The Origin of Geisha - Research Paper Example

The Origin of Geisha Geisha is a word that is commonly used in Japan to refer to female entertainers. Geisha literally means art and men were the first to be involved in geisha for their art of dancing, singing, and poetry. The geisha quarters in Japan are found in Tokyo and Kyoto. Geisha has its roots in female entertainers. They emerged in 13th century and they even used to be concubines to emperor. Prostitution is one of the oldest businesses. To some instances geisha was associated with prostitution. For example, saburuko who emerged in 7th century1. Apart of land was set aside as a place for brothels and they were not allowed to work outside that place. Strict rules were applied. No customers were allowed to stay in a brothel for more than 24 hours. Unknown persons were to be reported in the office of the city governor. After the centuries of civil war Japan enjoyed peaceful moment and it’s during this time that the samurai (men entertainers) realized that their services were no longer required. Their daughters followed their footsteps and became courtesans. Courtesans were classified as prostitutes of high class2 . This made geisha also to be seen as for prostitution. This paper will look into the origin of geisha. After civil war, peace in Japan contributed to prosperity and development. This caused geisha to develop in to classes. This deteriorated to the point that they were forced to pay taxes. They were even forced to register in order to control them. Their movements, dress code, and behavior were controlled. This allowed the geisha to prosper as artists and entertainers; young girls were sold out to geisha by their families and they used to pay large amounts of money for the services offered by women who included conversation and entertainment and sometimes sexual activities. The expensive geisha was used as mark of status. Geisha allowed women in Japan to be financially independent. Some women opened their own houses of entertainment and this really boosted their economic status3 . Geisha allowed women to be in public but their art of learning and talent of learning was not exploited as this was seen as dishonoring. They believed a woman with skills to be harmful. Women were put off from trainings as they believed a woman was not to be educated or skilled. The world made gender discrimination in terms of education and artistic trainings4 . In the modern era a new attitude towards art has developed. Geisha has been seen as a way of empowering women and help them to move out of domestication with the house chores to an independent person. Women in geisha are free from traditions imposed on Japanese women. Historically, geisha began their training at a very young age and their training lasted for many years as compared to modern day where women join geisha at the age of 18. Geisha are believed to have had their own reality, which was referred as the flower and the willow world. The courtesans were the flowers while geisha were the willow because of their strength and perseverance. In Japanese history, there were girls who were homeless because of 600’s suffering and they were moving around in the city doing sexual activities in exchange of money5 . The girls who were educated earned a living by entertaining people of high class. After the capital city was moved to Kyoto in 794 the conditions of forming Japanese geisha were obvious as it was full of beautiful women. Skilled women performed and this made men to be excited and they no longer restricted themselves to be faithful to their wives. Wives were left to take care of the children and homes but men went for sexual enjoyment and romance to the courtesans. In 1617, in the pleasure quarters, prostitution was declared illegal. The play women were classified and licensed. The highest class was geisha and they formed a combination of actresses and prostitutes. They were involved in vigorous acting and dancing which was termed to be kabuki that is untamed and shameful. Kabuki Theater was begun when dancers were referred as kabuki6. In 18th century, there was pleasure quarters famous for offering entertainment; the courtesans entertained people by singing, dancing, poets, and some were calligraphers. They became experts and the entertainment of geisha appeared in pleasure quarters. Men were the first geisha that used to entertain clients before the beautiful courtesan came to entertain them. Teenage girls were expansively trained for dancing and they were for hire. They were also hired in private homes to entertain samurai. The first woman geisha woman was a fukagawa prostitute. She was skilled singer and played shamisen. In 1770s, most geisha women stopped being prostitutes and were just entertainers as male. Shamasen became popular in Japan because it was easy to play and it accompanied many songs during entertainment7 . The geisha who worked in pleasure quarters got arrest because of prostitution. Courtesan continued entertaining men sexually. By 1800, geisha was considered as a female career. Gaudy oiran fellow out of fashion and chic came into fashion. In the western