an inverted “V” shape on a geisha, and an inverted “W” shape on those who just debuted as maiko. (This style is called as eri-ashi)

KIMONO. A maiko usually wears a colorfully-designed long-sleeved kimono (Japanese traditional garment) with a wider obi (sash) that is set to look like a bow as it drapes down to their back. A maiko’s collar is also a distinct feature because it is thick and embroidered, hangs very loosely and are mainly in the color red (other colors can only be gold or white). It will slowly have white embroidered patterns as they advance in their training but it will always remain to be dominantly red. Geisha, who are more mature, wear more subdued but refined kimonos with shorter sleeves that are usually in one color with a simple pattern at the bottom. Their obi is shorter too and it looks like a square bow knot at the back. Lastly, their collars are completely white and are not as loose. (Both maiko and geisha though wear kimonos according to the season).

NOTE: Wanna try and wear a kimono? There are kimono rental shops in Tokyo! Read here to learn more.

FOOTWEAR. Maiko generally wear very high wooden sandals, to prevent their kimono from touching the ground, called as okobo. Geisha use shorter wooden sandals called zori or geta (maiko will wear this too if the situation calls for it; but they wear okobo more). Laura Tomàs Avellana / CC | Right photo by: Joi Ito / CC .

• How to spot the fake geisha and maiko •

You might have heard of makeover (henshin) studios in Japan that will dress tourists up as a geisha or maiko for a day. With this in mind, if you have ever seen a geisha or maiko while you are around popular spots in Japan — like in parts of Kyoto or Tokyo — it is highly likely that you have witnessed or took a picture with a fake one.

To help you identify and spot these tourists who are only dressing up, see below the several features that they will possess. (Ultimately, henshin studios make it a point to NOT dress up their clients authentically; otherwise, they will be shut down by the authorities.)

They have mismatched hairstyle, makeup, and clothing. Taking into considerations the descriptions that I’ve made previously of authentic geisha and maiko features, a tourist in disguise will always have a wrong mix of characteristics. For example, most of them will have the decorative long hair ornament (of a junior maiko) yet with both her lips painted (like a senior maiko or geisha) and with a wig on (though some shops can now do your hair too). Also look at the 3rd one, she has a camera with her! (Maiko are not allowed to use any electronics while working). .

They are walking around crowded areas. A true maiko or geisha knows that she is sought out by tourists and they can get ‘mobbed’ in a sense; so, you will NEVER find them walking through a populated area while in their full regalia. What they usually do is walk through back streets and alleyways in order to avoid the crowd. Hence, if you ever see a maiko or geisha walking casually through a well-known place, she is surely a tourist dressed up as one. .

They are out during the early time of the day. Geisha and maiko commonly work in the evenings; though it’s possible that they are booked for an early banquet, it almost happens rarely. .

They are willingly taking photos with others. Geisha and maiko are actually paid for the time that requires them to get from point A to point B, so when they are out on the streets, they will never stop by to take photos with tourists. (You can always ask them though if you can take a photo, but do it quick). Therefore, if you see one who is taking her sweet time pleasing a crowd of tourists to take a photo of her (unless it’s an official event) then she is a tourist who had a makeover. .

They are accompanied by other people who are in normal clothing. Saw a geisha or maiko with an elder or companion who has to aid her while she walks in her high wooden shoes? That’s a tourist. Real geisha and maiko are trained to walk well with their zori or okobo sandals. Besides, they always know their way around town too. If they’re ever accompanied, it will usually be by a young girl in a kimono who will carry her belongings (this is a new maiko in training who is called a ‘shikomi‘). .

Actually, you wouldn’t be aware of it but you might have had a legitimate geisha or maiko in your midst especially when you’re walking around in Kyoto. When they’re in their normal clothes (such as a yukata), identifying them will naturally be tough — unless you are a fan who recognizes their face or unless they are wearing their signature kimono and traditional white makeup (shiro-nuri).

NOTE: There’s another kind apart from henshin tourists whom you could easily mistake as legitimate geisha and maiko, and they’re called furisode-san or kimono-san.

