what does a geisha?

Question

i saw the movie memoirs of a geisha but they say its an artist but people say its a asian prostitute

Answer 1

A geisha is a professional entertainer or professional party hostess if you like. She shows up when asked for and entertains the party with singing, dancing, or just good conversation. She is essentially trained to keep a party going.

And if anyone thinks they are prostitutes, they clearly don't know what's involved with dressing and undressing in those robes, which are quite voluminous, and take anywhere from 20-45 minutes to put on properly. The geisha themselves often have to hire someone to dress them. So it wouldn't be very convenient for them to be prostitutes.

Answer 2

no a geisha is an artist. She studies and trains in the traditional japanese arts. She entertains men and sometimes even women but she does not take it to the next level, the only one geisha really have sex with is their patrons, or danna, who financialy supports them and pays for most of their needs.

Answer 3

they often might have ended up being with a man sexualty, for a fee, but they also were trained in music and dance etc. to be more plesant hostesses.
They more more like fancy high class escorts.

Answer 4

Lots and lots of asian men.

Answer 5

how naive was I, I thought they were there to serve tea and listen to the men and their problems.

Answer 6

Geisha (芸者, Geisha?) are female Japanese entertainers whose profession includes music, dancing, communication, and entertainment.

Contents [hide]
1 Terms
2 History and evolution
3 Modern geisha
4 Geisha and prostitution
4.1 Oiran and Hotspring Geisha
4.2 Personal relationships and Danna
5 Appearance
5.1 Makeup
6 Dress
7 Hairstyles
8 Geisha in popular culture
8.1 Films featuring geisha
9 References
10 See also
11 External links



[edit]
Terms
"Geisha," pronounced /ˈgeɪ ʃa/, is the most familiar term to English speakers. 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 "arts person."

Another term used in Japan is geiko (芸妓), a word from the Kyoto dialect. This term is commonly used in the Kansai region to distinguish geisha practiced in traditional arts from onsen geisha (see below), who are prostitutes that have co-opted the term geisha.

Apprentice geisha are called maiko (舞子 or 舞妓). This word is made of the kanji 舞 (mai) meaning "dancing" and 子 or 妓 (ko) meaning "child" or "young girl." It is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono and wigs, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha" to Westerners, rather than the more demure true geisha.

[edit]
History and evolution
Geisha originated as skilled professional entertainers; originally most were male. Geisha used their skills in traditional Japanese arts, music, dance, and storytelling. Town (machi) geisha worked freelance at parties outside the various pleasure quarters, while quarter (kuruwa) geisha entertained at parties within the pleasure quarters. As the artistic skills of high-ranking courtesans declined, the skills of the geisha, who were both male and female, became more in demand.

Male geisha (sometimes known as hōkan) gradually began to decline, and by 1800 female geisha (originally known as onna geisha, literally "woman geisha") outnumbered them by three to one, and the term "geisha" came to be understood as referring to skilled female entertainers, as it does today.

Traditionally, geisha began their training at a very young age. Some girls were sold to geisha houses as children, and began their training in various traditional arts almost immediately.

During their childhood, geisha sometimes worked first as maids or assistants to experienced geisha, and then as apprentice geisha (maiko) during their training. This tradition of apprentice training exists as well in other traditions in Japan, when a student lives at the home of a master, starting out doing housework and assisting the master, and eventually becoming a master himself or herself.

Contrary to some Western beliefs, geisha must not be exposed to any sexual activity.

[edit]
Modern geisha

The Gion geiko district (hanamachi) of Kyoto, JapanModern geisha still live in traditional geisha houses called okiya in areas called hanamachi (花街 "flower towns"), particularly during their apprenticeship, but many experienced geisha choose to live in their own apartments instead. The elegant, high-culture world that geisha are a part of is called karyūkai (花柳界 "the flower and willow world").

