Actually, the main Western misconception that geisha = prostitute came from the end of WWII when prostitutes passed themselves off as "geisha girls" to American soldiers
Why is it we in the west (or east) have it so hard to understand the subtleties of other cultures and then we just rudely say what we want without research ?
I dont like how the sister is trying to look western at the end. She's got blue contacts in, has dyed her hair and everything and made herself look really western pale. Embrace who you are girl! Im English but i think the Japanese are some of the most beautiful people in the world! Really there isnt that much about us to love, i would prefer to be japanese any day!
I'm not talking about the actual Japanese people that are talking. I'm referring to the British woman speaking...the narrator. Her Japanese is awful... I think her British accent gets in the way.
@nghsrae14 I don't think it's so much the accent as it is just not doing research. I have a heavy accent, I'm from Newfoundland, but I also speak Japanese, and when I was learning I went out of my way to learn to properly speak the words.
OMG this women pronunciation is HORRIBLE! I'm a texas learning in a community college being taught by a frenchman that lived in Japan for 10 years and I'm better at annunciation than she is!
@nghsrae14 That's because different parts of Japan say and enunciate words differently. Most teachers only teach the Tokyo dialect and way of speaking, but there are dozens more and trying to talk or understand what people are saying in some places in Japan would be impossible.
Is this like an official name change? Or is it just like a ceremonial kind of thing that all Maiko go through... Does this name become like her 'middle name' that everyone refers to her as for as long as she is a Maiko or Geisha?
@greeneyedmonster6 I could be wrong, but I think it's like Catholic Confirmation name change. It's not really 'official' in the legal sense. It's not really a middle name. Sort of like.... a pseudonym or sorts? Anybody, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
@greeneyedmonster6 ah,it's the name that she is addressed as so long as she is Geisha.After she retires,she can still keep the name of 'officially' change it.
I love the Geisha world. I wish I could learn just a little of what Yukina learns. I couldn't become one of course but it would be cool to learn some of the skills and it would be so sad to see such old and lovely customs die out.
@DarkEbony89 It's a cultural thing. In Asia, unlike Western countries, you can't just simply do something just because you want to. It reflects in modern society where Asian college kids usually choose such majors as Business, Engineering and the like to please their not-so-understanding families. Asian kids are taught not to ever shock their families with personal decision like Yukina did. It's considered a social crime. I can understand why the sister envied Yukina. I'm an Asian.
@FanTZ0PMgUrL Geiko have little time or desire for potential emotional issues of a relationship, but often leave tenure when a relationship develops or they wish to marry and start a family.
@FanTZ0PMgUrL The Danna is a by-product of a specific era and the acceptance of the social male / geiko relationship. There are some Danna today, but the practice is no longer sought / expected.
It is solely a personal choice and a rare one now.
really nice and fascinating account. it just pains me that the narrator terribly mispronounces the japanese words, or maybe the producers intended her to do it to cater to the Western audience?
@Also, Japan has a higher GDP per capita than most European nations. How is it that it seems somewhat poor in Kyoto?- maybe because they are more economical, so they do not spend lavishly on the comforts of the West.
@MiyuuKiwi Interesting. So what you're saying is they remain rich by depriving themselves of luxuries, which makes them not rich... and all as a result of conservative political views :|
@smokenfly514 I never said anything about political views..? I'm just saying they have money, but Kyoto is a traditional city, and the traditional Japanese aren't ones to go and renovate everything because it's not "pretty" just because they have money.
its funny how everbody is saying wow I want to be a geisha etc.. it looks beautifull! seriously but I dont think people realise thats a really hard life... you give up really everthing but at the other hand its really beautifull
@princessofDBZ I can understand what you mean but froma girl whos really serious abt it i can say that iff you really want something badly enough you can achieve it..
Yeh you would have to give up friends, school, family in some form, and the usal life off a teenager. But you iff you amnage to keep on gping until ur misedashi ur a maiko a geiko apprentice a person who can achieve her dreams, some teens dont have dreams and those who ahve one not usaly achieve it. but girls like yukina do.
@azureminded1 Perhaps you should research the profession further and you will find it has nothing to do with sexual contact with any customers.
This is a highly demanding commitment to the arts and performance as well as a way of living quality that few know anything of or understand. It is far beyond a western concept of etiquette or social expectation.
Tatemae would not allow the Maiko / Geiko to make such a statement about anyone at anytime.
The only thing that bothers me is that she's wearing the same pair of pants over and over, and the pockets are all jacked up. And I can't help but notice it for the entire first half of this clip... Weird I know...
Lord i love this culture, I'm speechless i wish i could be one... but im married and i dont think you can be if you're married lol. still.... *sign* hah
@jaimelespoptarts that's only when they have their hair done in Nihongami. When they are wearing nihongami they cant enter the main part of kyoto (i.e. out of the hanamachi areas) freely or wear anything besides kimono either
Im not sure how you spell it, but mezuagay? Anyway thia custom was used in the prostitute slave but in the geisha world it was just the changing into a maiko. Same word, different meaning.