An established business by ‘Furisode Gakuin’ at Tokyo’s Asakusa district in the 1990s, these furisode-san are paid entertainers only who mimic the look and services of geisha and maiko at a cheaper price (usually around 25,000 yen or $250 for a 2-hour party). They only have about 3 months of training and again — they are NOT real geisha nor maiko.

In fact, most of the geisha experiences that you might have actually read in other travel blogs are actually experiences with a furisode-san. How do the Japanese feel about these people? A mix of approval and disapproval. Approval since they help gather interest in real geisha; disapproval since they deem it as disrespectful to the real tradition.

How then can you ensure that you’re not booking an experience with a furisode-san? Apart from the cheap price as an indicator, make sure that you book through legitimate travel agencies who only seek to provide real geisha/maiko experiences (note: I will update this section soon with relevant links for booking legit geisha).

» The geisha of today

Though the geisha tradition is dwindling (due to its exclusivity, expensive price, and traditional form), it is in Kyoto where it remains to be the strongest today. Kyoto is also the pinnacle area where experiencing geisha remains to be the best and most prestigious in its five hanamachi (geisha districts or “flower towns”), namely: Gion Kōbu, Ponto-chō, Kamishichiken, Gion Higashi, and Miyagawa-chō.

If we have to put it into numbers, as I’ve previously mentioned, there only about 1,000 to 2,000 geisha now and they are found in several cities across Japan — not only in Kyoto, but in Tokyo (with well-known hanamachi of Shimbashi, Asakusa, and Kagurazaka) and Kanazawa too. It is said that there are about 300 geisha in Kyoto; but the exact numbers there as well as in other areas are unknown to us outsiders.

TRIVIA: I was told that there exists a male geisha in Japan. His name is Eitaro and he is found in Tokyo’s Omori district.

Speaking of hanamachi, these are places that are generally referred to as the ‘flower and willow world’ (karyukai). Given that they are speckled with okiya and ochaya that are owned and run by women, all the power is then held by females. (Men in these districts are rather mainly artisans, dressers, or wig makers.) Children who are girls are also preferred so that they can later take on the business — this is a trait that is in contrast to the rest of Japan. • The foreigner or non-Japanese geisha •

In order to keep up with the times, some okiya have been accepting foreign nationals as geisha. So far there are only a few of them that have been admitted. (Below are their Japanese names, and the data below is as of 2016.).

Ibu – a geiko in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture // originally from Ukraine ~ source ~ retired

Juri – a geisha in the resort town of Yugawara // originally from Peru ~ source ~ unsure if still working or retired

Fukutarō – a geisha in Izu-Nagaoka, Shizuoka // originally from Romania ~ source ~ retired

Sayuki – an (unofficial) geisha in Asakusa, Tokyo // originally from Australia ~ source ~ debuted as a geisha, but has been disassociated with the Asakusa Geisha Association and has since worked independently

Rinka – a geisha in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture // originally from China ~ source ~ unsure if still working or retired

Mutsuki – a geisha in Shinigawa, Tokyo // originally from China ~ source ~ working as a geisha

Kimicho – a geisha in the Oimachi district of Shinagawa Tokyo // originally from America ~ source ~ worked as a geisha since 2015, now retired

Kimicho just started last October 2015 and I personally had the pleasure of meeting and talking to her! Read about it here!

Evidently, you will not see foreigner or non- Japanese geisha admitted (yet) in Kyoto as they still remain to be somewhat strictly traditional. Nevertheless, it is great to see that the rest of Japan is slowly opening its geisha tradition to others who love the culture, even if they are not of Japanese descent. • How to become a geisha •

I’ve discussed this already above, but just to reiterate, training to become a geisha in which you start as a maiko begins at 15 to 16 in Kyoto and 18 in Tokyo (in the past, it started at 3 – 5 years old). So these days, girls must have at least graduated from middle school (except Kyoto who has special laws for it) before they can make the decision to train as a maiko and eventually become a geisha.

However, it is rather more common for young Japanese women to start training after high school or college; but a lot more would begin later. If they are above 21 to 23, they will already start as a geisha (with a year’s training) since they are too old to be a maiko. Having said that, one doesn’t have to start as a maiko since they can already start to train as a geisha — but of course, the allure of the overall comprehensive training process as you progress from a maiko to a full-fledged geisha can be quite an experience (and can add more to one’s reputation in the community).

