It was – and is – very strict, with rigorous training for them to perform their function perfectly. Basically, their mission is the same since the 18th century: to transform professional or social gatherings of powerful men into extremely pleasant moments. In Japanese, geisha means «practitioner of the art». At the height of their popularity, around 1900, there were 25,000 in Japan. Today there are around 1,000.
Considered a staple of traditional Japanese culture, they are offended when mistaken for prostitutes. So there are no mistakes, they tie their kimonos at the back (the sex workers do it at the front). A curiosity: in the 17th century, the first geishas were… “geishas”! That’s because the social restrictions of the time did not allow fun and entertainment to be offered by women.
STRICT STANDARD
From selection to “graduation”, discover all the steps until a girl becomes a geisha
FAMILY EXCHANGE
Girls used to go to the oky-ias (the geisha house) at the age of 6. Today, they go around 15. There, they become maikos (apprentices) and gain another name. In addition, they “change families”: the okasan (owner of the oky-ia) assumes the role of mother and the other geishas, sisters.
HARD WORK
At home, the maikos do the housework and have two days off each month. For four or five years, they study Japanese instruments on a daily basis, such as the shamisen (a kind of guitar), singing, dancing, languages and even international politics.
TEA WITH CEREMONY
Apprentices also learn to speak and walk gracefully – balancing on tall wooden clogs. There are even teachings on how to serve drinks delicately, without wetting the sleeve of the kimono. Masters are usually quite strict retired geishas.
HAIRSTYLE AND PAINTING
The apprentices spend hours doing the hairstyle and, in order not to undo it, they sleep on a wooden brick (older geisha can wear a wig). The girls produce the white paint to paint the face, neck and part of the chest, a ritual that takes at least an hour a day.
«I DO NOT SEE ANYTHING»
Geisha must make a meeting a success. They are hired by men who want to do business and have fun. They serve drinks and food, sing, dance, talk – no sex. The code of ethics requires confidentiality. Nothing they hear can be commented on.
Geishas may have “sponsors”: regular customers who pay dearly for exclusivity. Some become lovers and may have children.
SUPERKIMONOS
When ready, the apprentice gains geiko status – and several kimonos. Das maikos have a train, a printed collar, oversized sleeves and a wide obi (belt) that cascades down the back. Geiko’s is understated, with a white collar and soft embroidery. Made of silk, they cost around US$ 10,000. A household employee helps them dress them.
A session costs, on average, US$ 6,000. Geisha mark the time of service with the help of an incense that burns in two hours.
FAMOUS SERVICES
The lives of these professionals have already been told in books, films and plays. The opera Madame Butterfly tells about Cho-cho, a real geisha who fell in love with an American officer.
The same story of Cho-cho served as the basis for the musical Miss Saigon, a success in the 1980s. Mineko Iwasaki, the muse of the book and film Memoirs of a Geisha, still lives in the United States.
Kiharu Nakamura, considered the last geisha after the Westernization of Japan, died in 2004.
SOURCES Cristiane Sato, Japanese culture consultant, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Magazine Special, AVENTURAS NA HISTÓRIA Magazine Special, documentary As Gueixas and book Gueixa, by Lisa Dalby