JIC: Japan Infomation Communication

Gion

Gion (祇園) is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.

The geisha in the Gion district do not refer to themselves as geisha; instead, Gion geisha use the local term geiko. While the term geisha means "artist," the more direct term geiko means specifically "a woman of art."

This neighborhood in Kyoto has two hanamachi (geiko communities) : Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) and Gion Higashi (祇園東). Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last one hundred years, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.

Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district. Recently, the City of Kyoto completed a project to restore the streets of Gion, which included such plans as moving all overhead utilities underground as part of the ongoing effort to preserve the original beauty of Gion.

Gion remains dotted with old-style Japanese houses called machiya, which roughly translated means "city house," some of which are ochaya or "tea house." These are traditional establishments where the patrons of Gion -- from the samurai of old to modern-day businessmen -- have been entertained by geiko in an exclusive manner for centuries.

Inside the ochaya is a private and closed world where the evening's entertainment may include cocktails, conversation, and games as well as traditional Japanese music, singing and dancing. To this day, geiko and maiko in full regalia can still be seen in the evenings as they move about through the streets of Gion to and from their various engagements at the ochaya.

There is a popular misconception that Gion was a red-light district. However, as it was a geisha district, and as geisha are entertainers, not prostitutes, Gion is not, and never was, a red-light district. Shimabara was Kyoto's red-light district.

The geiko of Gion still maintain the annual dances, the most popular being the Miyako Odori, "Cherry Blossom Dances" or "Dances of the Old Capital," staged by the geisha of Gion Kobu. The dances run from April 1 through April 30 each year during the height of the cherry blossom (sakura) season. Spectators from Japan and worldwide attend the events, which range from "cheap" seats on tatami mats on the floor (approximately $15.00 U.S.), to reserved seats with a small tea ceremony beforehand (approximately $40.00 U.S.).

Hyperlinks:

http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesegeisha/a/geisha3.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanamachi

http://www.hanamachi.de/

Posted by Shogo Moritani

Gion

Gion (祇園) is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the middle ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.

The geisha in the Gion district do not refer to themselves as geisha; instead, Gion geisha use the local term geiko. While the term geisha means "artist," the more direct term geiko means specifically "a woman of art."

This neighborhood in Kyoto has two hanamachi (geiko communities) : Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) and Gion Higashi (祇園東). Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last one hundred years, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.

Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district. Recently, the City of Kyoto completed a project to restore the streets of Gion, which included such plans as moving all overhead utilities underground as part of the ongoing effort to preserve the original beauty of Gion.

Gion remains dotted with old-style Japanese houses called machiya, which roughly translated means "city house," some of which are ochaya or "tea house." These are traditional establishments where the patrons of Gion -- from the samurai of old to modern-day businessmen -- have been entertained by geiko in an exclusive manner for centuries.

Inside the ochaya is a private and closed world where the evening's entertainment may include cocktails, conversation, and games as well as traditional Japanese music, singing and dancing. To this day, geiko and maiko in full regalia can still be seen in the evenings as they move about through the streets of Gion to and from their various engagements at the ochaya.

There is a popular misconception that Gion was a red-light district. However, as it was a geisha district, and as geisha are entertainers, not prostitutes, Gion is not, and never was, a red-light district. Shimabara was Kyoto's red-light district.

The geiko of Gion still maintain the annual dances, the most popular being the Miyako Odori, "Cherry Blossom Dances" or "Dances of the Old Capital," staged by the geisha of Gion Kobu. The dances run from April 1 through April 30 each year during the height of the cherry blossom (sakura) season. Spectators from Japan and worldwide attend the events, which range from "cheap" seats on tatami mats on the floor (approximately $15.00 U.S.), to reserved seats with a small tea ceremony beforehand (approximately $40.00 U.S.).