So in order to become a geisha, once you reach the age required, you or your parent need to contact for example: Ookini Zaidan (the guild for all of Kyoto’s hanamachi businesses) and you must fulfill their other basic requirements: not taller than 160cm, at least 43kg in weight, willingness to train in the traditional arts for years, etc. Once they consider you a good candidate, they will send out your profile to okiya houses that might be interested in training you.

NOTE: Okiya will shoulder all your expenses for food, training, clothes, etc. once you are accepted by them and bonded by a contract. When you start working you can slowly pay off these debts.

If you are non-Japanese, Kyoto is a hard environment to crack in so you’re better off applying to other places like Tokyo and applying to okiyas yourself (better if you know someone who can introduce you to an okasan or a mother of an okiya/geisha house). By the way, do NOT try to apply if you don’t know the language yet; otherwise, absolutely no okiya will take you! • The training of a maiko •

There are several stages to undergo if you train as a maiko. First of all, the stage of…

Shikomi. As you are taken in, you will first be regarded as a shikomi, someone who basically works as a helper for the okiya as you do errands, help other geisha and maiko dress up, etc. — but at the same time you are also slowly being trained into the lifestyle. Example: adjusting to wearing a traditional yukata as normal clothing, growing out your hair, learning the proper demeanor, going to school (kaburejo or nyokobo) to learn the arts of the shamisen instrument, dance, tea ceremony, etc. » This can last for about 6 months before going to the next stage.

Minarai. At this point, you start your formal training and be regarded as a minarai which literally means “learning by watching”. In this stage, you will have an older geisha for a mentor whom you will call onēsan (sister) and this will be a bond that will stay for life. You are then expected to accompany your onesan to ozashiki (dinner banquet events) so that you can sit and observe her as well as other geisha and maiko interact with the customers. Through this way, you will not only gain real insights of the job but you will also gain the chance to know potential clients. At times, your onesan will allow you to perform but she will keep a close eye on you. » This training period starts a month before your official debut as a maiko.

Misedashi. This is your official debut as a maiko and this ceremony is like a grand public party wherein your name will be spread out across the hanamachi. You will also undergo a ritual called as sansankudo (also done in wedding ceremonies) where you exchange cups with your onesan, other geisha, and senior maiko — people who you are now bound to. Afterwards, you are now free to hold your own parties and perform in festivals; but you will always join your onesan at her events and you will also still continue learning from her. » Normally, this stage will last about 4 to 5 years.

David Offf / CC

• Debuting as a geisha •

Erikae. Around the age of 21 to 23, you will be promoted as a full-fledged geisha in yet another public ceremony called erikae or “turning of the collar” wherein as the name implies, they will turn your red collar to white as a sign of your transition to maturity from that of a maiko girl into a geisha woman.

Geisha. You will continue studying, working, and holding ozashiki banquets until you pay off your debts to your okiya. You could also take on a minarai/maiko under your wing. When your debts to your okiya are settled, you may choose to move out, work independently, or continue living in the okiya.

Hiki-iwai. This is a celebration that marks your retirement as a geisha, and it can be because of various reasons: you want to quit the geisha life, you want to pursue another career, you are too old to work publicly, you want to get married, or you want to become an okami-san (proprietress of either an ochaya or okiya).

Realistically-speaking however, not a lot of maiko make it to the geisha level because the lifestyle can be quite difficult. Also, once someone does become a geisha, it’s also common for them to retire within 5 years of their debut.

Anyhow, geisha and maiko alike are celebrated and they have a HUGE fanbase — not only in Japan but worldwide too! » Where to find or see geisha?

The geisha world needs to survive. It used to only be exclusively available for the rich or well-connected Japanese, but now it’s possible for other people as well as tourists to meet and see them through travel agencies and hotels.

