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Geisha are traditional Japanese entertainers skilled in music, dance, singing, and the tea ceremony. Originally men, women took over as the number of male geisha dwindled. They lived in an okiya and were trained in local schools. Geisha rarely had sex with clients and earned income through taxes paid at teahouses or parties. They may have had a personal patron, but their relationship was usually outside of work. Geisha take their skills seriously, and while their numbers are declining, they can still be seen in Kyoto.
Geisha: Those beautiful and mysterious creatures represent all that is most traditional in Japan. Interest in the term resurfaced with Arthur Golden’s book, Memoirs of a Geisha, and the film of the same name.
In Japanese, geisha means “person of the arts” or a person skilled in traditional arts such as music, dance, singing and the tea ceremony. Men assumed this role early on, serving a purpose much like the traveling minstrels of medieval Europe. As the number of men engaging in the arts dwindled, women took over. Some were probably former courtesans, but most were not.
The tradition of geisha as women has taken root, along with a strict code of conduct and hierarchy. Most lived in a house called an okiya, owned by a woman who was usually a former geisha herself. Most okiyas had their first geisha, apprentices and maids, often young girls training to be apprentices. Some girls were sold to okiyas and the house was mostly owned by the girl until she paid the purchase price, a system not unlike that of some brothels.
The girls were trained in local schools and had teachers who specialized in each area of training: shamisen, dance, flute, drum and tea ceremony. As they approached the age to become apprentices, the okiya negotiated for a mature geisha to become an apprentice’s mentor, or “older sister.” The older sister helped foster the apprentice and taught her the art of holiday entertaining, from how to have witty conversation to how to pour sake. She received part of her younger sister’s salary as compensation for the apprentice’s training.
A popular view of geisha is that they were prostitutes. Some prostitutes have posed in this role to attract men, but a true geisha rarely has sex with her clients. Indeed, they were, first and foremost, entertainers. They went to parties, where they kept things lively, played drinking games with the men, and danced or sang. His presence was considered essential to the success of a private party. Several geisha present indicated that the guest was a man of wealth and prestige.
These women earned their income through the taxes they paid at the teahouses or parties they entertained. Years ago, a geisha was registered through what amounted to a union office. The registry office kept track of which teahouses she visited, how long she stayed, and what her fees were. The bureau then paid the woman or her okiya.
A geisha may have had a personal patron or danna. This relationship was usually sexual, but outside the normal work environment. The danna was generally a wealthy man who could afford to pay his expenses for schooling, tuition, private recitals, and even clothing. With a wealthy danna, a geisha could often afford to break up with an okiya and live independently if she so wished.
Geisha take their artistic skills seriously, even today. Their number is declining, but there are still women who want to indulge in entertainment and learning traditional arts. The most popular geisha quarters are in Kyoto, and tourists can still see the girls in the apprentice’s ornate ornate kimono.
