Who are geishas and why are they famous throughout the world?
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One of the first organizations associated with Japan is undoubtedly the geisha. Thin, graceful, rebellious and beautiful women. A respectful look from under half-closed eyelids, a modest, purely Japanese smile, smooth, graceful movements, white porcelain skin and bright scarlet lips — everyone knows a geisha, the most beautiful Japanese woman, what men see. Admiration. But the qualities of a geisha that make her so attractive are, first of all, not her appearance, but her intelligence and education, the ability to construct a conversation, and her psychological skills.
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Image in cinema
Perhaps even more so after the war, when the image of the geisha was greatly denigrated and the film “Memoirs of a Geisha” was released. Today, relationships between geishas and prostitutes will not surprise anyone, but this is incredibly far from the truth. Geisha were not prostitutes who offered sex for money. They were educated, polite and courteous women.
One reason for this is that American soldiers called Japanese girls who had sex with geishas, either forced or with their consent, geisha. Even if the soldiers had managed to forcefully take possession of the geishas, they would never have been able to know even a fraction of what these women were capable of.
Another reason is the film”s interpretation of the geisha. There, all the qualities of a geisha came down solely to the ability to please men, sell virginity and compete for beauty.
In the original story, the Japanese geisha is the embodiment of the ideal of beauty and femininity, a kind of muse for everyone, the dream of everyone, from longshoremen to ambassadors. Before moving on, it is necessary to accept the fact that no other woman can compare to a geisha, since geisha learn to be women from an early age and hone their skills throughout their lives.
Being a geisha is a man”s job
It is worth recognizing that at first the geisha profession was exclusively male. The word “geisha” itself translates as entertainer, and until the end of the 18th century, geisha were men who entertained high-ranking visitors to various establishments. Degree of enjoyment using all available methods, including jokes, obscene songs, dances and skits.
The profession flourished in the 1600s. At that time, the Land of the Rising Sun had its own red light street, where people happily spent the night with prostitutes and ate delicious food. The role of women for a long time was limited to satisfying the sexual whims of gallant generals and other visitors, while male geishas joined in the spectacle and poured sake.
This situation continued until one of the prostitutes, fed up with her unenviable fate, tried herself as a popular artist and became the first female geisha in history. It is worth recognizing that, since prostitutes were in principle the property of their owners, history could have had a very different outcome if it had failed.
However, fortunately, the role of the geisha was played to perfection and attracted a lot of attention. Soon many women followed in her footsteps and, quite predictably, completely drove men out of the profession. By the end of the 18th century, the profession was legally recognized as a profession, with clearly defined rules of conduct and “business” conduct. Geisha schools began to appear, the necessary qualities of a geisha were honed from an early age, and tea houses welcomed guests.
Look can”t touch
Don”t look. Thanks to a perverted understanding of the nature of geishas, today the comma is placed in completely the wrong place. After geisha was recognized as a profession in 1770, very strict rules of conduct were introduced. First of all, they envisaged a complete ban on offering intimate services to clients. Geishas sold their society and skills, but not their bodies.
Read also: 10 amazing facts about geishas of our time
Geisha are an integral and recognizable part of Japan for foreigners, just like samurai, sushi and Japanese manga. However, few people know what it really is.
At that time, geisha were a kind of psychologists and motivational coaches who could make anyone believe in themselves, achieve greatness and achieve their goals. It should be noted that in order to afford to spend time with a geisha, you need to be a very rich person.
By turning to less respected women for love, you can save a lot of money at the same time. On the other hand, geisha were rich and powerful women and should not stoop to the level of ordinary prostitutes. Visiting geishas was a way to show off wealth and sophistication. In fact, visiting a geisha is still an honor for almost the entire family, even today when times have changed dramatically.
No wonder the Japanese proverb says: “A wife is for the home, a prostitute is for sex, a geisha is for the soul.”
A woman for the soul
Japanese men never tried to hide their connection with geishas; on the contrary, they emphasized it in every possible way, and to this day, visiting geishas is recognized as an integral part of the culture of rich people. Japanese wives are not so stupid as to resort to the services of geishas for communication. The reason for this is rather that the wife has always been perceived primarily as the protector of the family hearth and mother.
And men, out of a kind of concern for the well-being of their wives, did not burden them with problems or emotional states. This may seem very strange to the European mentality, but Japanese wives gratefully accepted such gestures. Geisha qualities such as meekness and submissiveness towards men are clearly in the blood of all Japanese women.
There are many stories of wives thanking geishas for looking after their husbands before they died, asking them not to abandon them, and helping them through the pain of loss.
Life of a Geisha. lift the veil of secrecy
Woman for secret conspiracies
Geisha were always aware of all important events, closely followed politics, were better versed in art than others and could fascinate with their dancing and playing instruments. The most valuable thing is that geisha use all these qualities exclusively to satisfy men, helping them relax and unwind.
Men paid large sums of money for meetings with geishas, and they paid them in full. In their homes, men always felt welcome.
Another important quality of a geisha has always been silence. Everything said in the presence of a geisha remains between the interlocutors. This unique code of honor plays into the hands of the geisha themselves time and time again. One of the most prominent examples is the rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate in 1867-1868.
Later, when the men discovered the geisha”s ability to remain silent if necessary, they staged an anti-national rally at the geisha”s house. History is silent on whether this was the geisha”s original plan or their fate, but when the rebellion ended with the rise of the new emperor, the geisha found themselves under the patronage of the most powerful people in Japan, which further increased their influence.
Modern geisha
Today the number of geiko in the original sense of the word is only a few thousand, compared to tens of thousands in the early days of geiko. However, this made visiting geishas even more elitist and their time very expensive. Throughout the existence of the craft, geishas could refuse clients at any time, but today they do not even consider as visitors those who have not been recommended by other clients, that is, very influential and successful people.
The qualities of geiko have not changed at all since the birth of the profession, but today they willingly share some of the nuances of their craft. In addition, if previously girls were taught a craft from the age of 10, today training is strictly permitted from the age of 16.
Modern cosmetic companies have made the life of geishas much easier by creating special, expensive kits for applying and removing classic geisha makeup. High quality hairpieces and wigs also made life easier. This is due to the fact that modern Japanese women know that quality sleep, which is impossible when using special “pillows” to protect hair, is the key to beautiful and youthful skin.
The duties of a modern geisha, in addition to classical skills, also include knowledge of several languages, since they have to conduct conversations with foreign guests.
Today, geisha are more elite companions, able to remain silent or carry on a conversation depending on the need, to encourage or gently provoke depending on the man’s mood, and to share their knowledge of art or the latest political events. Who wouldn”t want to do something like that?