But certainly, like I mentioned

Go book a spot in Niigata Hanamachi Chaya’s program in Niigata City. This is the cheapest way to meet, play, and talk to a real geisha up close since you only have to pay 3,000 yen ($26~ of Php 1,300~). It’s very similar to an ozashiki (dinner banquet) experience. To find out more about it…

» READ: Meet, Play & Talk with Niigata’s Furumachi Geigi (Geisha) for Only $26!

Go to Miyako Odori in Kyoto. This is a yearly spring dance during April done by Kyoto’s geisha and maiko. Ticket prices start at 2,500 yen ($24~ or Php 1,100~) and you can see more info about this here. .

Go to Kamishichiken in Kyoto during February and July to September. Geisha and maiko of this district serve tea and wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) to about 3,000 guests in an annual open-air tea ceremony held on February 25 (the plum-blossom festival in the Shinto shrine of Kitano Tenman-gū). Additionally, ever since 2010, there is a beer garden that opens up to the public at the Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theatre during July to August (6PM to 10PM) where you can get the chance to be served by maiko and geisha. (At night, geisha would also sometimes to traditional dances). .

Go to the narrow alleyways of Gion, Kyoto to catch sight of a maiko or geisha. Their work often starts at around 6PM to 8PM but ordinarily, you can have a better chance of finding geisha or maiko at around 10PM to 11PM on the streets of Gion as they make their way to work. (Again, take note of my tips above on how to spot the real ones!) Unfortunately, there really is NO one guaranteed spot where you can see them because they can be elusive and they can be anywhere! Nevertheless, it’s said that the most common hubs would be the street of Pontocho Alley and Hanamikoji-dori (around 5-6PM) so you can try your chances there.

I managed to catch a glimpse of a real maiko when I was walking through Gion (on my way to Gion Corner). It was all unplanned since I was just following the fastest walking route shown to me by Google Maps! I was mindlessly going through narrow streets when ‘lo and behold, I saw a maiko emerging from a nearby alleyway who proceeded to stand on the corner, seemingly waiting for her taxi. From what I remember, it was around the Tominagacho area; my friends told me that it was possible that the maiko I saw had visited a nearby shrine/temple before going to work (which they usually do).

TIP: If you want to do a guided tour around Kyoto and learn more about the geishas, you can join this geisha districts tour.

NOTE: Don’t expect to see geisha and maiko in their full regalia around Gion during “Obon Festival”, the annual Buddhist event for commemorating the souls of one’s ancestors, because they don’t work at that time. This happens during the middle of August.

ETIQUETTE: Should you ever see a geisha or maiko as you go through the alleyways of Gion, be respectful. Taking a quick photo is fine as long as you don’t get in their way; but of course, it’s also more tactful if you ask for their permission first. Also, NEVER ever touch them and their kimono nor pull them back to make them stop and pose for you; that’s just plain rude BUT also because you have to remember that their kimonos are INCREDIBLY expensive. A famous geisha once said this: “We are not Mickey mouse and this is not Disney World, we are not here to entertain the public, we are here to entertain our patrons.”

Go and watch the show at Gion Corner in Kyoto. This is a theater that presents regular one-hour shows of 7 performing arts in Kyoto — one of which is the well-known kyo-mai dance performance by maiko dancers. There are 2 shows everyday at 6PM and 7PM [see schedule here] with prices for adults at 3,150 yen ($30~ or Php 1,400). I went to this show and I loved it! (A lot of people on TripAdvisor left such bad reviews for this show, but that’s mainly because they didn’t read their pamphlet beforehand so that they can understand the rest of the 6 Japanese performances that are apart from the well-anticipated maiko dance.) .

Go to Azuma Odori in Tokyo. A dance performance by the geisha of Shinbanshi, Tokyo are held annually at the Shinbanshi Enbujo Theater in May. (For more info, go here). .

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Overall

I hope this article helped in making you gain more insight about the mysterious yet captivating world of geisha and their apprentice maiko. It took me a while to finish this up but I really enjoyed writing it… and I hope you enjoyed it as well!

If in case though that this is the first time you’ve heard of Japan’s geisha, it is therefore also my hope that you’ve now discovered a great appreciation for their wondrous traditions.

