From Maiko to Geiko, and Everything In Between

Memoirs of a Geisha

A geisha is a female Japanese entertainer who specializes in the arts. In fact, the "gei" in "geisha" means "art" and thus the word itself means "artisan" or "artist."

Memoirs of a Geisha

To begin my research, I read Arthur Golden's novel Memoirs of a Geisha, which follows a young girl named Chiyo who leaves her quaint town of Yorido as a young girl to begin her training in Gion in Kyoto, Japan.

A beautiful geisha

The process of becoming a Geisha is complicated and no easy feat. It is a long path and there are many skills that must be mastered. Let's take a journey through the life of a geisha during Chiyo's time.

First, girls in training to become geisha must live in the Okiya, the geisha house, and observe senior geisha and often work as maids. The traditional age for a girl to begin her training is three years and three days old, of course these girls who start that early are usually the daughters of former geisha and it runs in their blood. During their training, the girls attend school where they study various arts such as tea ceremony, music, and dancing. Dancing is the most revered art of a geisha and only the most promising geisha study this. The Inue School of Dance involves the dancing with an expressionless face, mimicking the masks of the traditional Japanese Noh Theater. On the day a girl begins her training in the okiya, she must observe the senior-most geisha dressing and preparing herself for the day. This includes the donning of the kimono and white face makeup.

A clip from Memoirs of a Geisha

Sayuri's dance

Geisha makeup is iconic and reminds many people of traditional Japanese dolls. The face is painted white with a large brush, however the areas around the eyes, mouth, and nose are initially left bare. These smaller areas are filled in with a more intricate brush. Then, a pigment stick is used to add reddish blush to the cheeks and lips. A piece of paulownia wood is burned and then the ashes are used to draw on eyebrows. Often, geisha will leave the skin directly beneath their hairline bare to remind men of the skin beneath. Also, they will draw designs on the back of their necks because the neck is to a Japanese man as legs are to an American man (wink, wink). Also, back before World War II, geisha used fancy facial cream that was terribly expensive because they believed it was good for their skin. Just imagine while you are rubbing in your clinique facial moisturizer tonight instead rubbing in nightingale droppings, which is exactly what they did!

Clip from Memoirs of a Geisha movie

Imagine waking up every day and having somebody dress you. That's precisely what it's like to be a geisha. Because a geisha's kimono is so elaborate, they have a professional dress them each morning. The geisha's kimono differs from a housewife's in that there is less padding to hold everything in place. Because geisha wear kimonos every day, they don't need as much help. The kimono has many pieces, such as the "koshimaki" or the hip wrap, a short-sleeved kimono undershirt, padding (if needed), an underrobe, white socks ("tabi"), an obi, etc. The underrobe usually matches the kimono itself because it can be seen peeking beneath the robes. Attached to the underrobe is a collar. Apprentice geisha, called maiko, often have a red collar and geisha, or geiko, have a white collar. When a girl makes the transition from maiko to geiko, they call this "turning the collar". As for the obi, it is extraordinarily hard to tie. Don't think of it as just a sash you simply tie behind you, oh no, it is highly intricate and very difficult to put on. Also, geisha will wear ornaments in their hair. Now, don't think of these ornaments as just any old shiny thing from a store like Claires. These ornaments are much more intimate due to the lack of times they wash their hair.

A geisha's kimono. (Note the design on the back of her neck)

Notice Sayuri's hair ornament

In order for a girl to make her debut as an apprentice, she must have established a relationship with a more experienced geisha. This relationship binds the two girls together as an "older" and a "younger" sister. There is a ceremony, much like a wedding, that binds them publicly. Any geisha can act as an older sister to another as long as she is at least an entire day older. The job of an older sister is to take the younger girl under her wing and introduce her to any and all important people to know in Gion. Prospective clients, makers of wigs, mistresses of tea houses, and chefs of important restaurants are among this class. Older sisters will receive portions of the younger sister's earnings.

Let's talk a little bit more about maiko. During the first year of apprenticeship, young geisha are "novice" geisha. This means that they cannot dance nor entertain without out their older sister. Also, when a girl becomes a novice geisha, she receives a new name. Chiyo becomes Sayuri. Apprentice geisha wear their hair in a hairstyle called "momoware" which means "split peach" in English. Because their hairstyles are so difficult to do and they are often painful due to the fact they often involve having wax combed through their locks, they mustn't sleep on a pillow at night. Instead, they use a "takamakura" which is a cradle for the base of the neck. Their shoes are tall wooden shoes and they are called "okobo." It takes much practice to learn how to walk in these.

Back during Sayuri's time as a geisha, a man would pay for an apprentice geisha's "mizuage." This is the taking of her virginity. When an apprentice geisha becomes available for this, she presents a box of "eukubo" which is sweet-rice cakes (which are apparently suggestive looking) to various patrons. There is then a bidding war and this privilege would go to the highest bidder. Kind of like ebay, right? There is then a ceremony and the man will become her "mizuage" patron for life before the two go somewhere a bit more private and, well, I think you can imagine what comes next, After the mizuage, the geisha will wear her hair in a new style.

Geisha often have "dannas" which is a man who finances her wardrobe and lifestyle. Similar to a business arrangement, there is a ceremony to connect them. While "danna" is the Japanese word for "husband" however they are not actually married. Geisha are never married and if they do marry, they are no longer geisha. Men who act as a "danna" are entitled to special "privileges" and get to spend more time with their geisha.

Much like businessmen, geisha will carry cards to hand out to patrons. Primarily, geisha will meet these patrons at tea houses where they entertain and pour sake. Speaking of, there is an art to pouring sake. A geisha spends years perfecting pouring sake perfectly. She must show just the right amount of wrist to allure men. Geisha used to have ohana, which is a stick of incense, burn when they'd enter a tea house. When they left, they were paid by the ohana burnt. Of course, they don't still burn ohana but that is what they call their payment (i.e., they charge by the ohana).

A geisha pouring sake

- Sarah P, 2016

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