#karyukai is love

[missmyloko]

What's In a Name? Part 26

On The Fourth Day of Fun I present... a new entry in the oldest series! Yes, we're back looking at names! Waka - 若 Prefix or Suffix: Both Old Meaning: Youth/Young New (Standardized) Meaning: Youth/Young Found In: All Five Kagai This kanji speaks of youthful vigor and is often given to girls with fresh faces! Examples 若葉 Wakaba (Gion Kobu): "Youthful Leaf," a name that brings forth images of spring and lush, green leaves. 豆若 Mamewaka (Pontocho): "Young Bean," a very karyukai name, this one also has imagery of fresh plants. 久若 Hisawaka (Kamishichiken): "Long Lived Youth," a name with wishes for long lasting youth. 若玉 Wakatama (Miyagawa Cho): "Youthful Treasure," for someone who is treasured for their youth. 鶴若 Tsuruwaka (Gion Higashi): "Young Crane," pretty straightforward. Sato/Ri - 里 Prefix or Suffix: Both Old Meaning: Village or Unit of Measurement New (Standardized) Meaning: Village Found In: All Five Kagai This kanji is used more for its sound and stroke count than its meaning and is quite common in Japanese girls' names! 豆里 Mamesato (Gion Kobu): "Bean Village," a very karyukai name that doesn't have a good literal translation to it. 市優里 Ichiyuri (Pontocho): "First Excellent Village," definitely used for stroke count here rather than meaning, it's a lovely sounding name! 由香里 Yukari (Kamishichiken): "Village of Significant Perfume," "Yukari" itself it a very popular Japanese name and one that has a long history in the karyukai. 里美 Satomi (Gion Kobu and Miyagawa Cho): "Beautiful Village," another popular girl's name outside of the karyukai. 里和 Satokazu (Gion Higashi): "Harmonious Village," a very calm sounding name. Yoshi - 芳 Prefix or Suffix: Both Old Meaning: Perfume or Fragrance New (Standardized) Meaning: Perfume or Fragrance Found In: Gion Kobu, Pontocho, Miyagawa Cho, and Gion Higashi A sweet smelling kanji whose stroke count is similar to "若"'s, but has a very different meaning ^^ 芳豆 Yoshimame (Gion Kobu): "Fragrance of Bean Flowers," since beans themselves don't exactly smell, I took this name to mean that the smell is referring to the bean plant itself rather than it being super literal. 豆芳 Mameyoshi (Pontocho): "Bean Perfume," this could have the exact same meaning as the name above, but with the kanji switched you can also read it this way! 芳富美 Yoshifumi (Miyagawa Cho): "Perfume of Wealth and Beauty," a very lovely sounding name! 君芳 Kimiyoshi (Gion Higashi): "Your Perfume," a very poetic and personal name.

[tsunael]

apparently when I make ocs I just do the same things over and over lol. like wow another man for tsuna to be reluctantly intimate with? groundbreaking.

I still don't know their relationship other than she didn't want to marry him. She would have been 19 to early 20's and already felt caged within the karyukai.

Was he a nice guy? Good question. If he was, then he could potentially solve my logistical error of how she got to Eorzea. Being a merchant he potentially helped her flee Kugane to Ul'dah. Then makes her way to gridania where she learns some rudimentary conjury, and ends up in Limsa where she (officially) started.

It has the potential of an amicable split with (some) melodrama. Some unrequited love. Maybe he gets caught for helping her escape and rots in jail for years and she only reunites with later in stormblood as if i didn't make that expac a traumacoaster for her already I MEAN WHO KNOWS. I SURE DON'T.

If he was a nasty guy, well it gives more reason why she would want to get away from him. It also has the potential of being heavy handed, especially when I have tunasan so melodramatic and angsty... but it would further explain her later intimacy issues and reluctance to be in a relationship with [redacted] lol. Honestly some women will keep falling in with the same kind of men their whole life.

man all this because I want a scene in stormblood where Tsuna casually mentions she had a fiance and lyse, alisaie and Thancred are all like 'oh yeah uh-huh-- YOU WHAT'

[karyukai-is-life]

setsubun in like less than 2 weeks this is not a drill

[maigeiko]