world, geisha are now seen as holders of culture. After the World War II, the geisha changed significantly, women were no longer allowed to go on with prostitution; teenagers were no longer sold out by their parents to dance for money and the virginity of a girl was not to be sold to the highest bidders. Geisha was associated with fashionable women in the community. Prostitution was legal in Japan until 1900s and so it was always practiced in the pleasure quarters. After World War II, geisha lost its meaning and women were to go and work in the companies . Prostitutes also referred themselves as geisha and this affected the status of geisha. All the places that were associated with geisha were forcibly closed and all the women forced to work in the factories. After a year, few women returned to geisha but they refused to be associated with western culture. Women preferred to go back to tradition and they concentrated purely on entertainment. Auctioning of girls virginity has been reported since 1990s. Development has led to reduction of geisha as many women have resulted in searching for employment in companies8 . Geisha was divided into five districts that are complex. Gion kobu, pontoncho and kamishichiken are of the people of high status because they were very expensive. Only the successful businesspersons and politicians afforded it. Geisha of the other two districts are also considered expensive but they were one rank lower. Hot spring geisha worked in spas and are considered to be like common prostitutes. They are less expensive and if they include sexual commercialization it would be like geisha. They are trained like geisha in dancing and singing. Daughters of geishas were brought up as geishas themselves. Okiya supplies maiko with all necessities that are refundable once a maiko becomes a full member of geisha. Geisha was only allowed to work independently when she settled the debt. Minarai is a person learning geisha. She might go to parties uninvited and if invited she is only paid a third of the amount of a geisha. Maiko follow their seniors’ geisha in order to learn. A maiko is fully considered a geisha through a party called erikae at the age of 22. The ceremony called mizuage was always part of transition and a lot of money was usually collected. The ceremony was sponsored by a patron who had the right to take the virginity of a girl; this was normally referred as deflowering the maiko. The money collected belongs to geisha. The maiko had to go through this ceremony in order to have a wide knowledge of the men . The biggest industry in Japan is entertainment. In Japan a geisha means an entertainer while in western countries the term can be used to refer to prostitutes of high class. In some cases where the lower class geishas sell their bodies, geisha is seen as prostitution. Modern geisha do not engage in sexual activities with their clients. Geisha are usually financially stable and they are single women. There can never be a married geisha and if one gets married, she has to retire 9. Geisha was formed in order to promote financial status of women and self-dependency and it has actually achieved this. Geisha women were not meant to submit to their husbands but they were doing that business in order to support their families financially. Women are the ones that head geisha houses and teach maiko. Geisha are seen as exploited women but they see themselves as feminists. They were determined to leave their families at a tender age to start their art career. Kyoto is still a place where traditional geisha is found today. Development and misconception of geisha has led to its decline. They have really declined in number. Today they are only invited in the parties and teahouses. Geisha wear kimono and obi during their presentation. The color of kimono depends on the occasion or the ceremony. Kimono is decorated all over. They wear flat-soled shoes because of dancing. Their hairstyle varies but traditionally they wore shimada hairstyle. Geisha wear varied make-ups. The young geisha wear heavy make-ups while the old has to look mature and so they do not over do the make ups10. In today’s world, the geisha industry has changed. Women now join geisha at their own will and they do not engage in prostitution. They only involve themselves in entertainment. Young girls are not allowed to join geisha until they reach eighteen years11. Families are no longer involved in selling out girls in to geisha. Women now are allowed to attain education and thus today’s geisha are educated and highly skilled. They are now allowed to speak in public. Gender discrimination has reduced. Geisha is now seen as the career of women and men are no longer involved. Bibliography Dougill, John. Kyoto: A Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195301374. (2006) p 170-182. Gallagher, John. Geisha: A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance, and Art. London: PRC, ISBN 1856486974 (2003). P 50-100. Seigle, C. S. Rise of the Geisha. Yoshiwara: The Glittering World of the Japanese Courtesan. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0824814885, (1993) p. 160-180 Read More