Young women who wish to become geisha now most often begin their training after completing junior high school or even high school or college, with many women beginning their careers in adulthood. Geisha still study traditional instruments like the shamisen, shakuhachi (bamboo flute), and drums, as well as traditional songs, Japanese traditional dance, tea ceremony, literature and poetry. By watching other geisha, and with the assistance of the owner of the geisha house, apprentices also become skilled in the complex traditions surrounding selecting and wearing kimono, and in dealing with clients.

Kyoto is where the geisha tradition is the strongest today, and two of the most prestigious and traditional geisha districts, Gion and Pontochō, are in Kyoto. The geisha in these districts are known as geiko. The Tokyo hanamachi of Shimbashi, Asakusa and Kagurazaka are also well known.

In modern Japan, geisha and maiko are now a rare sight outside Kyoto. In the 1920s there were over 80,000 geisha in Japan, but today there are far fewer - a commonly accepted estimate is 10,000. However, visitors to Kyoto's Gion district are likely to catch a glimpse of a maiko on her way to or from an appointment.

A sluggish economy, declining interest in the traditional arts, the inscrutable nature of the flower and willow world, and the expense of being entertained by geisha have all contributed to the tradition's decline.

Geisha are often hired to attend parties and gatherings, traditionally at tea houses (茶屋, chaya) or at traditional Japanese restaurants (ryōtei). Their time is measured by the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and is called senkōdai (線香代, "incense stick fee") or gyokudai (玉代 "jewel fee"). In Kyoto the terms "ohana" and "hanadai", meaning "flower fees", are preferred. The customer makes arrangements through the geisha union office (検番 kenban), which keeps each geisha's schedule and makes her appointments both for entertaining and for training.

Hanadai (花代) or "ohana" is the fee for hiring the services of a geisha or maiko. This word is used mainly in Kyoto, while senkōdai (線香代) and gyokudai (玉代) are used in Tokyo and other parts of Japan.

[edit]
Geisha and prostitution

A geiko entertains a businessman at a gathering in Gion, Kyoto.There remains some confusion, particularly outside Japan, about the nature of the geisha profession.

[edit]
Oiran and Hotspring Geisha
This stems partly from confusion between geisha and the high-class courtesans called oiran. Oiran are very visually similar to geisha, including the white make-up and flamboyant kimono. An easy distinction between the two is that oiran, as prostitutes, tie their obi in the front, while geisha tie it in the back in the usual manner.

This issue has been futher complicated by Japanese prostitutes, particularly at onsen who are known as Hotspring Geisha, who wish to co-opt the prestige of the geisha image by marketing themselves to tourists (both Japanese and non-Japanese) as "geisha," and by depictions of geisha in Western popular culture.

[edit]
Personal relationships and Danna
Geisha may marry and keep their surname (their husbands take the geisha's surname), but if they decide to adopt their husband's surname they will normally retire. While geisha engagements may include flirting, this is not expected. A geisha is not paid for sex, though an individual geisha may as a matter of personal choice engage in sexual relations with one of her patrons outside the context of her role as a geisha.

It was traditional in the past for established geisha to take a danna, or patron. A danna was typically a wealthy man, sometimes married, who had the means to support the very large expenses related to a geisha's traditional training and other costs. This sometimes occurs today as well.

Although a geisha and her danna may be in love, sex is not expected in return for the danna's ability to offer her financial support. The traditional conventions and values within such a relationship are very intricate and not well understood, even by many Japanese.

[edit]
Appearance
A geisha's appearance changes throughout her career, from the girlish, heavily made up maiko, to the more sombre appearance of an older established geisha.

[edit]
Makeup

Typical nape make-up.Today, the traditional make-up of the apprentice geisha is one of their most recognizable characteristics, though established geisha generally wear full white face makeup characteristic of maiko only during special performances.

The traditional makeup of an apprentice geisha features a thick white base (originally made with lead or rice powder) with red lipstick and red and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows.

