Geisha: A Life

Amazon.com

Now in her 50s, Mineko Iwasaki was one of the most famed geishas of her generation (and the chief informant for Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha). Her ascent was difficult, not merely because of the hard, endless training she had to undergo--learning how to speak a hyper-elevated dialect of Japanese and how to sing and dance gracefully while wearing a 44-pound kimono atop six-inch wooden sandals--but also because many of the elaborate, self-effacing rules of the art went against her grain. A geisha "is an exquisite willow tree who bends to the service of others," she writes. "I have always been stubborn and contrary. And very, very proud." And playful, too: one of the funniest moments in this bittersweet book describes a disastrous encounter with the queen of England and her all-too-interested husband.

Revealing the secrets of the geisha's "art of perfection," this graceful memoir documents a disappearing world. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story -- until now.

"Many say I was the best geisha of my generation," writes Mineko Iwasaki. "And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave." Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other "women of art" in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning.

Geisha, a Life is her story -- at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.

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"=GEISHA, A LIFE No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition and by the sanctity of our exclusive calling...But I feel it is time to speak out. Celebrated as the most successful geisha of her generation, Mineko Iwasaki was only five years old when she left her parents' home for the world of the geisha. For the next twenty-five years, she would live a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and rich rewards. She would learn the formal customs and language of the geisha, and study the ancient arts of Japanese dance and music. She would enchant kings and princes, captains of industry, and titans of the entertainment world, some of whom would become her dearest friends. Through great pride and determination, she would be hailed as one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, and one of the last great practitioners of this now fading art form. In Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki tells her story, from her warm early childhood, to her intense yet privileged upbringing in the Iwasaki okiya (household), to her years as a renowned geisha, and finally, to her decision at the age of twenty-nine to retire and marry, a move that would mirror the demise of geisha culture. Mineko brings to life the beauty and wonder of Gion Kobu, a place that ""existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mission and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past. She illustrates how it coexisted within post-World War II Japan at a time when the country was undergoing its radical transformation from a post-feudal society to a modern one.

Customer Reviews:

love it.......2007-09-26

I didn't know what to expect when reading this book. All I knew is I wanted to know more about what it is truly like to live the life as a Geisha. I felt the story line was a bit boring a times. I didn't think that much detail needed to be portrayed in the dress and hairstyles. I felt as though I was reading to take a test on the definition of a hairpiece or hairstyles etc. However I did like the feel of the book and it did give me good knowledge on what its like to be a geisha. I suppose I expected the details of the storyline to be more exciting. Instead the details of her clothes, dress, and tea ceremonies were the main them of the book. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested on the history of Geisha clothes, dance, and hair.

Does not ring true!.......2007-07-27

Mineko Iwasaki paints herself an old soul even as a mere toddler.
As a tot she was witty and wise and insightful and sensitive... almost ethereal... need I go on? (She does!)
But Mineko also felt the need to constantly retreat to the closet.
Something just doesn't ring true.
I found her story very hard to believe. She remembers more about her life at age three than I remember about last week.
As she ages she comes across as narcissistic and shallow.
This reminds me of those Tiger-Beat type biographies written in the 70's and 80's about famous teen idols.
The book just doesn't ring true.

Geishas: The lowdown.......2007-06-30

It's unfair to compare this book to "Memoirs of a Geisha." Yes, Mineko Iwasaki was interviewed by Arthur Golden when he was working on his best-selling book, but "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a work of fiction. It's a fantastic book in its own right, but many of its depictions of life as a geisha are said to be very inaccurate. That's one of the reasons Iwasaki decided to write "Geisha: A Life." She wanted to set the record straight.

"Geisha: A Life" is the true story of Iwasaki's illustrious career as Japan's number one geiko. At the age of five, Iwasaki began training at an okiya in the Gion district of Kyoto. She was later adopted by the okiya's owner and named as its eventual successor. Iwasaki worked tirelessly to perfect her craft and went through a lot of difficult times. She eventually grew frustrated by the limitations of her career and retired at the age of 29 so that she could raise a family and follow her own dreams.

