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Overview
"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.
Geisha, a Life is her story — at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780743444293 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Atria Books |
| Publication date: | 09/01/2003 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 320 |
| Sales rank: | 83,346 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Introduction
In the country of Japan, an island nation in East Asia, there are special districts, known as karyukai, that are dedicated to the enjoyment of aesthetic pleasure. These are the communities where the professionally trained female artists known as geisha live and work.
Karyukai means "the flower and willow world." Each geisha is like a flower, beautiful in her own way, and like a willow tree, gracious, flexible, and strong.
No woman in the three hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition, and by the sanctity of our exclusive calling.
But I feel it is time to speak out. I want you to know what it is really like to live the life of a geisha, a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and richly glorious rewards. Many say I was the best geisha of my generation; I was certainly the most successful. And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave.
It is a story that I have long wanted to tell.
My name is Mineko.
This is not the name my father gave me when I was born. It is my professional name. I got it when I was five years old. It was given to me by the head of the family of women who raised me in the geisha tradition. The surname of the family is Iwasaki. I was legally adopted as the heir to the name and successor to ownership of the business and its holdings when I was ten years old.
I started my career very early. Events that happened when I was only three years old convinced me that it was what I was meant to do.
I moved into the Iwasaki geisha house when I was five and began my artistic training when I was six. I adored the dance. It became my passion and object of greatest devotion. I was determined to become the best and I did.
The dance is what kept me going when the other requirements of the profession felt too heavy to bear. Literally. I weigh 90 pounds. A full kimono with hair ornaments can easily weigh 40 pounds. It was a lot to carry. I would have been happy just to dance, but the exigencies of the system forced me to debut as an adolescent geisha, a maiko, when I was fifteen.
The Iwasaki geisha house was located in the Gion Kobu district of Kyoto, the most famous and traditional karyukai of them all. This is the community in which I spent the entirety of my professional career.
In Gion Kobu we don't refer to ourselves as geisha (meaning "artist") but use the more specific term geiko, "woman of art." One type of geiko, famed throughout the world as the symbol of Kyoto, is the young dancer known as a maiko, or "woman of dance." Accordingly, I will use the terms geiko and maiko throughout the rest of this book.
When I was twenty I "turned my collar," the rite of passage that signals the transformation from maiko to adult geiko. As I matured in the profession, I became increasingly disillusioned with the intransigence of the archaic system and tried to initiate reforms that would increase the educational opportunities, financial independence, and professional rights of the women who worked there. I was so discouraged by my inability to effect change that I finally decided to abdicate my position and retire, which, to the horror of the establishment, I did at the height of my success, when I was twenty-nine years old. I closed down the Iwasaki geisha house, then under my control, packed up the priceless kimono and jeweled ornaments contained within, and left Gion Kobu. I married and am now raising a family.
I lived in the karyukai during the 1960s and 1970s, a time when Japan was undergoing the radical transformation from a post-feudal to a modern society. But I existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mission and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past. And I was a fully committed to doing so.
Maiko and geiko start off their careers living and training in an establishment called an okiya (lodging house), usually translated as geisha house. They follow an extremely rigorous regimen of constant classes and rehearsal, similar in intensity to that of a prima ballerina, concert pianist, or opera singer in the West. The proprietress of the okiya supports the geiko fully in her efforts to become a professional and then helps manage her career once she makes her debut. The young geiko lives in the okiya for a contracted period of time, usually five to seven years, during which time she repays the okiya for its investment. She then becomes independent and moves out on her own, though she continues to maintain an agency relationship with her sponsoring okiya.
The exception to this is a geiko who has been designated as an atotori, an heir to the house, its successor. She carries the last name of the okiya, either through birth or adoption, and lives in the okiya throughout her career.
Maiko and geiko perform at very exclusive banquet facilities known as ochaya, often translated literally as "teahouses." Here we entertain regularly at private parties for select groups of invited patrons. We also appear publicly in a series of annual performance events. The most famous of these is the Miyako Odori ("cherry dances"). The dance programs are quite spectacular and draw enthusiastic audiences from all over the world. The Miyako Odori takes place for the month of April in our own theater, the Kaburenjo.