Can you beat some sense into me? For the past years I've had a wild dream of being even close to a geisha (especially in places that I know haven't accepted foreigners, Niigata & Kanazawa) because I love working in traditional arts and I respect the culture deeply. I know it isnt impossible for a foreigner to become a geisha/geigi. If I can ask something, what do you think is a job that's close or has aspects of karyukai that isn't, that. I want to give up my dream of becoming one

Well, Anon... Geisha is the allrounder job in the traditional arts, I think, excepting Tayû, there is nothing comparable. There aren't a lot of "art" jobs in the Karyukai, I can only think of the teachers (dance, instruments, tea ceremony, etc. etc.) right now. Then, of course, you have the professional dancers/musicians that aren't Geisha. Few of the "not Geisha" musicians appear in Miyako Odori, Gion Odori and Kitano Odori, to support the Jikata Geiko/Geisha. Kabuki has some foreign actors as well IIRC, but guessing you're a woman, Kabuki isn't really an option. Depending on where you live, you can have lessons in traditional dance/instruments even outside of Japan. Also - if you want to pursue a carreer in traditional arts, think beforehand how to finance it, if you could make a living with it, how to pay for lessons, would it be ok for you to be a teacher in order to pay for your own lessons? The book "the Gei of Geisha" by Kelly Foreman has good content about the economic aspects of the traditional arts in Japan (mostly, but not only Geisha). If you can get a cheap copy or borrow it somewhere, I can only recommend reading it for more background info, to help you with your decision.

[osomanga]

Of Cats and the Red-Light Industry

To be clear, Geisha weren’t usually prostitutes but rather usually the equivalent of current day host/hostess. But they do fall under the overall classification of the red-light district[花柳界, Karyukai ].  

A. Neko(cat) = Geisha

猫, neko or Cat was used for geishas once upon a time. The musical instrument Shamisen, often used by Geisha, are made of cat skin. In the manga xxxHolic for example there was a sequence around a shamisen and it’s lingering attachment of the cat it was made from.

Further, cat monsters were often said to transform themselves into geisha or into prostitutes(similar to the shapeshifting kitsune) such as with Nekomata.

B. Sniper ⇒ Wildcat = Geisha

Ogata being nicknamed a wildcat had it’s origins in Noda’s love of making weird references. There was this Tom Berenger starring movie series Sniper whose japanese title is “Yamaneko wa Nemuranai” [山猫は眠らない, “Wildcat’s Don’t Sleep”] which has even appeared as Ogata’s tagline! 

On that note, Japan’s most popular red-light district Kabukicho is called the “Sleepless Town” or  [眠らない街, nemuranaimachi].... 

Now, 

Yamaneko[山猫] or Wildcat(Mountain cats) is Ogata’s nickname.

Geisha[芸者] being called Yamaneko[山猫] has various instances:-

One of the more relevant to the 7th division’s taunts is the implication of yamaneko being a geisha who sells herself or an untalented geisha implictly stating that she has to. Asakusa Park Geisha, Etc. There were several instances.

Ergo, Ogata is a Yamaneko(”wildcat”) son of a Yamaneko(”geisha”). 

[Link below to NDL where the question about Yamaneko use for prostitutes is answered(in japanese); other srcs: old pink weblio; kotobank]

. 

C. Cat-tower ⇒ Watchtower[楼] = Brothel[楼]

I kid you not. 

As we know Hyakkun loves sitting in high places like a cat or by warm hibachis. Be it the lookout post he took during Anehata arc or the fire watchtowers during the Barato arc, etc...the wildcat loves himself a fire cat-tower.

Yon and Mu, Hyakkun and Yuusaku- I see no difference

Now as to why the etymology be this way I have no clue whatsoever. 

However the word for tower uses the kanjis 楼 or 樓, which in older times the word is used for a brothels as were words [娼楼], [倡楼], [妓楼]. Most of the names end in ‘rou’[楼]. In Chinese, [青楼 or 青樓] is the word for licensed pleaseure quarters(brothels). {src: wikitionary}

The brothel Ogata took Yuusaku to was named [開新楼]. I do not know how to spell that(Kaishinro?) but the last kanji is [楼]. 

Similarly, most of the brothel names seem to end in a [楼] like the Yoshiwara Jinpuro[新風楼].  

