Stereotypes Throughout Japanese History
Throughout Japanese history, the geisha has become a historical shrine passed on from generation to generation. From their refined repertoire of the arts to the intellectual conversations with clients, the geisha has various qualities of integrity to be recognized in Japanese history. Behind the perfectly painted face and overly constricted kimonos are the scars of true sacrifice towards this cultural profession, but is the true perseverance of the traditional geisha fading into the shadows of modern day stereotypical cinema and media? The stereotypes surrounding the geisha have increasingly caused these women to be portrayed as cheap prostitutes or women of pleasure in Japanese society. These misconceptions became the essence of why the geisha
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is being shunned and dishonored. The geisha profession has decreased in population and succumbed to the simple act of entertainment for men. Interviews, articles, and books reveal the reality of what the true geisha has contributed to Japanese history. Based on the legitimacy of the geisha industry as demonstrated through their rigorous training and artistic achievement, they deserve to be revered as elite representatives of Japanese culture and role models for modern-day Japanese women and meriting defense against Western or other allegations that they were merely prostitutes.
The Story of the Geisha
The image of the geisha most individuals identify with today is far from the truth, and the power and recognition geishas fought so hard for is not always accredited to them. The first appearance of geishas was historically noted in the 1700s and was known as a mixed-gender practice; even though the term geisha was originally used for both sexes, male geishas were later referred to as otoko geishas (Guelet, 2005). Male and female geishas provided entertainment such as singing, dancing, and bantering with customers until the prostitutes arrived at the tea houses to offer sexual services. The difference between the occupations was strictly distinguished from the beginning, and any geisha who dared to participate in sexual favors would lose their tea houses and cause the neighboring geishas to lose their teahouses as well (Guelet, 2005). The era of geishas began after the era of samurais and shoguns ended, and the emperor wanted to enhance the red-light districts to impress the West with the high quality the Japanese produced (Kawaguchi, 2010). Most geishas—in archaic times—were bought from poor families to work at an okiya—a geisha house—and trained in the arts of dancing and instrument playing.
Later on in time, depending on the conditions of the contract, geishas performed in various levels of fornication (Stanley, 2013).
During the Tokugawa era, the role of the geisha changed dramatically, because the Japanese economy started to heavily depend on brothel houses; therefore, many of these geishas were forced into several year contracts to brothel houses by their families, and were exploited for their submissive nature. The change from having traditional geishas to a new breed of geishas was mainly based on the economic poverty throughout many regions of Japan. Additionally, the government wanted to provide legal, regulated institutions of courtesans for western traders and visitors. This brought up the common misconception that geishas were simply high class prostitutes. However, the two occupations were unrelated even though they both provided sexual services. Geishas were bound into contracts by their families to pay off a debt and received no pay, while prostitutes sold themselves for their own profit and did not belong to a brothel house (Stanley, 2013). At the peak of their popularity, geishas were considered the ‘darlings of Japan.’ To eat with them, or even bask in their presence, was considered to be an honor in the eyes of any Japanese citizen. But then, at the end of the Tokugawa era (mid 1800s), the middle and high class Japanese women started to fight for independence and equality and the geisha posed a threat to their campaign (Stanley, 2013). …show more content…
The geishas were considered too oriental and were depicting the typical image of a Japanese woman as someone who would always follow a man. After a period of resentment, the geishas were slowly integrated back into society and even considered of good standards, leading to some of Japan’s most famous geishas, like Mineko Iwasaki. Geishas did not awake to the world renowned status they have today; they had to fight for it and go through the trials and tribulations any great historical figure endures to be respected.
Order in the “Shady” Business
As aforementioned, westerners have misunderstood the work of geishas.
Their liberated minds are filled with eroticism and this introduces illusions at the mention of the geisha duty to entertain men. Consequently, the geisha system is often portrayed as one analogous to the system of prostitution where a panderer commands girls in his/her control to trade sex for high monetary compensation. To assert that the geisha system is only fueled by their sex appeal is an incorrect interpretation of their motives. They are professionals entirely devoted to caring for their clients:
“If she's really a professional geisha, [she] will adjust or… change the way she entertains to suit your needs. Whether you're a quiet person who just needs -- a shoulder to cry on, whether …you want an intellectual conversation, or you just wanna get drunk and have a good time, the geisha will do her best to make you leave that night smiling... Of course, without crossing certain lines.” (Guelet,
2005)
This clarifies that their services are not promiscuous and fraudulent.