There is much mystery and misunderstanding about what it means to be a geisha or, in my case, a geiko. I hope my story will help explain what it is really like and also serve as a record of this unique component of Japan's cultural history.
Please, journey with me now into the extraordinary world of Gion Kobu.
Copyright © 2002 by Mineko Iwasaki
What People are Saying About This
Kirkus Reviews [A] valuable look at a little-known world, and an intimate glimpse into Japanese culture.
Reading Group Guide
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for discussion for Mineko Iwasaki's Geisha, a Life. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Many fine books from Washington Square Press feature Readers Club Guides. For a complete listing, or to read the Guides online, visit http://www.BookClubReader.com
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1) What were your perceptions of the life of a geisha before reading this book? How does the picture that Mineko paints of the world of Gion Kobu compare to your previous impressions of "geisha girls"?
2) Similarly, what were your views of Japanese culture before this memoir? In what ways were these views changed, if at all, after experiencing Mineko's story?
3) Among those unfamiliar with Japanese culture, geisha are often presumed to be well-born prostitutes. Why do you think Western audiences have relished this view of geisha and perpetuated it even though it's not true? Why is this view of geisha still prevalent even though more accurate information about geishas is available? What does this say about our culture? Why might the Japanese themselves have perpetuated this stereotype?
4) Although Mineko makes it very clear that entering the Gion was completely her choice, did you feel it was right for such a young child to work so hard for so many hours a day? In a sense, Mineko had no childhood. Do you consider the rewards that she has reaped as a famous geiko to be worth the sacrifices she made? What do you think she would say?
5) On page 194, Mineko states, "It's hard to imagine living in a world where everyone — your friends, your sisters, even your mother — is your rival. I found it very disorienting." Because of the overwhelming competitiveness among the geikos, it seems sometimes that the only real connections that a geiko or maiko can feel is with her customers. Do you think this is a product of the business itself, or of the innate competitiveness of human nature? What place does sisterhood have in the walls of Gion Kobu?
6) Do you consider the geiko tradition to be a sexist one? Although the geiko and maiko are obviously restricted and shaped completely by the expectations of their lives in the Gion, they also make their own money and are not confined to the kitchen or the home. Does this affect your opinion at all? Do you think the geiko tradition has any place in the modern world?
7) After reading this memoir, what do you think are the most profitable skills for a geiko or maiko to have? Were you surprised at how shrewd, smart and cunning Mineko, and the other women, had to be in order to succeed in their business? Why do you think Mineko, above all the other women in Gion Kobu, met with such success, holding the number one spot for six years and becoming the favorite of countless customers? What do you think Madame Oima saw in her at such a young age that convinced her that she was the future of Gion Kobu?
8) At heart, what do you think the geiko and maiko represent for their customers? Why are the men and women who frequent the Gion Kobu willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for time and attention from these women? Do we have any similar institutions or traditions in our culture? What aspects of Japanese culture make the presence of geikos possible?
9) At one point, ruminating on why she was so hard on herself from early childhood on, Mineko explains, "I believed that self-discipline was the key to beauty" (203). Do you agree with this idea? Do you think, by the end of her time as a geiko, that Mineko herself would agree with this?
10) Discuss the role that material possessions have in this book and in Japanese culture in general. What are the beautiful and delicate kimonos representative of for both the people who wear them and the people who admire them?
11) Mineko's father often reminded her as a child that "the samurai betrays no weakness, even when starving. Pride above all." What is it about Japanese culture that demands pride must come first, no matter what the situation? How do concepts like these translate into everyday interactions for the people in this book? Which people in Mineko's life subscribe to this idea and which ones don't? Does this affect whether or not they are successful in the long run?
12) What role does family play — specifically blood relations — in the world of Gion Kobu? Like Yaeko, do you blame Mineko's parents for allowing Mineko and her sisters to enter into the Gion at such a young age or are they fully free from blame? To what degree does familial responsibility trump monetary or business responsibility?
13) What do you consider to be the basic differences between the Western world and the culture of Japan? How does Japanese culture view the individual and his or her needs, wants and desires? What value do they place on the idea of the group? Why do people in Japanese culture struggle so hard to do what is proper over what might be fair or just?
