Japanese culture has always fascinated people from around the world. Quite possibly due to Japanese
customs and traditions that are beyond foreign people’s understanding or that are far removed
from their own. Some of Japan’s current rituals and festivities date back to hundreds or thousands
of years in the past, preserving their roots with the passing of time and the evolution of society.
Amongst these traditions are Japanese geishas. Contrary to popular belief
geishas were not ladies who had fallen to sin but had a much deeper history
and preparation hidden behind their elaborate makeup and beautiful clothing.
Today we will delve into the history of a tradition that has been in practice for centuries
and we will follow the long journey that these young women took to receive the title of "Geisha".
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Geishas - Ladies of Sin?
Centuries before geishas existed, there was a group of women called Oiran
who were dedicated to selling their favor. These women wore quite high shoes to avoid dragging
the long kimono they wore along the floor. They wore endless ornaments in their hair and a sash
in front of their body which was tied in such a way which made it easy to dress and undress.
Oiran women’s popularity increased in the 17th century. As they became more famous
and successful, they eventually moved to their own neighborhoods. As a result, the value of
their services skyrocketed, which meant that not everyone could hire one of them since they were
sought after. These women were quite impressive as they knew how to dance and play instruments
to entertain their clients and their services went beyond just offering them pleasure. Despite
their efforts, within a society governed by strong morals, men began to seek more refined services.
Forcing the Oiran to be accompanied by men called "Geisha" which meant "person who knows art".
Over time these geisha men became women, whose clientele sought better and more sophisticated
services. They became independent, forming their own neighborhoods and thus the geisha houses
or "Okiya" were born, striking Oiran with the final blow. This meant the beginning
of the golden age for geishas, between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The main difference between Oiran and geisha women was both in the services they offered
and in their dress. Geishas are considered artists in the strict sense of the word
as they are skilled and learned people. They are knowledgeable about the tradition of Japan
and their own trade. Their clothing is considerably simpler than the Oiran’s,
with flat shoes and their "obi" tied at the back. Unlike the Oiran, they were hired to accompany
their clients to various meetings and perform authentic Japanese rituals. In fact, during the
20th century, geishas were viewed as highly respectable people and a symbol of elegance.
In the early days, geisha apprentices normally came from poor families,
either of their own free wills or sold due to the misery and famine that existed at the time. These
women were under the tutelage of an older geisha, usually the owner of the Okiya, who they had to
call “Okaasan”, which means mother in Japanese. Their training began from the moment they arrived
at the geisha house until they reached the age of 15. During this period, their role involved doing
housework, and they attended singing, dancing, elocution, ikebana and tea ceremony classes,
just like in school. Throughout this period of their life, they were called Shikomi.
Once they turned 15, a special ceremony was held where they would be promoted to "Maiko"
and placed under the care and guidance of their "Oneesan" or older sister,
a completely trained Geisha who would be in charge of continuing their training.
When the Okaasan deemed it prudent, the Maiko's "purity" would be put up for sale,
marking her transition from girl to young woman, and a new ceremony was held where
her kimono was substituted with a less striking one which consisted of a white
collar instead of a red one. They were also given a different makeup look and hairstyle.
Is it true that the Geishas sold their "purity" to the highest bidder?
Although an encounter with a geisha rarely ended with her offering her favors, this did not mean
that they were pure and chaste beings. Geishas might have had lovers whom they called "Dannas"
who paid for the outfits and the lessons of their protégé. In some cases, property was even bought
for them, and those who supported a geisha were seen as people of high status in Japanese society.
However, in ancient times it was customary that the "virtue" of a 15-year-old girl,
aspiring to the title of geisha, was auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Whoever offered the most to consummate the act was granted this unique opportunity
as they usually never saw each other again. This transition from Maiko to
Geisha was called "mizuage" and was practiced under a veil of discretion.
During this transition, the girl's hairstyles become more flamboyant
and had to be done by a professional from time to time. These hairstyles had to be maintained
by the new geishas by resting their necks on a wooden board so as not to damage them.
Their companions congratulated them and their clothes were less flashy,
but no less expensive, even reaching what would be today the price of 30,000 euros per silk kimono.
In the rare case that the amount offered was not enough by bidders, a professional man
dedicated to bidding higher would be hired. This was done to prevent the young geisha’s value from
falling and complete the ritual that marked the transition from the girl to a young woman.
This task was vital since the ritual of "mizuage" and the "Dannas" were the
main sources of income for the geisha houses. Apart from this, the most sought-after geishas
could afford to reject any customer they disliked regardless of whether they offered a fortune for
their company. In addition, the most cunning knew how to make men fall in love with them
and view them as unattainable, making the obtaining of their favors an extremely
complicated task. They also never offered such a service before the third date.
Unfortunately, the Second World War affected the geisha business significantly.
Although sometime after the war ended the geisha neighborhoods flourished again
with the prohibition in 1958 of the sale of favors by any lady, nothing was the same again.
The creation of the neighborhoods of sin.