This book is full of many details regarding the everyday life of geishas. I can see why some fans of "Memoirs of a Geisha" are disappointed because this book is a lot more straightforward and technical than Gordon's novel. However, Iwasaki's story does not lack emotion or passion. Iwasaki is open and honest about many unpleasant experiences in her life: being separated from her parents, surviving an attempted rape by her nephew, etc. I guess those things don't even begin to compare to what the character of Sayuri endures in "Memoirs of a Geisha," but once again, Sayuri is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER! I don't understand how people can compare her and Iwasaki. Sayuri isn't real! End of story.

I've always been fascinated by the geisha tradition, and I loved this book because it sheds so much more insight into this mysterious and often misrepresented way of life. Iwasaki's story is amazing, and I'm glad she chose to share it with the world.

Eh..........2007-06-18

I liked this book. It was a great look into the geisha world through the eyes of one of its most succesfull woman. Mineko Iwasaki, arthur goldens informant into the life of a geisha, which he used to make his book memoirs of a geisha, scorned not only her career but the entire geisha world. I believe this book is an attempt to bring back some dignity to the profession, as well as the auther heself, but I think that comes off a bit too cleary in her book. I do think golden was wrong, but i think Mineko needs to just let this pain fade and move on. If she didnt want anyone to know what she did she should have..for one..never trusted an american man who wants to sell books because of course if everyone knew he got his information from a real succesful geisha living the life that he has depicted in his novel, it will boost sales. And she should have just never opened her mouth, and let him learn the hard way...by reading other books.

One of the most successful Geisha of Kyoto.......2007-05-14

I first read Memoirs of a Geisha in high school and fell deeply in love with the aesthethic and mysteries of Japanese culture. When I heard it was based from Mineko Iwasaki's life story (she states this herself), I very much wanted to read her version of the story. I finished the book in about 2 days and found it cut short. Iwasaki-san is very good at giving us detail and providing reason for customs but her storytelling falls short. I tried to parallel the two stories (Memoirs & Geisha) and found them to be significantly different. Yes, they both portray a successful dancing Geisha, but events and ending are not the same. I sometimes think Iwasaki-san is holding back or censoring certain information and events for the sake of maintaining her relations with the people connected to the Geisha practice. (Since she was already shunned for revealing too much for Arthur Golden's book.) It's a good quick read if you're looking for something light and short.

Average customer rating:

not at all the real geisha
Courtesans instead of Geisha?
Good but not great
Long on visual beauty, short on information
Enchanting!

Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art
Jodi Cobb
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 037570180X
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Book Description

Here, brought vividly to life, is an icon of Japanese culture and custom—the geisha in her role as human work of art and perfect woman.

A hundred years ago geisha numbered eighty thousand; today there are a thousand at most. Happily, Jodi Cobb is able to show us—before they vanish—both the ceremonial world of the geisha in Tokyo and Kyoto and their private world as few outsiders have ever seen it.

Many of the older women we meet here were forced into this world by hardship; the young women were drawn to it by their dream of a
romantic life or their love of traditional arts. We see geisha in their daytime routines: fine-tuning their breathtakingly lavish wardrobes; perfecting the art of makeup; training maikos (apprentices); and preparing for annual dance performances.

But as we watch the geisha at night, as they entertain (for huge sums) at private parties, their art takes a different form. Their purpose is to provide a dream—of luxury, romance and exclusivity. As the men sit at dinner, geisha position themselves at their elbows to serve them sake and delicacies and practice a brilliantly honed art of conversation. As the alcohol flows and the guests relax, geisha play party tricks and sing songs. Geisha have for centuries studied the male ego. They tend it like a garden—and we watch men bloom.

