Japan's Forgotten Geisha?

Today Japan is much like the West.  There are similar fashion trends.  Young people carry cell phones every where.  There are cars jamming most streets and highways.  The people of Japan seek promotions in their careers.  Sound familiar yet?  They like video games, movies, technology, computers, and most other things that have overtaken popular culture.  Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer people in Japan that desire to be good students of Japanese culture.  Therefore, there are not very many Geisha artists left.  In fact, an old tradition is quickly dying out.  Perhaps it is due to apathy... and not very much cash flow either.  It is sad but quite true.

A fictional character created by Caroline Seawright recently caught my attention.  It is about a geisha artist and her life in Japan.  This character's original name was Yamada Sakyou.  Later on, she would become the elegant Geisha known as "Mameo."  She grew up in Osaka.  She attended school there and lived a relatively normal childhood for some time.  However, then her parents divorced.  Her memories of her father were scant because he seems to have left quickly after the divorce.  The little girl was teased at school because of her parent's divorce.  This incident happened in the past when divorce carried serious social taboos for women.  So Yamada became a withdrawn and shy child as a result.

When she was old enough to understand what a Geisha was, it was her desire to become a maiko (apprentice geisha) in a city called Gion.  As a little girl she had many idealized fantasies about what becoming a Geisha would mean, but little real understanding of the hardships involved.  Her mother was supportive of this choice, even though attempting to change her daughter's mind.  Nevertheless, she went to live in an okiya with mama-san (the owner of the okiya) and Mameko, her only Geisha.

The story goes on to describe her life up to the time of success years later.  Then it tells of the death of Yamada's mother, followed by her opportunity to go to Tokyo to pursue the Geisha life even further.  The story is bittersweet.  The line between sorrow and happiness is not clear.  No doubt this is the case because the life of a Geisha in times past very often was much like this story.  Geishas were once famous and elegant entertainers before the invention of television.  Nowadays they are a fading memory in Japan, though there is much Geisha decor which still survives.  A fascinating book on the subject is "Geisha:  A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance and Art" by John Gallagher.  Geishas were exotic and mysterious.  The women of Japan who were Geishas have entranced western people for a long time.  But who were they, to be exact?  The answer itself hides behind the world of tradition and ritual created to conceal their saga.   The Japanese Geisha is truly fascinating and entertaining person!

Harlan Urwiler

For more information, please feel free to visit my website at:  http://www.myorientalgallery.com/.