[aimachat2]

Gion Kobu Hassaku Favorites

As with many traditions, Hassaku is an expression of thanksgiving. Humble are its origins, this day of celebration was first introduced by farmers making their rounds to thank those who had provided favors in the past year. Offerings were made up from the first harvest and quickly evolved in small tokens and presents over time. But this custom to thank supporters regardless of their standing spread throughout every class even the aristocracy. The old capital of Kyoto still cherished this tradition and it is observed in a uniquely spectacular fashion in the kagai of Gion Kobu.

For Gion Kobu's Geimaiko there is this added feeling of enduring the discomfort of wearing the full regalia during the extreme summer heat of August 1st with high humidity and sometimes strong sun. While running around from ochaya to okiya during their greetings, there is a quick respite in the air conditioned houses but they need to arrive looking flawless and looking all smiles, like it's a pleasure to be there. Hassaku is in essence ceremonial theatre with a flair of religious procession. But if we examine how tight knit this community works and lives, how dependent they are of each other to succeed, how unique the equilibrium of their world is, it's not that peculiar that a tradition like Hassaku has survived here.

Because this event requires their protagonists to look their very best, observers get to witness some of the most gorgeous black crested Kimono Gion Kobu has to offer. Add to it, that oftentimes this pieces don't get nearly as much outings as their winter counterparts, we get to behold luxury in its very essence.

Of course i mentioned my absolute favorite summer Kuromontsukia few times before. And many of you know that Kuromontsuki in general are a passion of mine. I love the deep black, love the play with intense colors and motifs, love the masculine energy and the stark contrasts.

To commemorate past Hassaku of Gion Kobu and the deep meaning it holds for the Karyukai, i compiled a list of my favorite items worn during Gion Kobu Hassaku.

Ninben's Calabash Kuromontsuki worn by Maiko Mamemaru

For the longest time i had Morning Glory on the brain when admiring this stunning piece. And Morning Glory would have been a great guess as it is a rather rare but beloved motif for Kanzashi during August. But i wanted to be sure and after some closer examination i decided that we are looking at Calabash Gourds or Yugao growing in the shade. Incidentally Yugao is also a chapter in the Tales of Genji, an epos that is just as intertwined with the Karyukai as are the vines of the titular flower. Yet since we are in the height of summer, Ninben's Kuromontsuki doesn't feature this delicate flower but the green gourd, curvy and cute. Because of its round shape and versatility, the Calabash has become a symbol of good luck, good health and prosperity.

[luciellia-fr]

Tako and Hozu, the leaders of the Karyukai Kite Combat guild are the proud parents of four little hatchlings. This time, two little twins were born, and have gijinka art in their bios drawn by me! You can PM and send CRs to ~WhiteMantis~!

Girl Twin - Charcoal/Spruce/Copper - 1kg (1,7kg if both twins are purchased). Boy Twin - Charcoal/Spruce/Copper - 1kg (1,7kg if both twins are purchased). PC Boy - Antique/Spruce/Copper - 500g SD Boy - Antique/Spruce/Copper - 500g (They come named, Renaming Scroll will be provided upon request.)

[the-chanteloup]

InuYasha RP Bio

Omg. I’m alive! Things have been so hectic, I forgot I had a Tumblr! Silly me. Well, I’ve returned, and with that return, I give you my finalized InuYasha RP bio! 

So, I created this character about 18 years ago when InuYasha first aired on Adult Swim. I debuted her on Yahoo!Chat, and when that died, she sort of went into hibernation. With the series coming out, and this sudden surge of InuYasha, I really wanted to finalize her, and get her out into the world. :3  

Name (last, first): Setsuna ( Of the Karyukai, The Flower and Willow World )

Nickname(s): Hanyou, Runt, Pup, Geisha

Age: 55 (Youthful appearance, commonly mistaken for 20-25)

Species: Half-Dog Demon, Half-Human (Hanyou)

Gender: Female

Birthday: Around the Winter Solstice

Life Story:

Left on the doorstep of an orphanage in the village of Sawara, in a shabby reed basket during a harsh winter was not the ideal beginning, but, all great legends must start somewhere. Luckily, warm hearts were in good spirits this cold night, and the overseers of this particular orphanage just couldn’t leave a bright eyed, bundle of joy out in the elements. Brought in out of the cold, and raised alongside human children, the pup never really knew she was different, other than having two black fluffy ears atop her head. As she grew, she was given a general education along with the other children, nothing fancy since they were considered the lower class, but enough to get her by should she ever take to selling turnips.

Unfortunately, all fairy tales have to end, and when her 16th year rolled around, she was tossed out into the world to fend for herself.