The application of makeup is hard to perfect and is a time consuming process. Makeup is applied before dressing to avoid dirtying the kimono. First, a wax or oil substance, called bintsuke-abura, is applied to the skin. Next, white powder is mixed with water into a paste and applied with a bamboo brush. The white makeup covers the face, neck, and chest, with two or three unwhitened areas (forming a "W" or "V" shape) left on the nape, to accentuate this traditionally erotic area, and a line of bare skin around the hairline, which creates the illusion of a mask.

After the foundation layer is applied, a sponge is patted all over the face, throat, chest and the nape and neck to remove excess moisture and to blend the foundation. Next the eyes and eyebrows are drawn in. Traditionally charcoal was used, but today modern cosmetics are used. The eyebrows and edges of the eyes are coloured black; a maiko also applies red around her eyes.

The lips are filled in using a small brush. The colour comes in a small stick, which is melted in water. Crystallized sugar is then added to give the lips lustre. Rarely will a geisha color in both lips fully in the Western style, as white creates optical illusions. The lower lip is colored in partially and the upper lip left white for maiko, and newly full-fledged geisha will color in only the top lip fully. Most geisha wear the top lip colored in fully or stylized, and the bottom lip in a curved stripe that does not follow the shape of the lip.

Maiko who are in their first stage of training will sometimes color their teeth black for a short period of time. This practice used to be common among many different classes of women in Japan, but survives only in some districts, or even families.

For the first three years, a maiko wears this heavy makeup almost constantly. During her initiation the maiko is helped with her makeup by either her "older sister" (an experienced geisha who is her mentor) or the "mother" of her geisha house. After this she applies the makeup herself.

After a geisha has been working for three years, she changes her make-up to a more subdued style. The reason for this is that she has now become mature, and the simpler style shows her own natural beauty. For formal occasions the mature geisha will still apply white make-up. For geisha over thirty, the heavy white make-up is only worn during special dances which require her to wear make-up for her part.

[edit]
Dress
Geisha always wear kimono. Apprentice geisha wear highly colourful kimono with extravagant obi. Older geisha wear more subdued patterns and styles. A geisha is never to be seen in the same kimono more than once whilst entertaining.

The colour, pattern, and style of kimono is also dependent on the season and the event the geisha is attending. In winter, geisha can be seen wearing a three-quarter length "overcoat" lined with hand painted silk over their kimono. Lined kimono are worn during colder seasons, and unlined kimono during the summer. A kimono can take from 2-3 years to complete, due to painting and embroidering.

Geisha wear a flat-soled sandal, zori, outdoors, and wear only tabi (white split-toed socks) indoors. In inclement weather geisha wear raised wooden clogs, called geta. Maiko wear a special black lacquered wooden clog, okobo.

[edit]
Hairstyles
The hairstyles of geisha have varied through history. In the past, it has been common for women to wear their hair down in some periods, but up in others. During the 17th century, women began putting all their hair up again, and it is during this time that the traditional shimada hairstyle, a type of traditional chignon worn by most established geisha, developed.

There are four major types of the shimada: the taka shimada, a high chignon usually worn by young, single women; the tsubushi shimada, a more flattened chignon generally worn by older women; the uiwata, a chignon that is usually bound up with a piece of colored cotton crepe; and a style that resembles a divided peach, which is worn only by maiko. This is sometimes called 'the Split Peach'.

These hairstyles are decorated with elaborate haircombs and hairpins (kanzashi). In the seventeenth century and after the Meiji Restoration period, hair-combs were large and conspicuous, generally more ornate for higher-class women. Following the Meiji Restoration and into the modern era, smaller and less conspicuous hair-combs became more popular.

Geisha were trained to sleep with their necks on small supports (takamakura), instead of pillows, so they could keep their hairstyle perfect. To reinforce this habit, their mentors would pour rice around the base of the support. If the geisha's head rolled off the support while they slept, rice would stick to her hair and face. The geisha would thus have to repeat the tiresome process of having her hair elaborately styled.

Many modern geisha use wigs in their professional lives. They must be regularly tended by highly skilled artisans. Traditional hairstyling is a dying art.