Posted by Shogo Moritani

Maiko

   I'll talk about Maiko. Maiko are apprentice geisha(geiko).They are only found in Kyoto and are often used as the penultimate symbol of Japan. Maiko are a rare breed now, only several at any one time and confined primarily to the Gion and Pontocho districts.                                  　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　here→

Maiko are easily recognised by their attire. In the Japanese way, as young girls before they become women, the dress of the Maiko is more outlandish than that of the mature Geisha. The obi and Kimono of a Maiko is brightly coloured and ornately decorated, the Kimono is of the Furisode style (more specifically of the oburisode type kimono) with long flapping sleeves that fall to the floor. The collar of the under-kimono worn by the Maiko is usually of a red and white patterned material, and shows vividly against the white neck of the Maiko. This makes the "changing of the collar" ceremony (from patterned to plain white) the coming of age ceremony when a Maiko becomes a Geiko rather obvious.

The Obi of a Maiko is also much longer, and tied in an ornate style rather than the box knots common in the Obi of both Geisha and other Japanese women. The Obi is tied much higher on a Maiko, coming high into the arm pit, with the knot reaching almost to the collar, with the ends falling to the floor. Maiko also wear distinctive okobo, large platformed wooden shoes, which taper to a smaller point on the sole, these are often lacquered and ornate. Okobo usually force a young Maiko to take very small steps, which is considered attractive by Japanese tradition. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ←here

Maiko have several different hair styles, which indicate the period of their apprenticeship that they have currently reached. Maiko use their own hair for such displays, rather than the wigs that contemporary Geisha wear. Traditionally it is a sign of a productive and hard apprenticeships to have a small bald patch from the ornate hair styles but as apprenticeships grow shorter and wigs more common this is a fading sign of a retired Geisha. The hair ornaments for a Maiko are plentiful and extravagant and are matched to the current season, usually displaying a fall of seasonal flowers constructed from beads. While beautiful to look at Maiko are still young girls, so the social mastery they are expected to attain as accomplished Geisha is still not fully formed and Maiko are usually expected to dance, and be seen, and though performing tasks such as filling drinks they are not intended to entertain guests to the same degree as a Geisha. This is maiko's business card I'll talk about Maiko's  business card. "SENJYA-FUDA" It is said that the card appeared from the manners and customs of the pilglimage card that is the sign of the visit to a shrine dedication in the goddess of mercy pilgrimage. It pastes to 1000 companies, and there is a background assumed the mark of the dedication as its name suggests. The maiko passes the "SENJYA-FUDA" card that my name enters the customer instead of the business card and there is a custom of saying then in here Kyoto. It might be called the flower business card Maiko's shoes 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                                                                                                                                                                         　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　here→ 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ★Reference★ http://www.whatever.net.au/~amaya/geisha/maiko.htm Black Japanese dress  http://www.flickr.com/photos/41265963/368831966/ Pink Japanese dress  http://www.maica.net/photo.htm Business card   http://www.kanko-kyoto.net/kyoto_2_e.htm Miko's shoes  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ting0308/497767427/ Posted by Etsuko Ito

Japanese Traditional Dance

Some people say that Japanese dance and the "Kabuki" look alike. Yes, in some cases they are identical, because some of the Japanese dances are played also in the Kabuki theatre.

【On-na-da-te ～ 女伊達】

　On-na-da-te is a kind of old word, meaning a "tough girl". The center girl plays as On-na-da-te. She fights with these two young guys standing beside her on the street in downtown Edo(Tokyo).

These pictures were found here.

　She is now fighting with both of the guys. Look at her Kimono-costume. In the previous picture she wears in blue, but in this photo she appears in white.

【Meoto-Dohjohji ～ 男女道成寺】

　Meoto-Dohjohji is one of the most popular plays in Kabuki. She plays a girl, looking for the boy she loves. She found him in a temple, that gives a festival on that day. She shows her performance in the temple garden to get into the temple.

　These pictures were found here.

【Honcho-Nijushikoh ～ 本朝廿四考】

　One day the princess "Yaegaki" heard a news from her agent that it had been planned, her fiance would be killed. He was a Samurai staying in a long distance from her. To save his life she began to pray at the helmet which was believed to own amiracle power. After a while a soul of the fox appeared from the helmet and made her possible that she could cross over the big lake in front of her palace to reach him.

