 Geisha
(芸者, Geisha) or Geigi (芸妓, Geigi) - Traditional,
female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include
performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music
and dance. Contrary to popular western belief, geisha are
not prostitutes.
"Geisha," pronounced /ˈgeɪ ʃә/, is a proper noun. Like all
Japanese nouns, there are no distinct singular or plural
variants of the term. The word consists of two kanji, 芸 (gei)
meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer". The
most direct translation of geisha into English would be
"artist" or "performing artist".
Another term used in Japan is geiko, a word from the Kyoto
dialect. Full-fledged geisha in Kyoto are called geiko. This
term is also commonly used in the region to distinguish
geisha practiced in traditional arts from prostitutes who
have co-opted the name and attire of geisha. Prostitutes
wear the bow of their sash, or obi, in front of their
kimono, but geisha wear their obi at the back. True geisha
usually had the luxury of a professional aide to help them
in the difficult process of dressing; their clothing is made
up of several layers of kimono and undergarments, and an obi
is more than a simple band of cloth. Dressing could take
over an hour, even with professional help. Prostitutes,
however, had to take off their obi several times a day, so
theirs were far less complex, and tied at the front for ease
of removal and replacement.
Apprentice geisha are called maiko. This word is made of the
kanji 舞 (mai) meaning "dance" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". It
is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono
and hairstyle, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha"
to westerners, rather than the true geisha. A woman entering
the geisha community does not have to start out as a maiko,
having the opportunity to begin her career as a full geisha.
In fact, a woman above 21 is considered too old to be a
maiko and becomes a full geisha upon her initiation into the
geisha community. However, those who do go through the maiko
stage enjoy more prestige later in their professional lives.
Tokyo geisha generally do not follow the ritualized Kyoto
maiko apprentice process. The training period can be six
months to a year - notably shorter than a Kyoto maiko -
before she debuts as a full geisha. The trainee is referred
to as a han'gyoku (半玉) or "half-jewel", or by the more
generic term o-shaku (御酌), lit. "one who pours (alcohol)".
On average, Tokyo geisha tend to be older than their Kyoto
counterparts, many holding formal degrees from university.
Information source: “Geisha.” wikipedia.org. Article date: 4
Feb. 2008. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 4 Feb. 2008 <Geisha>.
Video - The following are good examples of
geisha. The first video is a very traditional geisha
performance. The second video is a good representation of
Japan, Kyoto, and Geisha. |
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