This long-hidden world is revealed here both in superlative photographs and in a fascinating text that includes the voices of the geisha themselves. These women have created a life of beauty, making themselves an embodiment of Japanese culture, tradition and refinement—a life that is captured exquisitely in this remarkable book.

Customer Reviews:

not at all the real geisha.......2007-01-29

This book of uncaptioned photographs is a waste of money. Some of the photos are interesting in a voyeuristic way but without captions or more information about the photos, it seems somewhat like snapshots with a paparazzi quality (as one reviewer commented).

I did not feel that the photographer had a deep respect for her subjects nor a great deal of knowledge of the Geisha world which she was allowed to photograph.

Some of the shots are simply ridiculous, like the one of the guy getting "pantsed" at a party. I mean - what does that have to do with Geisha? Yeah, ok, so they go to parties to entertain and end up playing silly drinking games. What does that tell me about Geisha?

If I was Geisha, I would have been embarrassed by this book.

Courtesans instead of Geisha?.......2005-12-22

I could be completely wrong, but was anyone else irritated by the fact that the photos with more sexual connotation in this book, seemed to be of courtesans, and NOT Geisha.

At least according to the differentiations made in costume between the two in Liz Dalby's book "Geisha" (front tied obi)

Otherwise gorgeous photographs. But I was curious if anyone else caught that.

Good but not great.......2004-12-30

I was really looking for a book with very detailed photographs of geisha and their kimono and hairstyles (each represents something different, such as seasons etc.) for illustration reference purposes, but this book kind of fell short. A handful of photos are absolutley gorgeous, but a few are a little akward. Many are out of focus and there are several of older women bathing... I think many people can enjoy this book, it all depends on what you are looking for.

Long on visual beauty, short on information.......2004-11-29

I commend the author for publishing these pictures notwithstanding the criticism she received from another reviewer for doing so. Those interested in looking into this world were hungry for this information. I do agree with the previous reviewer, however, that the book should have contained explanatory captions and information in the context of the photographs. I wanted to know the story behind the photograph, and this was lacking.

Enchanting!.......2003-04-04

This book is absolutely beautiful. Not a whole lot of information, but the scenes depicted are a window into a world closed to most everyone. The quotes from the Geisha are quite interesting, as well.

Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha

Average customer rating:

excellent
Downer's book is an Upper!
Great - what else is there to say?
Will I ever find the Geisha book just for me?
Way to much punctuation,,,,,,,,,,,,sometimes hard to follow!

Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha
Lesley Downer
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0767904893
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Book Description

From critically acclaimed author and Japanese scholar Lesley Downer, an enchanting portrait of the mysterious world of the geisha.

Ever since Westerners arrived in Japan, they have been intrigued by Japanese womanhood and, above all, by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of extraordinary fictional creations, from Puccini's Madama Butterfly to Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. The reality of the geisha's existence, though, whether today or in history, has rarely been addressed.

Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, "arts people." Their accomplishments include singing, dancing, playing a musical instruments; but above all, they are masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries and stroking the egos of the wealthy businessmen who can afford their attentions. It is this which imbues the geisha with such power—and which makes absolute secrecy such a crucial aspect of their work.

As denizens of a world defined by silence and mystery, geisha are notoriously difficult to meet and even to find. Lesley Downer, an award- winning writer, Japanese scholar, and consummate storyteller, gained more access into this world than almost any other Westerner ever has and spent several months living among them. In Women of the Pleasure Quarters, she weaves together intimate portraits of modern geisha with the romantic legends and colorful historical tales of geisha of the past.

From Sadda Yakko, who dined with American presidents and had her portrait painted by Picasso, to Koito, a modern-day geisha who maintains her own website, geisha throughout history step out of the pages of Women of the Pleasure Quarters to become living, breathing creatures. Looking into such traditions as mizuage, the ritual deflowering which was once a rite of passage for all geisha, and providing colorful depictions of the geisha's dress, training, and homes, Downer, with grace, elegance, and respect, transforms their reality in a captivating narrative that both informs and entertains.