Being a small Hanyou had its benefits job wise, roaming gangs of thieves were always willing to have her tag along for heists, at a quarter of the profit for most of the dangerous work. But fate is a fickle mistress, and while perusing through a shop during a heist one night, she was detained by an older man named Ino Tadataka, with nun chucks. How embarrassing. She didn’t need superb Demon hearing to know her comrades had bailed, leaving her the scapegoat. However, before she could decide which hand she was okay with having chopped off, the old man offered her a deal. She would assist him in mapping some of the harder to reach places in the area, and in return he would house her, feed her and teach her to read.

Since climbing trees for an old man was a much better option than losing a limb, she hastily agreed, and spent many years assisting “Old Man Ino”, as she called him, in completing his map of Japan.

In the Spring of her last month with Ino, he referred her to an old friend in a village called Kanazawa in the Western Lands for another job. With no other real work leads, other than going back to stealing, she took the lead. When she arrived at the mapped destination Ino had given her, it turned out to be an exotic tea house. She swore on all the Gods above and below that she would knock the taste out of that old pervert’s mouth for this. As she stood outside making her proclamation to bash an old man’s head in, she was interrupted by the tea house’s 'mother', Kikuya. Seeing a rare opportunity to be the only tea house in the district with a Hanyou entertaining, Kikuya took her in instantly.

Amazingly, after several rough years of learning, she was finally “promoted” to the highest rank, Geisha.

Fast forward a few short years, just a few months from fully paying off her debt, she is one of the more popular girls advertised at the tea house. Fully skilled in playing the kokyū, flirting with men in a proper way, starting and losing games of Janken or Daruma Otoshi gracefully, and pouring hot tea in hazardous ways, courtesy of her quick Hanyou reflexes, she has acquired several frequent guests.

A Samurai named Yorimoto quickly became her favorite “customer”, and though they saw each other as nothing more than siblings, she developed a connection to the Human. He was never short on adventurous stories about fighting, and war, which she soaked up like a sponge, enjoying the romantic way he told of their honor code. Being half-Demon, she was naturally drawn to weapons and all their convenient ways of killing things, and eventually convinced Yorimoto to teach her how to use the Naginata. Unfortunately, it was highly un-Geisha like to swing around a “blade on a stick”, as her mother called it, so, under the guise of certain services, they met and trained. Several months passed, and her Samurai was called away to battle, but before he left, Yorimoto gifted her a Naginata all her own, for emergencies, of course.

Even though she was content to stay at her tea house and practice her Naginata in peace until the day when she could afford to open her own business, she also wouldn’t mind a little bit of adventure sneaking in and stirring things up.  

Appearance:

Setsuna stands an intimidating five feet tall at her black ear tips, which has earned her the nickname “Runt”. Thanks to her Demon genetics, despite her small stature, she is sturdily built, muscular and has a curvy frame. She is a milky skinned Hanyou with loosely curled raven black hair that trails down to her rear, and cobalt blue, cat like eyes rimmed in coal eyeliner. Her ears are slightly fluffy, and sport two small silver hoops in each, a gift from her Geisha mother, Kikuya. Her claws are a soft pearl color; however, they are kept at a shorter length due to her kokyū playing and aesthetics for the tea house, but they still remain filed to a point and sharp.

Her only truly intimidating feature is a deep, guttural growl that could easily be mistaken for a much larger demon. Setsuna’s normal attire is that of a typical Geisha, minus the white makeup. Elaborate silk kimonos and obis, along with jeweled hair trinkets and pins. Her hair is never tied up, allowing her ears to remain out in the open. When she is training with the Naginata, she dons a black hakama, with a royal blue sash around her waist. Setsuna is almost always barefoot as she likes the feel of Earth on her skin.

Like all Hanyou, she reverts to a mortal Human form on the night of the new moon. She becomes weaker, as she loses all of her Demon abilities. Her hair fades to a dusty blonde color, and her eyes dull to a pale gray.  

Personality:

Setsuna is usually the center of the party. Having trained with her Geisha mother, she can strike up conversations easily with almost anyone. She has a laid-back demeanor, seeming to just roll with the punches. A smile of some sort is usually found on her face, giving her an easy to approach look. She has an old wisdom about her, and is always available to offer advice or find an answer to a question. She tends to have a soft spot for animals and children, but she prefers both go home with someone else. Her one true weakness is a field of wild flowers, or flowers of any kind. Though she hates to admit it, she’s a sucker for romance and intimate physical touches.