Desire and sin have always been lucrative businesses which many have tried to take
control of. Within this realm, manipulation and double-dealing have always been rife and
the benefits have always been one-sided. The history of this business has always
been the same in every part of the world. It is only the circumstances that have changed.
These red-light districts began to flourish in Japan in 1589
when Saburoemon Hara requested permission from the then governor of Japan, Hideyoshi Toyotomi,
to open a business dedicated to sin under the pretense of monitoring these women
who up until now offered their services without control.
Obtaining permission, Saburoemon began to construct a small neighborhood close to
the Nijo Yanamigachi area in Kyoto. This neighborhood emulated those that already
existed in China during the Ming dynasty and were the first of its kind in Japan.
This neighborhood of sin began to be known as “Shimabara of Kyoto” and was so successful that
in the following years' many other cities in the country opened their own of which the most
prominent could be found in Shinmachi in Osaka or Maruyama in Nagasaki. But by far the most
famous was Yoshiwara in Edo in what is known today as Tokyo. These were established in 1618
after an owner of one of these premises called Shoji Jimenon asked the government to create an
area assigned specifically to anything related to the business of passion and sin.
Its construction was actually completed in 1626 since the surface area approved
by Edo’s government was 48,000 square meters. As a result,
the government was able to control the uncontrolled expansion of this business,
making it possible to increase prices as long as certain rules were adhered to:
- The existence of premises of sin was prohibited outside of the neighborhood nor were their
workers allowed to work outside its borders. - Guests were prohibited from staying in the
neighborhood for more than 24 hours continuously. - The women who offered their services were not
allowed to wear dresses embroidered with gold or silver instead they had to wear modest clothes.
- The neighborhood buildings were not permitted to have an attention-grabbing appearance and
their inhabitants were expected to fulfil the same duties as the normal residents of other areas.
Sin in post-war Japan As always, war affected all
sectors of the countries involved. For better or for worse, an armed conflict brings with it
important changes. Changes which profoundly hit the various red light districts of Japan.
During the American occupation in the Second World War,
the Japanese government created the Association for Leisure and Recreation.
This was nothing more than an organization aimed at pleasing foreign soldiers with favors from
selected young ladies to avoid foreigners touching the rest of the Japanese female population.
In the meantime, these actions as well as the warlike conflict shook the foundations of the
delicate geisha business. They did not dedicate themselves as such to selling their ‘purity’
and were obligated to abandon their roles as geishas to work in ammunition or weapon factories
for the greater good of their country. This meant that they were finally able
to scatter and mix with normal people or flee the U.S occupation with many never returning.
The geisha’s reputation was significantly damaged as the American soldiers would call
any woman willing to sell themselves for even a piece of chocolate geisha. This situation was
possibly where the myth that geishas would sell themselves in exchange for money originated.
Just 4 months after the premises of sin for the soldiers began to operate,
General MacArthur at the head of the American occupation ordered their closure in January 1946
in fear that his subordinates would contract some venereal disease such as syphilis or
gonorrhea. Leaving many women on the street and forcing them to continue offering their services
illegally. These women became better known as "panpan girls".
Thanks to the 1958 legislation which prohibited the selling of favors by women,
the geisha business was able to resurface and they were not considered as part of the
category of sinful women. However, it proved extremely difficult for them as almost no
geisha was willing to work and many of the tea houses had been destroyed by American bombers.
Further to this, they began to be symbols of tradition which did not represent the pace
at which civilization was advancing, ultimately limiting their clientele to men of advanced age.
Debunking Myths: Geisha's role in the modern world
Sad but true, technological and social advancement continues to
devour the different traditions of different areas. One by one they are disappearing,
overshadowed by globalization while fighting with all their strength to remain in existence.
One of these traditions on the brink of extinction is the art of geishas. These women have become
over time bearers of tradition into the modern age, being the very few that still know how to
perfectly carry out a tea ceremony or play the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument.
To date, there are approximately only 1000 Japanese women who do this job.
The circumstances today are very different as financial transactions are not involved
between poor families and geisha houses nor are rituals performed to sell one’s ‘virtue’ to the
highest bidder. But the few geishas that do exist, take on the role of geisha voluntarily.
The only reason that geishas have not become lost in time is thanks to tourism. Foreigners are still
fascinated by the beautiful kimonos and makeup that these women wear. So geishas make the most
of this fascination to make an income since the traditional entertainment they once offered is
much less sought after nowadays by men who now prefer to go to a karaoke bar than pay between
12,000 and 20,000 yen for a sophisticated banquet in the company of one of these educated ladies.
In addition thanks to the difficult life that these women lead and the
countless hours of studying which are required,
fewer women are attracted to this type of life. The few that do attempt the geisha
life do not last very long and this has led to a shortage of apprentices and professional geishas.
A country which represents technological and social advancement such as Japan
hides behind its neon lights and bullet trains one of the richest and most enigmatic histories
of tradition and culture on the planet. For some, they may be captivating and others bizarre,
depending on your point of view but these roots should not be forgotten and we take
the responsibility of preserving them here, in Copernicus Galaxy.