In fact, the true nature of the geisha lies in their dedication to the arts. Becoming a successful geisha is not a simple process. To become a geisha, one must consecutively master a myriad of traditional arts in increasing, never fading levels of mastery: shikomi, minarai, maiko, geiko, and hiwi-iwai. Each stage consists of gaining experience through arduous and constant practice (Milner, 2011). The preliminary stages of shikomi and minarai require the trainee to master Japanese in the Kyoto dialect, learn the process of make-up and dress-up, and begin dancing lessons. Through the guidance of a mentor, the minarai will debut as a maiko—an apprentice geisha. Among the stages, the maiko demands so much of the trainee because it prepares them for becoming a full geisha. In this stage, one must attend lessons of the many traditional Japanese arts. For each art form, mastery is demanded and enforced by daily practice and performance; this stage alone can last for five years or more (Crihfield, 1978). Even after completing this stage and becoming a full-fledged geisha, lessons and practice remain in their daily routines. It is a profession that focuses on the mastery of the arts that will never be ultimately achieved. Hard work is expected with no easy alternative. In the geisha system, advancement through patronage is non-existent and frowned upon. Merit is celebrated and made apparent by the progression of different stages.
The Japanese Identity
Contrary to the liberated west, the Japanese are relatively more conservative in behavior and tradition. In Japanese society, structure and order are constructed by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Samurai feudalism (Spiridon, 2011). These influences tip the balance of power to men, and discriminate against women by giving them little to no power. In Confucianism, the roles of women are defined as a dutiful daughter to her father, a loyal and loving wife to her husband, and an obedient mother to her son. In Buddhism, women are incapable of obtaining salvation; however, samurai beliefs entail that a woman’s salvation is her husband and that he is the only heaven she will ever attain (Spiridon, 2011). It is through these influences that women are depicted as inferior beings and given an almost impenetrable glass ceiling as a mother. This cyclic path of obeying the alpha male is incessant and imminent for the typical Japanese woman. In fact, it is commonly enforced by society as a normal occurrence. The Japanese consider the act of remaining single abnormal (Spiridon, 2011). Japanese society views unmarried women as deprived beings who have yet to find their true calling or meaning in life. These constraints established by gender roles pale in comparison to one thing: social status.
In today’s society, many Japanese women strive for many qualifications that may level the playing field in “a man’s world” (Spiridon, 2011). In order to escape the obligations of remaining subservient to men, women can overcome the barrier between genders by pursuing an education. This opportunity is commonly sought out today, but this was nearly impossible in the past. Before the western influence of civilization in Japan, education was only available to those of high status (nobility); however, noble women were not excluded from the pattern. They may have had access to education, but still, they lacked the power to choose (Gulliver, 2012). At times, their sole purpose was to serve as pawns for their fathers in various status-raising schemes, such as political marriages. With minimal education, Japanese women were bound to listen to their educated husbands. Life for the typical Japanese woman was one of parental compliancy, husband conquest, and dependency. In short, independent women were scarce in Japan.
This is where the geishas stood out from the rest. Despite their roots in courtesan affairs, geishas are not prostitutes. A geisha is a performer of the traditional arts. They merely hold normal conversations and subtly flirt with their clients. Although most of them started off as girls who may have been sold or were willing to take up the occupation, a geisha had more power than that of a regular Japanese housewife. Those who entered the profession not only liberated themselves from the demands of normal social practice, but they also escaped the obligations of family life that would bring them down in the future. Granted that hard work must be done in order become a full-fledged geisha, they had access to education and had greater opportunities. They may appear to be subservient conversationalists to their clients; however, they were clearly aware of the subjects they discussed A geisha is expected to actively listen to her client, and, to the best of her abilities, exchange relevant information (Guelet, 2005). With their knowledge, they served as nice accompaniment for their clients and sources of information that could perhaps influence their clients in some way (Crihfield, 1978). Either way, they conversed with their clients at adequate levels at which any regular housewife would have been unable to do. Geishas were able to fulfill a life with knowledge and experience of the outside world, and completed their roles with their mastery in the arts.