At once a symbol of a bygone age and an institution more quintessentially Japanese than any other, geisha are a society at a crossroads, struggling to reinvent their place in the new millennium while honoring the traditions of the past. Both instructive and evocative, Women of the Pleasure Quarters is an enthralling portrait of a world unlike any other.

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2006-11-10

This is a very informative book about Geisha. If you like Geisha and want to learn more about them and their history this is definately a must have book, I highly recomend it.

Downer's book is an Upper!.......2006-06-22

Lesley Downer's great book, Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secrets History of the Geisha, transported me to Kyoto, Japan. From the detail of her descriptions of place and people, I found myself sketching maps and imagining myself as an American Geisha, walking the streets of the Geisha District as the geisha did so long ago, and still do.

Py Kim Conant[...]

Great - what else is there to say?.......2006-04-25

Lesley Downer's book on geisha is, quite honestly, one of the best out there. Whereas Liza Dalby has been incorrectly referred to as the only non-Japanese woman to be a geisha (see my review on Dalby's "Geisha"), Downer presumes few airs due to her involvement with the community. The picture of her wearing a geisha wig demonstrate a slight embarrassment but there-through her good-humour in acknowledging that she could never be associated with the fine women of Gion or Pontocho. She is an outsider and she recognises that, even if she learnt much about them.

Downer comments in detail upon the lives, both past & present, of geisha in Japan, talking extensively about how the geisha came to be, as well as how they exist today. In doing so she takes time to show that they are real Japanese women, not just dolls in kimono. Indeed they are self-confident, highly-resourceful individuals who rely on themselves alone for their income (not being allowed to get married or have a partner). This is something that is rarely stressed about geisha. Not only can they retire early, many can live well for the rest of their lives with what they earn.

Interestingly she also touches upon the tayu, once courtesans that survive in far fewer numbers than the geisha and maiko of modern Japan, as well as the taiko-mochi ("male geisha"). These are "artists" that few authors have ever discussed. This is one of the things that makes the book for me. Whereas other works have been somewhat narrow in their focused, Downer tries to be more thorough in examining other related areas.

She does a fantastic job in conveying how closed and inaccessible this world is normally, being quite honest in how her initial attempts to enter it were frustrated. She attributes good fortune rather than personal worth as to why she was able to write this book. Her lamentations over the precarious state of the survival of the geisha should also be noted. As wonderful as they seem to us, their exclusivity and inflexibility coupled with Japan's changing circumstances (less people with the money or interest to fund the communities) is the biggest threat to their future. Whereas authors have previously tried to paint an overly romantic or simplified portrait of geisha, this book thoughtfully highlights the complex and subtle nature of this aspect of Japan's culture, while also pointing out the challenges it faces.

Will I ever find the Geisha book just for me?.......2006-03-14

This book was pretty good. It read more like a history book, at times, than a novel...but I guess it was never supposed to be story-time in Japan. But, still, despite the issues I had with Memoirs of a Geisha, Pleasure Quarters just didn't compare.
First of all, while the history lesson was nice, and very intriguing, I felt it was a little too much. The stories, while there wasn't much of a time jump, were so plentiful, it seemed to me that within about 75 years, there were 3 or 4 invasions of Americans, numbers of geisha dropped and raised about 10 times...blah, blah, blah. Perhaps what I am trying to say is that while Downer constantly talked of the Golden Years of the geisha "trade" it was hard to pinpoint exactly when that was, due to the copious amounts of information and dates and numbers given. Ahem.
Another thing that was a little tiresome at times was that she would repeat herself OVER AND OVER. Never again would the numbers of geisha return to the time of blah-blah, if a geisha were to give her heart, it is a tragic thing, they are meant to inspire love, but not love...
I have a few more, but I will list just one. While this was not an autobiography, we were following Downer around on her journey through the willow and flower world. I just didn't feel any sort of connection with her. Why was she writing on Geisha? An assignment? A secret obsession with the geisha world? To show off the fact that she knows Japanese? Or just boredom?
Despite my mini-tirades about, I thought this was a good book to read. It is very informative (though info seemed to change from one chapter to the next, or compared with other sources) and fairly engrossing. Sadly, though, this is not the ideal geisha book I have been longing to read.