P.S.: If you are more knowledgeable about geisha than me and that I’ve accidentally made a false statement above, do let me know in the comments below. After all, I understand that this tradition maintains an air of mysteriousness and anonymity since it adds to their overall ‘allure’; therefore, there might be some conflicting facts online and in some materials and interviews. Regardless, I’m quite confident with the accuracy of the things above especially after doing long hours of research and then conversing with a true-blue geisha to verify my facts. Let me know!

How about you?

What do you think about Japan’s geisha?

Would you want to see or meet them up close? Why or why not?

Or have you already seen or met a geisha or maiko before? How was the experience?

Did you like this article? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube and be notified about my newest posts and updates!

The post Understanding the Geisha of Japan: Myths & Facts appeared first on I am Aileen.

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studiomaya · 8 years ago

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THE HATE U GIVE, by Angie Thomas

Once in awhile a book throws you for a loop with dialogue so strong that you can hear the voices inside your head. This is one of those books. It's a priceless read. Go out and get it right now. Caution: there is swearing. Be assured that there is only as much swearing as you might hear in the typical middle school locker room.

I came across this book on Twitter, of all places, when I discovered a really important hashtag: #ourvoices. If you search under #ourvoices you will find a wealth of titles, authors, and fans of books written by members of historically marginalized groups…ranging from the obvious to the obscure. The point, of course, is that we all want and NEED books written BY those voices themselves. We all know that the United States is increasingly made up of people of color. Yet, a shocking proportion of books for children featuring racially diverse characters are written by white authors! According to the FiveThirtyEight statistical website, racial diversity among authors of children's literature is sadly lacking. For example, it appears that while between 2002 and 2014, African-Americans have been featured in about 3-5% of books received by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, only a dismal 2-3% are authored BY African-American writers.

This is wrong for so many reasons, but at bottom, every perspective is valuable, and a missing voice is a missing voice.

There's a delicate problem that I think many white authors dance around, which is that you don't have to be an 18th century naval captain in order to write a sea story. It's okay for a gay writer to write a straight character, and it's okay for an older woman to write in the voice of a younger man. And if you are white, it's okay to choose to write a non-white character. There's a fair degree of online vitriol that I see when it comes to #ownvoices, and it misses the point, I feel, if it dwells excessively on “authenticity.” There seem to be many angry readers and writers who feel that writers can't write “authentically” about any experiences but their own. I remember feeling irritation when Memoirs of a Geisha came out, because the author was a white male and the protagonist was a Japanese female speaking in the first person–so I understand the sentiment. As an Asian-American female I thought the author had some nerve. But literature is a wide, wide world. We can't get uptight about books that fail to resonate. Those are individual books. You can't create a rule that works for all books. All books written by Asians about Asians aren't going to be well-executed. But we do need to clamor for more books written by Asians about Asians, so that we have the option of reading those perspectives at all.

So back to The Hate U Give. The teenaged opinion in my household said, simply: the voice in this book is real, and it needs to be exactly how it is. One of my girls said, “I think everyone needs to read this book.” For once, we weren't reading ABOUT “black lives matter.” Instead, we were IN “black lives matter.” We care about the people in this book, and when they suffer, we suffer. This is how you bring people together. “Black lives matter” isn't a slogan anymore. ALL lives matter. We need more of this. I'm halfway through the book now and it totally ROCKS. Pick it up, and then give Angie Thomas a shout-out on Twitter and tell her you loved it. This is her first book. Let's get her to write more.

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funnycutcats · 6 years ago

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Japanese Bobtail Cat – Breeds cat with a Unique Tail

Some are curved. Some are kinked. Some wiggle; others are stiff. It might resemble a pompom, or it might look like a shaving brush. Each is utterly unique, such as a snowflake or a fingerprint.

Named for its inimitable posterior, the Japanese bobtail cat is distinguished by its curled tail, which is unparalleled not only to the breed but to each individual cat. In this world of scientific breeding, where all manner of genetic derivations are becoming increasingly common in cat breeding, the Japanese bobtail cat is no Johnny-come-lately. The breed has been sporting its distinctive tail for at least a thousand years.