【Renjishi ～ 連獅子】

　This is a story of a family of lions. The father(Right) gives his son(Left) a tough training.

　These pictures were found here.

　The performance is at its climax. They are playing with their hair, which is a hard work.

★References
Japanese Traditional Dance
Nihon Buyou
Hanami Web

Posted by Masaki Kobayashi

Dress

←here

←here

I'll talk about Geisha's dress. Geisha are not only the keepers of traditional belief, they are also the keepers of the traditional Japanese dress - kimono. Kimono are of fascinating beauty. Prior to Japan's westernization beginning in the second half of the 19th century, kosode was the general term used for the garment that today is called kimono. The literal translation of kimono is "a thing for wearing", and, in that sense, it is a generic word equivalent to 'clothing'. In popular usage, it serves as the stereotypical word for what is considered to be the traditional native dress of Japan. The season is what determined the color and the design of the kimono. From September till April, women wear kimono of the lined type called awase. This kimono will be a weighted silk crepe de chine garment with a lining of lighter crepe or silk mousse-line. The unlined summer kimono is called hitoemono; and the lined and padded winter kimono is called wata-ire. A fine geisha must have at least a dozen kimono. Liza Dalby writes:
Almost every geisha  has a weakness for kimono and a passion for collecting them. This is above and beyond the  necessary of acquiring the basic number for each season that is considered a geisha's working wardrobe. Kimono are the single greatest expense in a geisha's budget. When a young woman begins her geisha career she will have had to purchase at least ten of them, along with obi. ... Keeping up a certain image means not begrudging money spent of style. A stingy geisha is a contradiction in terms (293).

The kimono aesthetic is distinct. The point is not to stand out, but to harmonize with one's surroundings, both natural and social, mindful of the season and the event.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　here→

The Basic Elements of Kimono

Next,I'll talk about the basic elements of kimono. In the old times, kimono had more layers of cloth than nowadays. Court ladies were said to have up to sixteen layers of different coloured fabrics. Kimono is made of only four strips of fabric - two for main panels and two for sleeves. Thus the basic construction of kimono is rather simple. However, making a kimono consumes more cloth than you would realize - about 9 meters of 30 centimeter wide cloth.

It is interesting to realize that size does not matter in kimonos - they are made from rectangular pieces sewn together and itself have no shape at all. Your height doesn't matter either, cloth can be tucked under obi to measure your height. Most kimonos are standard size. Making kimono in traditional way is very economic - no kimono cloth is being wasted in the process. If some parts would be damaged, the kimono could be took apart for cleaning or to be reassembled to make haori.

Here are the basic elements of kimono:  

  Kimono Textile

I'll talk about kimono textile. Kimonos can be made of silk, wool, cotton, linen or synthetic material. One of the most famous kimono materials is tsumugi, especially one from Oshima. Different motifs decorate the textile. Some are sewn into the cloth, some are dyed. Here are examples. The last sample is Taisho era kimono which introduces modern design. Typical iki.

☆Reference☆

Mikos http://www.flickr.com/photos/11241423@N00/82824499/

Purple kimono http://www.kimonoichiba.com/shop/goods/goods.asp?goods=319852

White kimono http://www.yamatoku.jp/classic/description.asp?tno=80894254

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~oaandrey/geisha/kimono.htm

The Basic Elements of Kimono and Kimono textile http://www.hanamiweb.com/kimono.html

Posted by Etsuko

Terms of Geisha

Today, I will teach you to terms of Geisha. There are many technical terms in Geisha world. So, I want to introduce some words.

■ tools

【Kimono】　... 着物
  Robe style tradition Japanese clothing.

【Obi】 ... 帯
  Kimono waist bands.

【Tabi】 ... 足袋
  Buttoned toed socks.

【Okobo】 ... おこぼ
  Platformed sandals for maiko.

This picture was found here.

【Furisode】 ... 振袖
  "Swingin sleeve" kimono, long sleeved kimono for young girls.