is being shunned and dishonored. The geisha profession has decreased in population and succumbed to the simple act of entertainment for men. Interviews, articles, and books reveal the reality of what the true geisha has contributed to Japanese history. Based on the legitimacy of the geisha industry as demonstrated through their rigorous training and artistic achievement, they deserve to be revered as elite representatives of Japanese culture and role models for modern-day Japanese women and meriting defense against Western or other allegations that they were merely prostitutes.
The Story of the Geisha
The image of the geisha most individuals identify with today is far from the truth, and the power and recognition geishas fought so hard for is not always accredited to them. The first appearance of geishas was historically noted in the 1700s and was known as a mixed-gender practice; even though the term geisha was originally used for both sexes, male geishas were later referred to as otoko geishas (Guelet, 2005). Male and female geishas provided entertainment such as singing, dancing, and bantering with customers until the prostitutes arrived at the tea houses to offer sexual services. The difference between the occupations was strictly distinguished from the beginning, and any geisha who dared to participate in sexual favors would lose their tea houses and cause the neighboring geishas to lose their teahouses as well (Guelet, 2005). The era of geishas began after the era of samurais and shoguns ended, and the emperor wanted to enhance the red-light districts to impress the West with the high quality the Japanese produced (Kawaguchi, 2010). Most geishas—in archaic times—were bought from poor families to work at an okiya—a geisha house—and trained in the arts of dancing and instrument playing.
Later on in time, depending on the conditions of the contract, geishas performed in various levels of fornication (Stanley, 2013).
During the Tokugawa era, the role of the geisha changed dramatically, because the Japanese economy started to heavily depend on brothel houses; therefore, many of these geishas were forced into several year contracts to brothel houses by their families, and were exploited for their submissive nature. The change from having traditional geishas to a new breed of geishas was mainly based on the economic poverty throughout many regions of Japan. Additionally, the government wanted to provide legal, regulated institutions of courtesans for western traders and visitors. This brought up the common misconception that geishas were simply high class prostitutes. However, the two occupations were unrelated even though they both provided sexual services. Geishas were bound into contracts by their families to pay off a debt and received no pay, while prostitutes sold themselves for their own profit and did not belong to a brothel house (Stanley, 2013). At the peak of their popularity, geishas were considered the ‘darlings of Japan.’ To eat with them, or even bask in their presence, was considered to be an honor in the eyes of any Japanese citizen. But then, at the end of the Tokugawa era (mid 1800s), the middle and high class Japanese women started to fight for independence and equality and the geisha posed a threat to their campaign (Stanley, 2013). …show more content…
The geishas were considered too oriental and were depicting the typical image of a Japanese woman as someone who would always follow a man. After a period of resentment, the geishas were slowly integrated back into society and even considered of good standards, leading to some of Japan’s most famous geishas, like Mineko Iwasaki. Geishas did not awake to the world renowned status they have today; they had to fight for it and go through the trials and tribulations any great historical figure endures to be respected.
Order in the “Shady” Business
As aforementioned, westerners have misunderstood the work of geishas.
Their liberated minds are filled with eroticism and this introduces illusions at the mention of the geisha duty to entertain men. Consequently, the geisha system is often portrayed as one analogous to the system of prostitution where a panderer commands girls in his/her control to trade sex for high monetary compensation. To assert that the geisha system is only fueled by their sex appeal is an incorrect interpretation of their motives. They are professionals entirely devoted to caring for their clients:
“If she's really a professional geisha, [she] will adjust or… change the way she entertains to suit your needs. Whether you're a quiet person who just needs -- a shoulder to cry on, whether …you want an intellectual conversation, or you just wanna get drunk and have a good time, the geisha will do her best to make you leave that night smiling... Of course, without crossing certain lines.” (Guelet,
2005)
This clarifies that their services are not promiscuous and fraudulent.