Japanese woodcuts and paintings depicting cats similar to the Japanese bobtail cat appear in Japanese temples dating to the sixth century. Other breed historians suggest the cats first arrived in the country around the 10th century at the instigation of the cat-loving Japanese Emperor Ichijo.

Although now thought of as exclusively Japanese, this ancient breed appears to have originally occurred in many areas of the Far East. A cat known as the Malay cat, whose description is virtually identical to the Japanese bobtail’s, was identified in parts of Burma (modern-day Myanmar) and Siam (Thailand).

Clearly, however, the Japanese celebrated and prized the kinked-tail cat in a way other Eastern cultures did not. The bobtail has been depicted in Japanese artworks from numerous centuries, the most famous of which is 19th-century artist Ando Hiroshige’s famous woodcut “Cat in Window.”

The bobtailed cats may have gained favor in Japan thanks to an ancient folktale that suggests that long-tailed cats can change into human form and bewitch their owners. Perhaps that myth helps explain the folk story which describes how the bobtail developed its unique appendage. According to this legend, the tail of a sleeping cat was caught on fire by a spark from the nearby hearth. The frightened cat ran through the streets of Japan’s Imperial City, lighting all the houses on fire. The next morning, his city destroyed, the Emperor decreed that all cats must have their tails cut short to prevent a similar disaster.

In contrast to their long-tailed cousins, bobtailed cats developed a reputation for good luck. Maneki-Neko is a famous female bobtailed cat from Japanese folklore whose greeting conferred good fortune passersby. A famous depiction of Maneki-Neko with one paw raised in welcome appears on the Gotojkuki Temple near Tokyo. Even today, Mi-Ke bobtails – white cats with patches of black and reddish brown; Mi-ke translates to three-colored – are still believed to bring good fortune and are often depicted in Japanese folk art. Old Maneki-Neko herself is typically depicted sporting the Mi-ke pattern.

As beautiful and graceful symbols of good fortune, bobtails remained the exclusive pets of the Imperial Family and other Japanese nobility, who used to walk the cats on a collar and lead. When the silk trade gained importance in the Japanese economy, however, the government decided that the noble bobtail cats should be set free to hunt the mice that threatened to destroy the silkworms and their cocoons, from which the precious silk was harvested. Depending on the source, this decree occurred at some point between the 13th and 17th centuries. The Japanese bobtail cat was now a street cat rather than a pampered pet, and it became widely known as the Kazoku Neko – the family cat of Japan.

Even today Japanese bobtails cats are as likely to be found roaming the streets and alleys of Japan, or happily inhabiting one of the country’s many temples, as in Japanese homes. Until recently, the breed was considered a common domestic in Japan, much like our American Shorthair was considered a domestic here for many years, rather than a purebred cat. When Americans began including Japanese bobtails in their cat shows during the 1960s, the Japanese followed suit and established breeding programs. Whether purebred or not, the bobtail is still considered a popular symbol of Japanese society, and figurines of Makeki-Neko are available in many Japanese stores.

Japanese bobtail cat – Oriental Secret

The bobtail remained a secret of Japan for centuries. The first documented Japanese bobtail cat was imported into the United States from Japan in 1908, but the breed remained largely unknown in the United States until the 1940s, when American GIs serving in the force that occupied Japan following World War II began to bring them home in large numbers.

A formal breeding program was not developed in America until 1968. That year American Judy Crawford, who had been living in Japan for 15 years and who had been breeding Japanese bobtails cats for most of that time, sent a pair to Elizabeth Freret in the United States. The pair consisted of tortoiseshell and a white female called Madame Butterfly and a red and white male called Richard.

Freret bred the pair and began showing their kittens in 1969. Crawford returned to the United States with 38 of the cats she had bred in Japan. The breed quickly developed a following and the International Japanese Bobtail cat Fanciers Association was formed in 1970. The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) accepted the breed for registration a year earlier, in 1969, thanks largely to the work of Freret. In 1971 the breed was granted CFA provisional status, followed by championship status in 1976. All the major cat associations accept the breed for championship status, although the bobtail is still relatively uncommon compared to popular breeds such as the Siamese and Persian.