Unfortunately, with a decent amount of Demon blood in her veins, Setsuna is not the quiet, demure creature one would expect when they see her in full Geisha attire. Having been raised by thieves, her mouth is dirtier than a sewer grate, and her mind has been likened to that of a lecherous old man’s. Even with traditionally excitable genetics, she is calm, collected, and calculating, preferring her enemies to either make fools of themselves or to wander right into her trap. Though she has never been in a true battle, the canine in her usually wishes a mother fucker would so she could let her Naginata bathe in blood. Of course, that doesn’t mean she goes looking for a fight, but should one happen to peek around a corner….

Good Habit(s):

She is very understanding, and a good listener. No problem is too dramatic, or small for her ears. She offers honest advice (This could be good or bad) She is fiercely loyal to those who have earned it. Her colorful background and lifestyle have given her a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, both useful and not.  

Bad Habit(s):

Hot headed, she finds a boiling point rather quickly over certain things. Decently excitable, the World is a big adventure to a young Hanyou. Territorial, what’s hers is hers. Cursing bad enough to make perverts blush.

Like(s):

Walking in the forest, feeling the sun on her skin and the Earth on her bare feet. Having her hair done/played with. Food. Training with her Naginata. Playing the kokyū. Listening to stories, mostly battle and war stories. Thunderstorms at night. Wildflower fields.

Special Powers/Abilities:

Aside from the typical Hanyou speed, flexibility and agility, she has a natural ability to hide and camouflage herself due to her small stature. She’s also decently formidable in a fist fight. Intimidating low, guttural growl usually used for intimidation. Rapid healing.

Ambition/Life-long Dream:

Even though she longs for the thrill of battle, a more reasonable ambition would be to finally pay off her debts to Kikuya, and to open her own tea house that specializes in ‘unique’ Geishas like herself.

Love Interest:

Unknown.  

Occupation/Job:

Geisha, entertainer, Hanyou

Notes:

Now, I know y'all who follow the series are looking at me like, "Uh...THAT NAME IS FAMILIAR" And, yeah, I know, trust me. I had a moment when the official announcement was made, but when I created Setsuna, I actually used the name from the manga Angel Sanctuary ( showing my age here ), and this character was never meant to follow any sort of canon story line, ever, she was always strictly AU. With all that being said, please don't come for me. xD I am smol and anxiety ridden. I really just wanted to have her bio published, because I love this little shit of a Hanyou. She was one of my very first creations and holds a pretty special place in my cold black heart. A few more notes: I'm totally up for RP! Feel free to send me a note or whatever. I'm pretty laid-back, and open to most scenarios.

I usually ship Setsuna with Sesshomaru, because it's adorable, but, I’m open to any ship.  

She has no art. Like I said, this has been a long time coming, so I haven't had any art of her commissioned, but maybe in the near future I will. ( -eyeballs the extremely talented @destinyfall) But, I can give you details and photo references if you decide you would like to RP.

[ahalal-uralma]

As beautifully visual as the story and film adaptation for Memoirs Of A Geisha is, it is for the better part fiction dressed up as fact.

It was written by Arthur Golden who met and interviewed real life Geisha, Mineko Iwasaki. He told her story for publication without consent and embellished or altered a lot of what truly happened. As a result of breach in contract, and defamation of character, Iwasaki filed lawsuit on Golden which was settled out of court in 2003.

If you want to know the true details of her life as a Geisha, than please consider supporting her book ‘Geisha, A Life.’ It’s important to respect and listen to the real woman’s voice.

Here is the synopsis for her book:

“No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story—until now.

"Many say I was the best geisha of my generation," writes Mineko Iwasaki. "And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave." Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other "women of art" in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning.”

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (2005) Dir. Rob Marshall

[vullardqueen]

I’ve been away from Karyukai stuff just bc I’m feelin kinda :( abt the fact that Umeno pushed out their three new Maiko so fast and it worries me slightly, abt you konw them not having Geiko and three new Maiko and dude wtf  Love the girls tho, I rlly hope they find success with Umeno! 

[missmyloko]

Hi! Lately, I have been very interested in Maiko/ Geiko and Yujō/Oiran/Tayū culture, their differences, but the most popular known books, documentaries have so many lies and discrepancies. I hope you might know some answers.

