Geisha: Secret, Closed and Exclusive

Facts

Geisha: literally means “Doers of Art” - trained professionals (mostly female) use their skills in traditional Japanese arts, music, dance and storytelling to entertain customers.

Maiko: young Geisha after one year to two years of live-in training.

Appearance: - red lipsticks on white painted face, long sleeved kimono (Furisode), sash (Darari) and ornamental hairpin (Kanzashi).

Ochaya: teahouse where they perform-entry is restricted only to the invited guests.

Whereabouts: Gion, historical town in Kyoto, the most common place to find them.

Mystery: Contrary to popular opinion, they are not prostitutes.

Geisha is probably the most iconic symbol of timeless Japan. They belong to a forbidden world - the world of “Flower and the Willow” which symbolizes the beauty, the grace and the suppressed emotions. It is hard to find a synonym to this century old profession. Geisha is not just an artist, a musician, a dancer or a storyteller – in fact they may be a mysterious mix of all. They seldom appear in public, occasionally you can spot them on their way to a teahouse. Only the invited guests have entry to a teahouse which might cost you more than $10K just for an evening.

Gion Entrance

I was told that late afternoon or early evening is the best time to find them, well, only if you get lucky! Someone truly said “Instinct is untaught ability”, I reached the main entrance of Gion by 3 pm to catch a glimpse of Geisha. I was roaming around well-intending to turn the odds in my favor. It was a cloudy day, and it felt like dusk by 5 and at a distance they appeared, illuminating the street. It was truly a remarkable experience, the much coveted sight in the land of the rising sun. Once a request was made, they posed for some beautiful snaps.

 

Gion reflects the ancient Kyoto’s classical heritage preserved at its best- the narrow serpentine lanes, traditional Japanese houses with sliding doors, quiet little alleys in the corner, the red lanterns and above all the discrete darkness it is hard to describe how it feels. Some streets resemble the Gion entertainment district in 1930s as portrayed in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”.

Be it Arthur Golden (author of Memoirs of a Geisha) or Lesley Downer (author of Women of Pleasure Quarters) – there have been many scholarly attempts made to unveil the mystery, the secrets behind the white painted face, suppressed emotions and the silence. It only took generations of readers inside the mysterious world of Geisha, a natural curiosity as they became increasingly intrigued by the silence - the mystery has remained unsolved.

Until soon!