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East Meets West – Japanese bobtails Cats

The Japanese and other inhabitants of the Far East may be known for their placid, inscrutable demeanors, but the Japanese bobtails Cats defy these cultural stereotypes. They’re typically bold cats that adjust well to new situations, people and animals. This amiable disposition is a definite attribute in the show ring – in 1999 a Japanese bobtail named Nobu, after a character in Arthur Golden’s bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha won the best in show trophy at the prestigious International Cat Show held in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Intelligent and alert, bobtails make outstanding companions. Most breed members seek involvement with their owners. Their play is interactive, and they often communicate through a chirping voice that produces a wide range of tones often described as “singing” or a “melodious chant.”

Kittens usually come in litters of three to four and are typically larger than newborns of other breeds. Japanese bobtail kittens are often more active much earlier in life than kittens of other breeds.

Adult bobtails are medium-sized cats with strong, well-muscled bodies that appear lean and slender rather than bulky. Their triangular heads feature a long, well-defined nose and large, upright ears that are set wide apart. The soft, silky coat of the shorthair bobtail is medium in length without a noticeable undercoat. The coat is medium to long, soft and silky. Breed standards permit any color except the Siamese pattern or Abyssinian type agouti. As in Japan, the Mi-ke pattern of mostly white with bold patches of red and black is preferred in most show circles.

Of course, no description of the Japanese bobtail Cat is complete without an account of the tail, and it is here that this tale ends. Composed of one or more curves, angles, kinks or any combination thereof, the tail is created by a simple recessive gene which breeds true in any bobtail-to-bobtail cross. The genetic factor which created the Japanese bobtail Cat is completely different from the Manx, a naturally tailless cat, and doesn’t appear to be associated with any genetic defects. The tail is usually 2 to 4 inches long, though the curls and kinks make it appear shorter, and covered in hair that is longer than that on the body, adding distinct shape to the already twisted form. In Japan, where the breed is a centuries-old mainstay, few give second-thought to the abbreviated appendage, but here in the United States the cat’s posterior still generates raised eyebrows, making this friendly, beautiful cat a distinctive and treasured gift from the Orient.

Japanese Bobtail Cat – Breeds cat with a Unique Tail

Longhair Japanese Bobtails Cats

Given the Japanese bobtails centuries-long existence as a common street cat, the breed likely acquired the gene for long hair somewhere along the bloodline. Longhaired bobtails were not common in Japan, but they are depicted in early Japanese artwork, suggesting they were known in the country for as long as the shorthaired version. Evidence suggests longhaired bobtails were most prevalent in Japan’s northern islands, where their coat was better suited to the colder climate.

Today a longhair version of the breed has been accepted and is recognized by the CFA, The International Cat Association, the American Cat Association, and other major associations. Since the longhair gene is recessive, two copies of it must be present in a cat for the trait to be expressed. For that reason, the longhair gene can be passed for many generations before manifesting. Even when both parents possess the gene, the ratio of shorthaired over longhaired offspring is approximately 3 to 1.

Two Cultures, One Problem

Japanese and American cultures are often at odds, but we seem to share a love for companion animals, as well as a penchant for neglect. Japan’s population ranks ninth among the nations of the world, but the country is fourth in cat population, with more than 8 million feline residents. The only country that outspends Japan on drugs and food additives for animals is the United States, and judging by the extent to which the Japanese are willing to pamper their pets, Japan stands second to none in its regard for cats and dogs. Many Japanese pets have their own water beds and gold jewelry; a number of resorts offer special menus and sleeping facilities for dogs and cats.

Despite these outward trappings of indulgence, “it’s difficult to view the conditions for dogs and cats in Japan as ideal,” wrote Japan Times Weekly in its February 1998 international edition. “While people spend a fortune on pedigree pets and many shed a tear over the tale of a loyal dog, a large number of dogs and cats are abandoned annually. At least 414,506 dogs and 307,626 cats were put down by local municipalities throughout Japan” in 1995, accounting for 88 percent of dogs and 98 percent of cats gathered at pounds. Although saddening, these figures still pale in comparison to the United States’. The Humane Society of the United States estimates 8 to 10 million cats and dogs enter United States shelters each year; approximately half of that number is euthanized.

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