【Shamisen】 ... 三味線
  3 stringed guitar style instrument played by geisha.
The Shamisen is dismantled and carried in a box between performances.
Traditionally shamisen were covered with cat skin for the best sound.

■ Place

【Kyoto】 ... 京都
  The old capital of Japan, and home to many of the hanamachi.

【Hanamachi】 ... 花町
  Geisha areas, the suburbs which okiya and ochaya.

【Okiya】 ... 置屋
  The geisha house where geiko and maiko live.

【Ochaya】 ... お茶屋
  The tea houses where geisha primarily entertain.

【Kaburenjo】 ... 歌舞練場
  The meeting place for each Hanamachi, usually contains a theatre and offices
and the geisha schools.

This picture was found here.

【O-zashiki】 ... お座敷
  "Tatami room" a party or banquet, the term is used by geisha
to refer to their appointments.

■ Person

【Maiko】 ... 舞妓
  Apprentice geisha, confined to Kyoto hanamachi.

【Geiko】 ... 芸妓
  A geisha.

【Onesan】 ... お姉さん
  "Older sister" a term used by a maiko or geiko to her elder geisha mentor.

【Okasan】 ... お母さん
  "Mother" the term used for those who run Okiya.

【Taikomochi】 ... 太鼓持ち
  Male geisha, these are more comedic entertainers than cultural ones and are now dying out.

This picture was found here.

【Onsen-geisha】 ... 温泉芸者
  "Hot springs geisha". These are usually untrained "geisha" who serve alcohol and
service parties. This is a term for low class geisha as onsen-geisha are not culturally
refined nor dedicated to their position much as Tokyo or Kyoto geisha.

【Minarai】 ... 見習い
  The observation period where a maiko trains by ovserving her onesan.

【Mizuage】 ... 水揚げ
  "The flowing of the waters" when a maiko loses her virginity, once this was a
traded commodity but Japanese law forbids this practice now.

【Danna】 ... 旦那
  A long term geisha patron, who supports a geiko financially and enjoys a special
relationship with her.

【Han-gyoku】 ... 半玉
  Tokyo apprenticeship geisha.

【Jikata】 ... 地方
  Geisha who sing or are musically proficient in instruments such as the
drums, shamisen or Japanese flute. These geisha often accompany the
dancing geiko who get more of the glory.

【Tachikata】 ... 立方
  Geisha who dance, often these geisha are more expensive or more in demand than
their musical geisha counterparts.

【Yu-u-jo】 ... 遊女
  Literally "play girls" courtesans of the Edo period walled pleasure quarters.
The Yuujo were divided into classes, the highest of these were the Tayu which many
mistake for Geisha. Yuujo were prostitutes of varying classes, it should be remembered that
these practices are outlawed in post-Meiji Japan and that Geisha are not for sexual sale.

【Oiran】 ... 花魁
The highest classes of prositutes including the Tayu. Oiran had a pleasure ill afforded many yuujo - they could refuse their clients, and could choose why they spent time with. Oiran were seen as a mark of status, if you could afford their prices and gain there interest you had truly made it.

■ Other

【Misedashi】 ... 見せ出し
  The debut of a new maiko, and her nite of passage.

【Erikae】 ... 襟変え
  The changing of the collar/chignon, when a maiko becomes a geiko.

【Hanadai】 ... 花代
  Flower money, the rate of pay for a geiko.
Maiko are usually paid at half hanadai, geiko at full.
Geiko may set the rate of their hanadai depending on
demand and quality of the service.

【Shikomi】 ... 仕込み
  An era of training now dying out, shikomi is the period before minarai where
a young girl serves as a maid or house girl prior to becoming a maiko.

【Ukiyo-e】 ... 浮世絵
  "Pictures of the floating world" woodblock prints of the pleasure quarter areas in the Edo period.

【Ko-uta】 ... 小唄
  Short shamisen songs frequently performed by Geisha.