Way to much punctuation,,,,,,,,,,,,sometimes hard to follow!.......2006-01-31

I read alot and I've never seen so many commas in a book in all my life! I keep having to go back to re-read a sentence to see if a missed the period somewhere. I've, gotten, about, half, way, through, the, book, and, don't, think, I, can, finish, it!! AHHHH

Average customer rating:

Visually pleasing...
A Beautiful Reader's Companion
This is a gorgeous book

The Life of a Geisha
Eleanor Underwood
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0765117398

Book Description

THE LIFE OF A GEISHA illustrates the fascinating world of Japan's powerful and seductive geishas, a fading yet beautiful world that has captured the imaginations of millions of readers. This striking book contains full-color woodblock prints made during Japan's famous Edo Period, historic and contemporary photographs of geisha life, and images of the "floating world," Japan's mysterious artistic subculture. The accompanying text includes evocative Japanese poems and haikus. All celebrate the beauty and creativity of the geisha, who with her exquisitely detailed costume, elaborate makeup and hairstyle, and artfully ritualized behavior, chastely beguiles and entertains Japan's most powerful men.

Customer Reviews:

Visually pleasing..........2002-06-18

This book, whilst visually pleasing, does not really contain a whole lot of new information about geisha.

I also disliked the fact how the author kept on refering to Arthur Golden's book, "Memoirs of a Geisha" all the way through it. The reason why I disliked this is largely due to the fact that Memoirs IS a work of fiction, not non-fiction, and it should never be used as a reference for trying to present to us factual information about geisha.

If you don't care too much for pretty pictures, but want good solid information, this probably is not the book for you.

If you don't care too much for the information - but want lots of lovely pictures to feast your eyes on...by all means buy this book!

If, you are just as obsessed like I am with learning about the geisha culture, it probably wont matter to you, regardless! *chuckles*

A Beautiful Reader's Companion.......2000-01-26

I bought this book while I was reading Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" and found it quite helpful in pulling together mental pictures while I was reading the novel. "Memoirs" is so rich in detail that having beautiful pictures and historical sidenotes really enhanced my reading experience and helped me get more of a feeling for the environment in which the story takes place. "Life of a Geisha" also makes a fantastic coffee table book and conversation piece, with all it's magnificent photos, facts, and poems!

This is a gorgeous book.......1999-10-24

The text is familiar to anyone who has read "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden or "Geisha" by Liza Dalby. The numerous illustrations are beautiful, and make this book well worth the purchase price.

Average customer rating:

Very Interesting
the best I have read about Geisha
geisha
Insightful
geisha

Geisha
Liza Crihfield Dalby
Manufacturer: Univ of California Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0520047427

Amazon.com

In the mid-1970s, an American graduate student in anthropology joined the ranks of white-powdered geisha in Kyoto, Japan. Liza Dalby took the name Ichigiku and apprenticed in the famed Pontocho district, trailing behind "older sisters" bemused by this long-legged Westerner intent on learning their arts and customs. In Geisha, this observant ethnographer paints an intoxicating picture of the "flower and willow world" to which she gained entry. "Why are you studying geisha?" asks one slightly belligerent older sister. "Geisha are no different from anybody else." Not quite, says Dalby dryly, pointing out that geisha and wives play utterly divergent, though complementary, roles in traditional Japanese society. "Geisha are supposed to be sexy where wives are sober, artistic where wives are humdrum, and witty where wives are serious." While hardly feminists, they reap freedoms unknown to other women. Dalby illustrates broader cultural differences, too, with a million tiny details about boisterous customers, how many hundred-weight of tabi (split-toed socks) geishas go through, what defines iki (chic), why maiko (young apprentices) are drawn to the life, and what geisha wear, from the skin out. Acknowledging that her growing personal stake in the masquerade prevented objectivity, Dalby frees the reader to enjoy a fluid and fascinating look at one aspect of Japanese culture. --Francesca Coltrera