14) Mineko is a truly fascinating, amazingly talented woman whose unique experiences would rival any celebrity or politician's. Look at Mineko's growth from a scared young girl to an international symbol of Japanese culture. What kinds of life lessons do you think Mineko learned from her years as a geiko? What did you think of her decision to close the Gion Kobu in her pursuit of family and other interests?
Interviews
Talking with Mineko Iwasaki
Barnes & Noble.com: What made you want to write this book?
Mineko Iwasaki: I actually wanted to write this book after I started to work professionally as a maiko (young performer) when I was 15. Soon after I became a professional, I began to think there was something wrong with the system, but no one paid attention to me.
The misconception that geisha are courtesans or prostitutes exists not only in the West but also among Japanese people. I was training very hard to be a dancer. While I was dancing to the best of my ability, some people had the impression that we were prostitutes, and I was horrified. Once I began to realize what was going on, I began to wonder how this misconception occurred.
Historically, there has been confusion.. There were geisha who were courtesans -- which was another profession where women were licensed to be high-class prostitutes, and they plied their trade in a place called the "pleasure quarters." And there were maiko and geiko, who were the entertainers. Around the time of Madama Butterfly, Western men were introduced to the two women and thought they were all prostitutes. However, we maiko and geiko were never prostitutes, and I wanted to explain this to the outside world.
B&N.com: You left your parents at the age of four to live with geisha and prepare for that life. How unusual was that?
MI: In traditional Japanese culture, most children who are chosen to begin rigorous training in the traditional disciplines such as dance begin as early as three. The latest we are supposed to begin is on June 6th on the year we become six, in other words, 6-6-6. That is a very standard tradition among Japanese.
B&N.com: Could you talk about the importance of dance and music in the training and life of a maiko and geiko? What is the difference between maiko and geiko?
MI: Dance and music are very important in the life of a geiko, but they are also extremely important to the customers. It is very important because this is how we communicate the essence of beauty to the customers. They see us dance. Even if they are blind, they somehow absorb what we are trying to communicate. It is a form of communication. We and the customers are sharing a common experience, and we are going to a higher plane together. On some level, you can communicate this to anyone, no matter what his or her level of cultivation.
On the difference between maiko and geiko, maiko is a younger geiko, and the "mai" of maiko is derived from the dance. Other young women become musical and vocal accompanists. Geiko are more mature, and they are either dancers or full-fledged musical accompanists.
B&N.com: What changes have occurred among geisha, especially since the end of World War II? Is the institution dying?
MI: Our whole system of interaction is based on trust and social connections, so you have to be connected to someone to visit the tea houses. But I feel it is very important that we open the system up. Individually we geiko have become more personally open and accessible and friendlier with whoever we meet.
When I was in active service, there were 700 geiko and maiko working. Now there are only 100. So it could look like things are declining, but now there is a whole campaign to encourage young girls to become maiko. It is very important to be the envoy of Japanese culture in society.
B&N.com: What was a typical working night for you like? How did you entertain, and what kind of money did you earn?
MI: I would begin to prepare for the evening around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, take a bath, and then it would take five people to dress me. Then I would begin my round of appointments for the evening. Because I was in such demand, I would attend easily at least ten banquets on most evenings. It was much more common for people to have five or six. As for the amount of tips, to be honest, I really didn't pay attention, and I don't know how much I earned. I didn't really know about money.
B&N.com: Why did most geisha forsake marriage and a family?
MI: Most geiko do not marry while they are working, but many retire at some point and get married. What I was trying to express was that most women find it difficult to be both a geiko and a wife. But there are people who manage to do it.
B&N.com: Who were some of the most interesting people you met and/or performed for?
MI: The one who really stands out is Henry Kissinger. He was just such a marvelous human being and so much fun. There was a banquet and President Ford was sitting there very serious and very conservative. And Henry Kissinger was having a really good time. Everyone was saying to me, "Please, you have to come and entertain the president." But I really didn't want to go. I would go downstairs where the president was, and then I would run back upstairs because I was having so much fun [entertaining] Henry Kissinger.
B&N.com: You were recognized as the greatest geisha in Japan. Why did you retire at the top of your career at the age of only 29?