【San san kudo】 ... 三三九度
  "Three threes, nine times" a ceremony involving taking 3 sips of a sake cup,
3 times over, shared with a partner. This is a part of the traditional Japanese
marriage ceremony but for geiko and maiko this is the practice used to bind a
maiko to her onesan at misedashi.

【Yu-u-kaku】 ... 遊廓
  The walled pleasure quarters. Designed to control prostitution and minimise
social uprising the yuukaku was a place a man (of considerable wealth) could enjoy himself for up to 3 days. The Pleasure Quarters sent more than one man to the debt collectors. Though samurai were forbidden from visiting the pleasure quarter it was often tolerated; though many kept the charade of disguising themselves for visits.

This Picture was found here.

★References
・Petit Japon
・Green Tea Break
・Dento-Mirai Souzou Kenkujo
・Dokusha no Raku

Posted by Masaki Kobayashi

Geisha hairstyles

Maiko
The hairstyles of Maiko, along with their kanzashi, are reminiscent of young girls from an age long gone and quite unlike those of the older, more mature Geiko. A Maiko must have grown her hair long during her Shikomi-san and Minarai-san stages so that her own natural hair can be dressed up. Through the duration of her training, a Maiko will wear up to five different hairstyles: wareshinobu, ofuku, sakkou, katsuyama and yakko-shimada. The latter two are hairstyles worn on special occasions by senior Maiko and the sakkou style is worn on her graduation from being a Maiko to becoming a Geiko. Maiko are also known to don a variation of the shimada mage hairstyle during the Miyako Odori.

Wareshinobu
For her Mishidashi (debut), the young Minarai-san has her hair dressed in what is easily one of the most elaborate hairstyles she will wear through the entire time as a maiko. This particular hairstyle is decorated with a large and interesting assortment of kanzashi.

Firstly, her hair is dressed up in the traditional wareshinobu style, which is said to accentuate the "loveliness" of the Maiko. This particular hairstyle is easily recognizable due to the two strips of red silk ribbon, with white spotted pattern, called kanoko (ka no ko literally means child of deer, and is so called due to the spots on the fawn's back), that has been woven through the mage (the mass of hair, or "bun" on the crown), and visible through the hair on the top and bottom section.

For normal occasions, the wareshinobu generally is decorated with kanzashi relevant to the month and the season. For the event of Misidashi, the new Maiko will wear two fan shaped bira-bira-kan (fluttering kanzashi), tortoiseshell kanzashi worn on both sides at the front and one at the back (with symbols representing the current season), tortoiseshell kushi (comb), tama kanzashi (coral), kanoko-dome and miokuri (two sets of three rectangular decorations of red silver and gold, located at the bottom of the mage).

After her Mishidashi, when she is a full-fledged Maiko, she continues to wear the wareshinobu hairstyle for the next three years. Through this period of time, she will wear her kanzashi in accordance to the strict monthly seasonal calendar.

                           

Ofuku
Traditionally, a young Maiko would change to the ofuku hairstyle of the senior Maiko after her mizuage, or when she got her first danna. One point of time in history, this change would have taken place between the ages of 13 and 15, although due to changes in laws, the age was slowly raised. Whilst this event would mark a change in the maturity and advancement of the Maiko, it no doubt would be of some embarrassment to her as everyone would know what events took place for the change of hairstyle! In the modern day hanamachi, mizuage is a practice that no longer takes place and the transformation to the ofuku hairstyle now takes place on or around her 18th birthday or three years after the start of her training.

Visually, from the front, the hairstyle looks very similar to the wareshinobu except for the kanoko showing at the top of the mage in the wareshinobu style. At the back though, it is distinctly different with the kanoko being replaced by a chirimen tegarami. The tegarami, which is triangular in shape, is pinned to the bottom of the mage, rather than being woven through the mage as in the previous style.