Book Description

In this classic best-seller, Liza Dalby, the only non-Japanese ever to have trained as a geisha, offers an insider's look at the exclusive world of female companions to the Japanese male elite. Her new preface considers the geisha today as a vestige of tradition as Japan heads into the 21st century.

Customer Reviews:

Very Interesting.......2007-06-18

This book not only holds your attention, but it opens the doors that have been closed so long to outsiders, even most japanese, for so long. I bought this about a year ago, and i didnt put it down for 3 days, which was the amount of time it took me to finish it. I read this after memoirs of a geisha and i really loved it. Liza Dalby got the experience of a lifetime, one that many of us wish we could have. All in all i have to say this is one of the best books about geisha...or any other book for that matter, i have ever read.

the best I have read about Geisha.......2007-01-29

Liz Dalby's book from the late seventies is a portrait in time of the flower and willow world of Geisha that no other Western author has ever been able to capture. This makes Arthur Golden's book Memoirs of a Geisha laughable compared to the poignancy of the stories of real Geisha and the lives they led at the time of writing.

Dalby also gives plenty of history (she is an anthropologist) as well as becoming her own test subject by actually portraying geisha herself. These personal accounts are worth every penny for the privelage. I would have much rather seen a film of this book!

There is so much that is deeply moving about her relationships with the Geisha and the dramatic losses of real life that are interwoven throughout the book. I would love to see a follow-up to the book, to see how all of this ultimately became part of her life.

There are excellent photos throughout, though some in color would have been nice. This is a true anthropological memoir but it is never dry, never overly intellectual. Dalby is not a great writer but she is a terrific journalist.

I've read many books about Geisha and this stands alone as the finest.

geisha.......2006-09-05

This book by Liza Dalby is the most comprehensive book on geisha I have seen. Also, very readable.

Insightful.......2006-07-30

Picked this one up years ago after seeing the moving starring Pam Dawbar which I enjoyed.

I found it most interesting reading as far as cultural aspects go as well as most informative.

Very well written.

geisha.......2006-07-27

In "Geisha" Ms Dalby invites the reader to wander, with her, through ancient and modern day Japan. Through her eyes you meet and greet people from all walks of life. With dignity and honour she introduces you to her Geisha friends. Before you are aware you a transported into the world of Geisha, a world so different and yet so like your own. When you finish the last page, there is a sadness and a wish to know that the people you've come to care about "live happily ever after". Thank you Liz, your book opened my eyes and touched my heart.

Average customer rating:

Geisha, a Life
Mineko Iwasaki
Manufacturer: Atria Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0965549372

Average customer rating:

The Art of Backbiting
an old translation revisited

Geisha in Rivalry
Kafu Nagai
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0804833249

Book Description

Geisha in Rivalry, first published in 1918, is set against the backdrop of Tokyo's Shimbashi geisha district. The story of three geisha, imperious Rikiji, gaudy Kikuchiyo, and the naïve heroine Komayo, Geisha in Rivalry follows them in their search for a place in a world that offers no easy route of escape from their profession. With a full cast of vivid characters playing out their dramas of illicit love, shady intrigue and unrelenting rivalry, Geisha in Rivalry is the sordid but fascinating tale of Komayo, her lovers, and the women who conspire to steal them from her.