I don’t know if you read “Autobiography of a geisha” by Masuda Sayo, but she described her life as a hot-springs geisha during W2. While she learned “gei” (art), what happened to her was truly not different from prostitution. She was given different points after sleeping with men depending whether he was her danna, someone else’s danna or just a random guy.

There is this whole thing about American soldiers thinking “geisha” meant “prostitute”, bc some of the prostitutes decided to dress as geisha to attract more customers, I suppose?

Then, what Americans thought wasn’t exactly wrong (if we are not looking at Kyoto or Osaka)? Or was Masuda Sayo just a prostitute and she herself didn’t even know about it?

Are geisha outside of major districts (idk how to call them, Ponchoto, Gion Kobu etc) not considered geisha? Were times just so difficult that geisha had to resolve to prostitution under a banner of love instead of money, so it doesn’t make it illegal? Did Masuda just lie?

Masuda Sayo wrote the book herself in freaking Kanji, I believe her more than what “foreigners”, who only lived in geisha district for a couple of months, managed to understand. And Mineko Iwasaki was a queen among the geisha of completely different time period. I am more curious about how life was for “third rate” geisha.

I guess I am just somewhat confused about the statement that “Geisha are not prostitutes”, while there is an account that poor country girls sold in shitty okiyas were in fact as good as prostitutes.

In specific areas of Japan there used to be "double registered" geisha; that is, they were registered by the government to work as both geisha and as prostitutes. However, there were areas that worked under these double registration rules but didn't have official registration, so pretty much anything went. Sayo Masuda worked in one of those areas. These areas were often in small seaside towns or resort villages, which lead to onsen geisha having a tainted name that endures to this day. What they considered a geisha may as well have been night and day from what was going on in the large cities that had proper geisha associations that actually looked out for their members. This isn't to say that districts like Gion Kobu or Pontocho were perfect as at the time that Masuda was active young girls were still being sold into the karyukai across the country. So, where geisha populations were large and in larger cities they were primarily just geisha who, by government law, could not engage in prostitution. However, in small towns and villages, those who were identifying themselves as geisha also often took part in prostitution on the side as it was sadly a way for them to "serve" their customers. Sayo Masuda also wrote her autobiography in hiragana, not kanji, as she couldn't read or write kanji since she never had a formal education. American GIs brought back stories of "geesha girls" due to women who were not geisha but used one of the only Japanese words that they knew to have sex with for money in order to survive after the war. The Americans had no idea what a real geisha looked like and the karyukai didn't reopen (if they weren't bombed to shreds) until 1947. So, there were two years of regular women calling themselves geisha having sex with GIs that really didn't help with the Western perspective of geisha. By the time that Mineko Iwasaki came along, which was decades after Masuda was active and the Americans had mostly pulled out of Japan, prostitution had been made illegal across the country, so no double registered geisha existed anymore and no geisha anywhere were supposed to be having sex on the side for money (sex on the side is fine as long as it's consensual between two adults and no money is being exchanged though). Since geisha are incredibly exclusive for the most part, it's far cheaper and easier to hire a call girl or a hostess if someone wants to have illegal sex in Japan (it would be naïve to say that it doesn't happen even though it's illegal). So, were there different "levels" of geisha when Sayo Masuda was active? Of course. Was she lying? I don't believe so. Her story is extremely compelling and detailed to the point where it would be hard to be made up. Were the lines blurred on what was a "geisha" prior to World War II? Depending on where you were, yes. Has the karyukai changed drastically since that time? Very much so. Is there still work to be done when it comes to how geisha are perceived both inside and outside of Japan? Indeed, there's quite a great deal. But, we all have to start somewhere and I hope that this has helped to answer your questions ^^

[tsunael]

If you ever feel comfortable sharing, I would love to hear more about Tsuna's life as a geiko! When you develop it more, of course. She's such a lovely character and while I know I'm only a single person, I really do enjoy reading about her.

Also, would you be willing to share the autobiographies you were reading?

Thank you that's incredibly sweet. I'm happy you enjoy reading about her, even though I'm sure it's incredibly frustrating receiving info about her in such a scattered way. I've never made an oc in my life so I'm so happy she's at least of some interest to someone.