The alternative name for the ofuku hairstyle is derived from its distinct look, the momoware or, better known, the "split peach" hairstyle. There is a debate though on which style is actually the correct one for momoware though. Some traditional hairstyle experts claim that it is the same as the ofuku with no split at the top, where others claim that the momoware actually has a small split in the top of the mage similar to the wareshinobu, but not as wide or prominent. Regardless, it has been stated that the name emerged due to the shape being sexual and tantalizing in nature, although this information has likely evolved over the years due to the fact that this hairstyle was worn by girls who had lost their virginity. It is highly possible the real meaning is lost in time, and quite a bit less exciting.

The senior Maiko will wear the ofuku hairstyle for the duration of her training up until two weeks to a month (there appears to be conflicting time frames) before her eri-kae (turning of collar) where she will don the elaborate sakkou hairstyle. Being a senior Maiko, she is also now able to wear both the katsuyama and yakko-shimada hairstyles for special events and festivals.

Katsuyama
Each July for the Gion Matsuri, senior Maiko wear the Katsyuama hairstyle (also sometimes referred to as marumage despite a noticeable difference between the two styles) with special kanzashi to represent the summer. The origin of the katsuyama is directly linked back to 17th century Edo to a very popular and famous tayuu of the same name. It is also often seen in historical plays, although the actual style is slightly more exaggerated. The Katsuyama was also widely worn through out the Edo era by married women, and only went out of fashion at the beginning of the Showa era with the introduction of a new style called sokuhatsu, a style reminiscent of Charles Dana Gibson's "Gibson Girls". Women were encouraged to wear the shokuhatsu due to it being more conventional and hygienic, and of course, more modern.

Aside from the ordinary hana-kanzashi and jade tama-kanzashi, Maiko wear a special pink and silver circular kanzashi called bonten that sits in the middle of the mage showing through on both sides. A thick red ribbon made from ro silk with various patterns in silver/gold is also woven around the base and through the centre of the mage.

Quote:

http://www.immortalgeisha.com/hairstyles_maiko.php

Hyperlinks:

Kanzashi Gallery

Chignon

http://www.geocities.com/yihyongbuayee/geisha.html

Posted by Shogo Moritani

Geisha is

                                           

                                                                      

The word Geisha means "artist" in Japanese. Geisha are professional hostesses who entertain guests through various performing arts in tea houses called O-chaya. They are trained in a number of traditional skills such as Japanese ancient dance, singing, playing instruments such as the Shamisen, flower arrangement, wearing kimo no, tea ceremony, calligraphy, conversation, alcohol serving manners and more.    

  Geisha continue to study and perfect these skills throughout their careers as geisha.

 

A successful geisha must demonstrate beauty, grace, artistic talent, charm, impeccable etiquette, and refinement. Only guests with a long time connection with the tea house are allowed and tea houses generally don't take on new clients without an introduction. The profession of a geisha is a very expensive business and a geisha party can easily cost thousands of US dollars. The total number of geisha in the 1920's was 80,000, but today the number of geisha has dropped to 10,000 due to the westernizing of Japa nese culture.

Geisha must train themselves in various traditional arts such as classical dancing, playing the Shamisen, and several styles of singing in the hanamachi (geisha community). Today, geisha women may also be models or go on international tours, for example.
Geisha work by entertaining guests at expensive tea houses. They will serve drinks, talk with the guests, and perform.
Geisha women maintain many different relationships with men. They are not prostitutes. It is appropriate for geisha to have a patron (danna), whom she is involved with emotionally, economically, and sexually, however it is up to the geisha whether she wants one or not.
Geisha wear their hair in a bun or a uniform style with a single comb and two pins. They also wear elegant kimonos and beautiful white make-up.

Geisha also entertain at business banquets or parties for a considerable amount of money. There they engage in conversation, and perform for the guests. Geisha will either perform "Tachikata" which mainly does traditional Japanese dance or "Jikata" which mainly sings or plays an instrument. Tachikata are usually the maiko girls while Jikata are older geisha women. They also pay greater attention to the guest of honor. Geisha also do not discuss anything that was said at a party or business meeting outside.

Geisha do not prepare or serve food. They also never have a one-night stand.

