Enter the Geisha: Mineko Iwasaki

Recently, I finished reading a biographical book about a famous geisha named Mineko Iwasaki, called Geisha of Gion. I admit I’ve never had a bit interest in geisha, as stated in a previous post, so I usually don’t bother to read about that culture, but somehow on a whim, I decided to purchase this book used online for £4. Not a bad price I thought, in case I didn’t like the book.

To my surprise though, I couldn’t stop reading it for five days. My mother told me that growing up I was always a hopeless romantic, even as at the age of 4, and that I always had a strong affinity for protecting women.* So, as I read about Mineko’s difficult upbringing, and her struggles to succeed, I found myself really cheering for her and when she talked about finding love long after being violated by her cousin, I was really happy for her. If you knew me in person, I usually find this stuff pretty dull,** but the book kind of sucked me in pretty good. I was really amazed toward the middle of the book that she didn’t drop dead from working as a maiko for 5 years without a day of rest. If I ever meet Mrs. Iwasaki, I want to shake her hand. She was really a tough woman.

On the other hand, there were problems with the book too. I did get the feeling at times that she was self-absorbed in her writing, particularly with dancing. But, in hindsight, I think she has that artist’s streak, where one becomes very absorbed in their art, and can be a difficult person to be around. Reviews of the book seem to either love her or hate her. There’s plenty of accusations of her exaggerating or twisting the truth, but I never felt that she had a hidden-agenda in her writings. Her forward made it very clear who she was and why she quit the geisha world so abruptly. She dislikes the current institution in the Gion District, especially how it is tightly intertwined with certain dance institutions, as well as their resistance to changes in Japanese society. I have no opinion on the matter myself, given I know so little.

In any case, I thought it was a darn good read, and helped me understand a lot about geisha. Iwasaki repeatedly reminds readers that the myth about geisha and sex really is just a myth, and occasionally delves into why the myth may have started. She also delves into the real geisha lifestyle, how they earn their money, and how they develop close friendships with a lot of clients over generations. I almost got the feeling that geisha are closer to a family-style entertainment than a gentleman’s entertainment, given that geisha were sometimes hired by the client’s wives as well for special functions. I was deeply impressed by the sheer amount of training in the classic arts that geisha have to undergo, from a young age, into adulthood, and the degree of independence they enjoy as women after they complete their training. Also, the process of becoming an apprentice, then maiko, then a full-fledged geiko was interesting to see. I had no idea the wealth of treasures an established geisha house might contain, let alone the sheer wealth of tradition.

I may check out Liza Galby’s book on geisha as well, just to get a more balanced view between both. Especially if I get a nice, cheap used copy.

Namu Amida Butsu

* – She told me this story once when I was maybe 4 or 5 when I started slapping another neighborhood boy in the face after he called another neighbor girl a racist name, and she started crying. I don’t recall the even myself, but I do recall having a crush on at least one girl every year since Kindergarten.

** – I even hate romance scenes in movies and sci-fi books. They rarely ever serve a purpose other than eye candy.