About her life in the karyukai

the things that are Known To Me are that after the Garleans first occupied Yanxia (she was 7) they razed her town and she was smuggled into Kugane by a confederate. She was sold to the Momoka okiya inside the Sanjo Hanamachi.

It's no longer a modern practice but from my understanding selling children to okiya was something that happened in pre-war Japan. Those children would be forced to pay their debts to the okiya, and those debts would continue to pile up as the child became a maiko, and then later a geiko. Lessons in koto, shamisen, traditional dance, and a maiko's wardrobe added up to be extremely expensive, and all tips received from clients went straight to the okiya. Saving face and accruing debts could keep women tethered to their okiya mothers for years.

I want to say Tsuna was picked by her patron (danna) when she was 19. He was either a merchant (lowest class, but wealthy) or samurai (for the drama of it). Haven't decided his design or personality other than he intended to marry her once her debts were paid in full.

Tsuna was expected to stay at her okiya well into her 20s. She became a maiko at 15, and a geiko at 20.

When a girl becomes a maiko, she takes a new name to symbolize her new life. 'Refia' would have become 'Tsuna' at this time.

At around 23 (which might be considered old for a geiko) she did a little murder and set fire to the ochaya she was entertaining at and fled the country. This all would have taken place during the years of 1.0, making her arrival into Eorzea a very unpleasant one.

In both accounts of the autobiographies I read, these women were sometimes abused, didn't go to primary schooling, were sheltered, and had no money to their name. This is why I have kept Tsuna a bit princess-like-- she's very ignorant and naive which makes the fall in HW the great awakening for her lol. Something like a coming of age if your coming of age happened in your mid-twenties lmao.

The autobiographies

The books I've been reading are Mineko Iwasaki's 'Geisha: A Life' or 'Geisha of Gion' if you're in the UK. She's the geiko that Arthur Golden interviewed and erroneously based 'Memoirs of a Geisha' on. She sued him. lol.

Her account of pre-war Japan spoke of the insane physical and mental load the lifestyle puts on these women, and seemed to speak true of the 'real' day-to-day life of maiko and geiko. It comes off as very proper and high-class as she was from Kyoto. She was kept incredibly uneducated about both the world and her own body in a way that was painful to read. There is SA in this book if you intend to read.

The current book I'm reading is 'Autobiography of a Geisha' by Sayo Masuda which could not be a sharper contrast to Iwasaki's account. Apparently this book came out many years before Iwasaki's and it talks about the life of pre-war, lower-class (?) geisha that work at onsen resorts.

If you read anywhere online it will correct the notion that geisha sleep with clients, because this was an incorrect account brought back by westerners after the occupation of Japan. They will also say they do not sell their virginity-- however they seem to be sex workers in this book. I'm not finished with it yet but I wouldn't be surprised if Arthur Golden used this for more of his dramatic scenes in Memoirs.

So far it's been an incredibly depressing read but very interesting to see a darker account that seems to subvert everything I know about geiko. It's full of child abuse, suicidal ideation and SA so I would be careful reading this one if that bothers you.

[karyukai-is-life]

umenana and umehana retired after barely a month?

[maigeiko]

I love your blog! You do an awesome job cataloging the karyukai outside of kyoto and you have been the first to do it on tumblr too!

Thank you, anon! I’m glad you enjoy my blog. There’s still much to discover regarding all those hanamachi outside of Kyoto :)

[geimei]

Yay Kimisayo!!! I wish she would be featured more on the Karyukai-blogs, she is stunning. Thank you very much!

You’re very welcome ^^! I think she is very beautiful and interesting, too, but it seems like she doesn’t like attention from photographers at all! A karyukai-photographer recently mentioned that she doesn’t like being photographed and that she gets very stiff and looks very uncomfortable when people do it.

In the pictures taken by or with clients she looks less uncomfortable and in the pictures during Shin Aisatsu she also looked ok, probably because she knew that being photographed was unavoidable and could mentally prepare herself for the event. Also, she wasn’t alone, her entire district was up and about, so that probably helped, too.

As someone who hates being photographed and who will do quite a lot to avoid group shots at parties (I have literally injured myself while jumping out of a camera frame once), I totally understand that ^^. I do hope that she’ll become more comfortable when photographed, not only because I’d love to see more of her, but also just because I think it would make things a lot easier for her ^^’. But some people just don’t like to be photographed, and that’s ok!

[kinny93ethz]