      

Quote: http://marian.creighton.edu/~marian-w/academics/english/japan/geisha/geisha.html                

Hyperlinks:

Japanese Geisha

Geisha and Maiko

Geisha of Japan site

Geisha Photo Gallery

Posted by Shogo Moritani

Geisha History

  Today, I will talk about history of Geisha.

  In feudal Japan, the samurai and nobleman needed a distraction from their
duties, so they turned to entertainment. During the 18th century,
entertainers were primarily men, but a few female drum bearers
entered into the scene around 1770. Called "Geiko(芸妓)", these women
were the predecessor of the geisha.

  A few years later, entertaining by dancing, singing, acting and acrobatics
by both women and men was seen as an an honorable way of making a living.
Geisha, then, meaning "art person", was now mostly associated with
women as their form of elegant and beauty grew more popular.

  Some female entertainers, however, knew little of the singing, dancing
and other traditional arts of Japan. Known as "yujo(遊女)", they only knew how
to pleasure a man sexually, and even though they were seen as
professional prostitutes, men still flocked to them when they needed to
experience sex for pleasure (their wives only participated in sex to produce
children).

  This indulgence in partying and dancing from the geisha, and
sex from the yujo, proved to be a bit of a problem all female
entertainment was outlawed for a few short years in the mid 1800s, due to reduced
public moral. Despite this setback, geisha were still seen as
the ultimate leaders in fashion, music and other traditional Japanese trends.

  From the 1860s to 1900, the geisha were seen as the true form
of the Japanese spirit, representing all the wonderful things that
made Japan so very beautiful.

  Like today's pop music stars, geisha were idolized by young girls
of the day. However, by the early 20th century, modern influences and the
appearance of bar hostesses, or "jokyu(承久)", began threatening the geisha's
popularity. By the 1930s, geisha were seen as old fashioned as the
trends of jazz and industrialization swept the East.
Today, geisha districts are extremely rare and charge a great
deal of money to keep going.

  Like so many aspects of Japanese culture the courtesans became
highly ritualized with strict etiquette ruling who could associate
with the ladies of the pleasure quarters. This made way for a new market niche,
entertainers outside the pleasure quarters could legally entertain a man
in a less intimate manner freely and without the rules that government
the ways of the Tayu. Unlicensed pleasure quarters sprang up all over Japan,
the appeal of the free thinking unruly women grew rapidly.

   Many of these areas were near to Shinto shrines and offered tea and entertainment
to pilgrims, lending the name Ochaya(お茶屋) to the establishments
at which these girls entertained, though liquor was quick to overtake tea on the menu.
The Odoroki or dancing girls were very popular in these areas for entertainment,
though as some of the girls grew older it became inappropriate to take this name and
so called themselves Geisha after the male Geisha of the pleasure quarters who would
entertain men at their banquets before they would retire for the night with
the courtesans. These male Geisha, or Taikomochi, may have been the first but
they were soon superseded by the popularity of the female Geisha.

  Licensed Geisha districts grew first in Gion(祇園) and then spreading to other Hanamachi(花町) throughout Japan. The Tayu soon seemed to lose their popularity and today there are no full time Tayu in existence, though a handful of women keep up the tradition by playing out the role in daylight hours for exhibitions.

  One of the other major changes to the lives of the Geisha came about after World War II. The new laws governing prostitution and entertaining girls meant that girls could no longer be sold into the Geisha life by their families, nor could a Maiko's virginity be bought and sold any longer, removing the long standing Mizuage(水上げ) rite of passage.

  Today the Geisha life is a very different one, girls become Geisha by their own free will, and often only stay long enough to get married, much as any other profession in Japan. The Geisha population is slowly dying out and many of the Hanamachi have disappeared in recent times. There are talks of regulating the Geisha world, however whether this will ever occur is uncertain. The stigma of advertising for girls to join the profession has meant that the numbers do not grow, and there is a social understanding that while it may be very elegant to visit a Geisha it is not likely that one would wish their own daughter to become one. Perhaps the Geisha will become another packaged tourist attraction but more likely, as the Tayu became the Geisha, the Geisha will evolve into something more fitting to contemporary Japan.