MI: I felt I had done what I needed to do as a geiko and I wanted to move on to meet the other challenges that life had to offer me.
Interview translated by Rande Brown
Introduction
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for discussion for Mineko Iwasaki's Geisha, a Life. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Many fine books from Washington Square Press feature Readers Club Guides. For a complete listing, or to read the Guides online, visit http://www.BookClubReader.com
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1) What were your perceptions of the life of a geisha before reading this book? How does the picture that Mineko paints of the world of Gion Kobu compare to your previous impressions of "geisha girls"?
2) Similarly, what were your views of Japanese culture before this memoir? In what ways were these views changed, if at all, after experiencing Mineko's story?
3) Among those unfamiliar with Japanese culture, geisha are often presumed to be well-born prostitutes. Why do you think Western audiences have relished this view of geisha and perpetuated it even though it's not true? Why is this view of geisha still prevalent even though more accurate information about geishas is available? What does this say about our culture? Why might the Japanese themselves have perpetuated this stereotype?
4) Although Mineko makes it very clear that entering the Gion was completely her choice, did you feel it was right for such a young child to work so hard for so many hours a day? In a sense, Mineko had no childhood. Do you consider the rewards that she has reaped as a famous geiko to be worth the sacrifices she made? What do you think she would say?
5) On page 194, Mineko states,"It's hard to imagine living in a world where everyone — your friends, your sisters, even your mother — is your rival. I found it very disorienting." Because of the overwhelming competitiveness among the geikos, it seems sometimes that the only real connections that a geiko or maiko can feel is with her customers. Do you think this is a product of the business itself, or of the innate competitiveness of human nature? What place does sisterhood have in the walls of Gion Kobu?
6) Do you consider the geiko tradition to be a sexist one? Although the geiko and maiko are obviously restricted and shaped completely by the expectations of their lives in the Gion, they also make their own money and are not confined to the kitchen or the home. Does this affect your opinion at all? Do you think the geiko tradition has any place in the modern world?
7) After reading this memoir, what do you think are the most profitable skills for a geiko or maiko to have? Were you surprised at how shrewd, smart and cunning Mineko, and the other women, had to be in order to succeed in their business? Why do you think Mineko, above all the other women in Gion Kobu, met with such success, holding the number one spot for six years and becoming the favorite of countless customers? What do you think Madame Oima saw in her at such a young age that convinced her that she was the future of Gion Kobu?
8) At heart, what do you think the geiko and maiko represent for their customers? Why are the men and women who frequent the Gion Kobu willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for time and attention from these women? Do we have any similar institutions or traditions in our culture? What aspects of Japanese culture make the presence of geikos possible?
9) At one point, ruminating on why she was so hard on herself from early childhood on, Mineko explains, "I believed that self-discipline was the key to beauty" (203). Do you agree with this idea? Do you think, by the end of her time as a geiko, that Mineko herself would agree with this?
10) Discuss the role that material possessions have in this book and in Japanese culture in general. What are the beautiful and delicate kimonos representative of for both the people who wear them and the people who admire them?
11) Mineko's father often reminded her as a child that "the samurai betrays no weakness, even when starving. Pride above all." What is it about Japanese culture that demands pride must come first, no matter what the situation? How do concepts like these translate into everyday interactions for the people in this book? Which people in Mineko's life subscribe to this idea and which ones don't? Does this affect whether or not they are successful in the long run?
12) What role does family play — specifically blood relations — in the world of Gion Kobu? Like Yaeko, do you blame Mineko's parents for allowing Mineko and her sisters to enter into the Gion at such a young age or are they fully free from blame? To what degree does familial responsibility trump monetary or business responsibility?
13) What do you consider to be the basic differences between the Western world and the culture of Japan? How does Japanese culture view the individual and his or her needs, wants and desires? What value do they place on the idea of the group? Why do people in Japanese culture struggle so hard to do what is proper over what might be fair or just?
14) Mineko is a truly fascinating, amazingly talented woman whose unique experiences would rival any celebrity or politician's. Look at Mineko's growth from a scared young girl to an international symbol of Japanese culture. What kinds of life lessons do you think Mineko learned from her years as a geiko? What did you think of her decision to close the Gion Kobu in her pursuit of family and other interests?
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