In fact, the true nature of the geisha lies in their dedication to the arts. Becoming a successful geisha is not a simple process. To become a geisha, one must consecutively master a myriad of traditional arts in increasing, never fading levels of mastery: shikomi, minarai, maiko, geiko, and hiwi-iwai. Each stage consists of gaining experience through arduous and constant practice (Milner, 2011). The preliminary stages of shikomi and minarai require the trainee to master Japanese in the Kyoto dialect, learn the process of make-up and dress-up, and begin dancing lessons. Through the guidance of a mentor, the minarai will debut as a maiko—an apprentice geisha. Among the stages, the maiko demands so much of the trainee because it prepares them for becoming a full geisha. In this stage, one must attend lessons of the many traditional Japanese arts. For each art form, mastery is demanded and enforced by daily practice and performance; this stage alone can last for five years or more (Crihfield, 1978). Even after completing this stage and becoming a full-fledged geisha, lessons and practice remain in their daily routines. It is a profession that focuses on the mastery of the arts that will never be ultimately achieved. Hard work is expected with no easy alternative. In the geisha system, advancement through patronage is non-existent and frowned upon. Merit is celebrated and made apparent by the progression of different stages.
The Japanese Identity
Contrary to the liberated west, the Japanese are relatively more conservative in behavior and tradition. In Japanese society, structure and order are constructed by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Samurai feudalism (Spiridon, 2011). These influences tip the balance of power to men, and discriminate against women by giving them little to no power. In Confucianism, the roles of women are defined as a dutiful daughter to her father, a loyal and loving wife to her husband, and an obedient mother to her son. In Buddhism, women are incapable of obtaining salvation; however, samurai beliefs entail that a woman’s salvation is her husband and that he is the only heaven she will ever attain (Spiridon, 2011). It is through these influences that women are depicted as inferior beings and given an almost impenetrable glass ceiling as a mother. This cyclic path of obeying the alpha male is incessant and imminent for the typical Japanese woman. In fact, it is commonly enforced by society as a normal occurrence. The Japanese consider the act of remaining single abnormal (Spiridon, 2011). Japanese society views unmarried women as deprived beings who have yet to find their true calling or meaning in life. These constraints established by gender roles pale in comparison to one thing: social status.
In today’s society, many Japanese women strive for many qualifications that may level the playing field in “a man’s world” (Spiridon, 2011). In order to escape the obligations of remaining subservient to men, women can overcome the barrier between genders by pursuing an education. This opportunity is commonly sought out today, but this was nearly impossible in the past. Before the western influence of civilization in Japan, education was only available to those of high status (nobility); however, noble women were not excluded from the pattern. They may have had access to education, but still, they lacked the power to choose (Gulliver, 2012). At times, their sole purpose was to serve as pawns for their fathers in various status-raising schemes, such as political marriages. With minimal education, Japanese women were bound to listen to their educated husbands. Life for the typical Japanese woman was one of parental compliancy, husband conquest, and dependency. In short, independent women were scarce in Japan.
This is where the geishas stood out from the rest. Despite their roots in courtesan affairs, geishas are not prostitutes. A geisha is a performer of the traditional arts. They merely hold normal conversations and subtly flirt with their clients. Although most of them started off as girls who may have been sold or were willing to take up the occupation, a geisha had more power than that of a regular Japanese housewife. Those who entered the profession not only liberated themselves from the demands of normal social practice, but they also escaped the obligations of family life that would bring them down in the future. Granted that hard work must be done in order become a full-fledged geisha, they had access to education and had greater opportunities. They may appear to be subservient conversationalists to their clients; however, they were clearly aware of the subjects they discussed A geisha is expected to actively listen to her client, and, to the best of her abilities, exchange relevant information (Guelet, 2005). With their knowledge, they served as nice accompaniment for their clients and sources of information that could perhaps influence their clients in some way (Crihfield, 1978). Either way, they conversed with their clients at adequate levels at which any regular housewife would have been unable to do. Geishas were able to fulfill a life with knowledge and experience of the outside world, and completed their roles with their mastery in the arts.