  References
Floating World http://gallery.sjsu.edu/oldworld/asiangate/floating_world/
Geisha http://www.whatever.net.au/~amaya/geisha/
Petit Gion http://forum.petit-gion.com/
Japan Zone http://www.japan-zone.com/
Geisha http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~oaandrey/geisha/geisha.html

Posted by Masaki Kobayashi

Make up

Maiko make up(here)

I'll talk about Geisha's make-up.The start of their career, Maiko find themselves wearing the heavy white make-up all the time. When she is first initiated as a maiko, she is helped with her make-up by either her older sister or okasan, but after then, she has to quickly learn how to apply it herself. Once she becomes a geisha, she continues to wear the heavy make-up until she has been in service as a geisha for three years. Once she has been in service for three years, she then switches to wearing less elaborate kimonos and simple make-up and starts to wear her hair pulled back in a simple bun. The reason being is that her �beauty� is now in her maturity and "gei" (art) rather than her appearance. For formal occasions and dences though, she will wear a katsura(wig) and the make-up. Geisha over 30 normally only wearthe heavier make-up when they are wearing katsura for a dance requiring this attire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Nape of neck(here)

he application of the make-up is a time consuming process and must appear quite daunting for the new maiko to try and perfect. The make-up is applied prior to dressing to avoid the risk of getting make-up on their kimono. Firstly, they apply a wax/oil substance (which is melted in their hand) called bintsuke-abura to their skin. This is applied to the face, neck, chest and nape area and helps for the white paste(foundation) to adhere. Next, white powder is mixed together with water into a paste and applied with a brush to the face, neck, chest and nape. Originally, the use of white lead for the face was quite common, but, as it is known today, it is highly toxic and must have lead to illnesses and un untimely death for some of the ladies who used it. Today, rather than the lead counterpart, modern cosmetics are now used for this purpose. When applying the foundation, they leave a line of bare skin around their hairline - this gives the illusion of wearing a mask. On the nape of the neck they leave two “V” shape lines unpainted. For special occasions, (when a maiko debuts, when maiko becomes a geisha and when formal kimono is worn) they leave three lines unpainted.

After the foundation has been applied, a large sponge is used and patted all over the face, throat, chest and nape of neck. This serves to soak up the excess moisture from the water - and blend the entire foundation into a flawless mask.

The next step is painting in their eyes and eyebrows. When applying the eye make up, they have to be very careful and have a steady hand. One mistake in the application and they might very well have to restart the whole make-up process right from the beginning as unlike western make-up, small (or large for that matter) alterations are almost impossible. The eyebrows are drawn in black with a touch of red. Traditionally they would have used charcoal to darken them, but today, it is more than likely modern cosmetics are used in their place. She will then outline the edges of her eyes with red and black as well. The amount of red in the eye make-up starts to decrease with time from when a maiko becomes a geisha. Eventually the red eye colour will be minimal or may even be excluded all together.

Eye make up(here)

                                                                                                                                                                                     Lip painting(here)

Last but not least are her lips. The lips are filled in using a small brush. The colour comes in a small stick (traditionally sallflower), which is melted in water. Crystallized sugar is then added to give it's luster. For their first year, Maiko paint only a little bit of colour on her center lower lip. This appears to originally originate from the fact that in Japanese history very small lips where once considered sensual and attractive.

Today, in this modern age though, it appears to be more of a tradition than anything else. After their first year, Maiko start to colour their top lip, but never filling in the entire lip. When they become geisha, they continue to paint their lips smaller but eventually over time as her make-up becomes more clear and distinct, she starts to paint in her full lips.

★Reference★

    http://www.immortalgeisha.com/makeup_01.php   

  Maiko make up   http://www.maiko-kibun.com/step.htm

  Nape of neck  http://www.flickr.com/photos/manganite/230953700/

  Eye make up  http://www.mitsuyoshi-make.com/epmake1.html

Painting lip       http://www.maiko-taiken.com/henshin/index.htm

Posted by Etsuko Ito