[edit]
Geisha in popular culture

Movie Poster for Memoirs of a Geisha.The growing interest in geisha and their exotic appearance have spawned various popular culture phenomena both in Japan and in the West, most recently so-called "geisha-inspired" make-up lines promoted in the West after the popularity of the novel and film Memoirs of a Geisha. It should be noted that geisha have a much more significant place in Western imagery of Japan than they do within Japan itself. In reality, geisha are quite small in number and primarily the elite hire them, but their ubiquity in Western writings about Japan belies their true small numbers. It should also be kept in mind that Western fiction about geisha should not be necessarily trusted as a solid source of information.

[edit]
Films featuring geisha
Sisters of the Gion (1936) - Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
Geisha Girl (1952) - Dir. George P. Breakston
A Geisha (1953) - Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
The Barbarian and the Geisha(1958) - Dir. John Huston
The Geisha Boy (1958) - Dir. Frank Tashlin
My Geisha (1962) - Dir. Jack Cardiff
The World of Geisha (1972) - Dir. Tatsumi Kumashiro
American Geisha (1986) - Dir. Lee Philips
The Geisha House (1999) - Dir. Kinji Fukasaku
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - Dir. Rob Marshall
[edit]
References
Dalby, Liza Crihfield (1983). Geisha. Berkeley, California, United States: University of California Press
Foreman, Kelly M. (2002). "The Role of Music in the Lives and Identities of Japanese Geisha." Ph.D. dissertation. Kent, Ohio, United States: Kent State University.
Foreman, Kelly M. (2005). 'Bad Girls Confined: Okuni, Geisha, and the Negotiation of Female Performance Space,' in Bad Girls of Japan, edited by Laura Miller and Jan Bardsley. Palgrave MacMillain Press.
Manabu Miyazaki (2005). Toppamono: Outlaw. Radical. Suspect. My Life in Japan's Underworld. Kotan Publishing. ISBN 0-9701716-2-5.
BBC television documentary Geisha Girl. First shown on UK channel BBC Four in January 2006.
Naomi Graham-Diaz. "Make-Up of Geisha and Maiko". Immortal Geisha (2001). link - last accessed on January 19, 2005.
[edit]
See also
Sing-song girls
Kisaeng
Tayu
Yujo
Jokyu
Liza Dalby
Mineko Iwasaki
A Geisha (祇園囃子, Gion bayashi) is a 1953 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It stars Michiyo Kogure as Miyoharu, the eponymous geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha, a fictional novel and film
Japanese tea ceremony
Yumi Ishiyama (a character from the French animated television series Code Lyoko, whose Lyoko attire is that of a geisha's)
Kanzashi
Kimono
Oiran, a traditional japanese prostitute
Saburuko
Shirabyoshi
Taikomochi
Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki, an autobiography (also published as Geisha, a Life)

[edit]
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
GeishaMaiko going to work video at YouTube
Maiko dancing video at YouTube
Maiko dancing video at YouTube
Maiko make-up video at YouTube
Geisha dance video at YouTube
Graham (Diaz), Naomi, "Immortal Geisha"
The flower and willow world "Hanamachi" (German)
Cohen, Kathleen, "Geisha History". School of Art and Design. San José State University.
Patterson, Sofia, "Karyukai"
Japonismo.com Traditional and modern Japanese culture, with a section dedicated to geisha "Geisha, arte y tradición" (Spanish).
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geisha"
Categories: Geisha | Japanese culture

ViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsSign in / create account Navigation
Main Page
Community Portal
Featured articles
Current events
Recent changes
Random article
Help
Contact Wikipedia
Donations
Search
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this article
In other languages
العربية
Български
Català
Česky
Dansk
Deutsch
Español
Français
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
Lietuvių
Bahasa Melayu
Nederlands
日本語
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Sicilianu
Basa Sunda
Suomi
Svenska
ไทย
Tiếng Việt
Türkçe
中文

This page was last modified 04:51, 29 September 2006. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers

hope this helps