Customer Reviews:

The Art of Backbiting.......2007-07-10

Geisha. Easily one of the most recognizable images of Japan familiar even to the average American who can't tell Tokyo from Kyoto. They've shown up in Hollywood from John Wayne's time to our own, and there's hardly a travel guide from which they're absent. And yet for all that (or because of that, I should say), these women are rather poorly understood--the realities of their lives warped and distorted by romanticized visions, exotic fantasies, sentimentalized condescension, and stern moralizing, not to mention plain old misinformation. The complex web of cultural politics and stereotypes being what they are, this situation probably isn't going to vanish overnight, but in terms of gradual amelioration there are probably few reality checks more enjoyable than Nagai Kafu's classic novel "Udekurabe" of 1918, here translated into English as "Geisha in Rivalry" and reissued in a handy commuting-friendly paperback by good old Tuttle.

Granted, in this novel we are viewing the social world of Geisha through a decidedly male gaze. But this is a male gaze with keen powers of perception. Nagai Kafu was infinitely curious about the demi-monde and so is able to depict the complicated dynamics of the Geisha's social world with convincing authenticity. Kafu indeed seems to delight in the endless details and complications of this shady world, delineating it from a number of perspectives (different types of Geisha and their different patrons along with the owners and operators of Geisha houses and the novelists, actors, and mooching bums loosely associated with the floating world). He is at once cheerfully enthusiastic about the glamorous aspects of their lives while sympathetically realistic about the sordid aspects, and it is this balanced binocular vision which allows him to depict the Geisha in the novel as memorably three-dimensional characters with hopes, dreams, challenges, frustrations, triumphs, heartbreaks, alliances, rivalries, and of course a very unhealthy dose of nasty backbiting and oneupswomanship (as per the title). For all that it has going on, though, all of it is held together by the core storyline, a fairly simple tale of a good-heartedly ambitious Geisha by the name of Komayo; the plot meanders along at just the right pace as she navigates the stormy seas of romance and the tricky shoals of her profession, making a few friends and a lot of enemies along the way. Will she hit bottom or sail on to the horizon? You'll just have to read and see.

P.S. For anyone interested in comparing translations, there's a new one of "Udekurabe" coming out fairly soon in August 2007 (Rivalry: A Geisha's Tale (Japanese Studies Series)).

an old translation revisited.......2007-06-01

Just some background: This translation was first published in 1963. No doubt it has been re-issued to cash in on the fad for anything relating to geisha. A better (but partial) translation, along with a biography of the author and other translations of his works, appears in Edward Seidensticker's "Kafu the Scribbler" (pub. 1965 and still available), and was reprinted in 1971 in "A Strange Tale from East of the River, and Other Stories" (out of print).

2 Book Collection on Geisha; Geisha, a Life; Memoirs of a Geisha

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2 Book Collection on Geisha; Geisha, a Life; Memoirs of a Geisha
Mineko Iwasaki , Rande Brown , and Arthur Golden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WSTAZG

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2 Book Collection on Geisha; Geisha, a Life; Memoirs of a Geisha.

Comrade Loves of the Samurai: Songs of the Geishas

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Homosexuality in Another Time and Place

Comrade Loves of the Samurai: Songs of the Geishas
Saikaku Ihara , and E. Powys Mathers
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Homosexuality in Another Time and Place.......2005-12-04

Most of the stories in this collection go the same way: a samurai sees another samurai and falls hopelessly in love with him. But does he invite him out for a cup of sake? Does he even speak to the object of his affections? Apparently such an approach would be too direct for a samurai. Instead he stops eating, stops sleeping, and generally pines away for his beloved. When he is at death's door, this is the cue for his friends to go to the adored and tell him, "There's a man who is literally dying of love for you." Though the adored has never before even heard of the other man, he invariably rushes to his bedside and swears eternal devotion, whereupon his admirer recovers his health and they live happily ever after.

Also included is the priceless sentence, "After midnight a slave came and told the Lord that an immense badger had been found with its head cut off in the tea-house in the garden."

In spite of my humor here, it's actually a very beautifully written book, and it's also a compelling glimpse into another culture.

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Geisha
Kyoko Aihara
Manufacturer: Carlton Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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