@MessedUpGrasshopper Actually the name was different. o.o In the Flower and Willow world it's a ceremony called in English "The Turning of the collar", because a Geisha uses a white collar, while a Maiko uses a red one... it's a bit complicated, since the collars gradually change because of the ranks in Maiko apprenticeship but it's very very beautiful. ^^ I seem to remember somebody told me that every ceremony was different because of every Maiko being different.^^
@akissy Have you ever read Geisha of Gion? It's an autobiography written by a leading geisha called Mineko Iwasaki, who the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" is based on. Apparently she wrote that book because she wasn't happy with the way that movie portrayed geishas. In the movie, mizuage is where the Maiko's virginity is sold to the highest bidder, and that man becomes her "patron". In the book, Mineko Iwasaki explains that this mixup came from the prostitute ceremony of Mizuage, not the Geishas.
discipline that so many of us couldn't abide by. "Exotic" (different) excites us because it is not our own, we do not see the "cons" as well as the "pros" that are associated w/ continuing traditions. Many traditions come along w/ overwhelming responsibility, restrictions, not so much speaking your mind, shunning when you "disobey", no individuality, being a follower, going against what YOU want your life to be, having others choose what is taboo. Beautiful it is however comes many sacrifices.
Beautiful culture yes, but as w/all cultures that are different from our own we tend to mistakenly take for granted what we are seeing and end up with the cases of "the outside looking in" scenerio. There's beauty to ALL cultures, but to have total respect you must understand that not all that is beautiful is easy, fun & shouldn't be taken lightly. What we are viewing now, some of you are still blinded by the aesthetics, aside from their beauty there lies a true art form.
@LOGOMag actually it IS danna, emphasizing the n, cause it's doiuble. And it IS mizuage,not mi-zuh-ah-gay. Japanese isn't like English, it's more like Spanish, the way you write it it's the way you say it, with very few exceptions, like longer o's when u's are added or silent u's at the end of a word, to name two.
@neonaction it seems like the asian culture is really dedicated and very focused at things i.e. the samurai and the geisha. all of the hardwork they went through just to master something. lol the okasans say that the geiko nowadays have it way easy, i believe it. their life seemed glamorous way back, but a lot of hardwork and pain went into it.
i saw these episodes on here like a year or less ago and i loved this whole story sooooooo much i love geishas they are beautiful and i read the book to akaisohma1and aquarianvalkari that is the best book
I wonder if the popularity of Memoirs of a Geisha - the book, and the film - have sparked an increase in Geisha numbers now in Japan? Does anyone know? I hope it has, in a way, would be sad to see such a beautiful art dwindle away.
@01fey Not really, Memoirs of a Geisha was under attack by the Geisha community because most of the info in the book is wrong. And the retired Geisha (Mineko Iwasaki) the author interviewed actually sued him. She later wroter her own book Geisha of Gion.
@01fey I believe Memoirs of a Geisha is generally disliked in Japan because it's riddled with inaccuracies, and the film is even worse. There's lots of bad blood over that.
omg i remember i had to read that book....even though i knew nothing about geishas i knew that the author knew nothing about girls XD i mean caves and eels? wow
@CherryFlavouredFluff - well unfortunately (or fortunately?) both the book and the film are more accessible and offer most people, who wouldn't have known much about this certain culture, a nice starting point into their own research. It opened me up to a whole world of books, including Mineko Iwasaki's - and more, and I'm -very- greatful for that.
@01fey True, but to be only inspired by a book that is mostly fiction, isn't really a good thing. If it was a starting point, and they've educated themselves more about this culture, and then they're inspired, that's fine.
@sarenthach- they look at is a huge investment..if they are popular with their customer's, the geisha can expect to earn really well..i read an autobiography of a real life geisha who lived the kind of life we ordinary citizens can only dream of..
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It hardly seems worth it. I can see how the Geisha culture strived a couple hundred years ago in a much more patriarchal society, but these days giving up your freedom to be indebted to a teahouse is just incomprehensible. And being forced to drink alcohol? It would be like peer pressure with adults for the rest of your career.
@ericamt they are not indebt. she's barely fifteen. It's like any normal house.You're a youngerster, underage and your parents pay for you education, the only difference is they won't charge you with anything... but honestly, many parents should, seeing as how ungrateful their kids are... By the time she's 20 she will be gaining money, which is great, she'll be of age and living a life no 20 yo would dream of.. and all because she worked really hard to earn it. Life's not easy, easy come easy go
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Ha.....are they all pigeon toed, or do they keep using clips of the same girl walking.....Anyone else notice? Anyway, also what does the word mean, that sounds like kahn jay, or con jeh?
That's right. When I lived in Hawaii, all the Phillipino ladies carried umbrellas to protect their skin from the sun, and all the tourists slathered on suntan lotion at the beach. Maybe people just want what they don't have.
I'm in love with their culture. If I was lucky enough to live over there and be a Geisha, I'd strive to live, breathe, move as elegantly as those of the past. So beautiful. <3
I always see Asian girls dying their beautiful black hair. I don't get it; it is always sleek and shiney, so lovely. I think the colors they dye into it make them far less beautiful.
trust me not every asian girl has black hair..i know an asian girl who's full chinese and she has really light dirty brown hair...and it's natural..i've seen her baby pictures and she has the same color. ...abt them dying their hair a diff color..it's their life..they should be able to express themselves any way they want to.
woah..why r u telling me to calm down.i wan't picking a fight..as a matter of fact, i was just commenting not challenging you or your beliefs...u need to stop being so overly sensitive. geez.
My aunt is a nun and they give all the novitiates new names too. I don't think this much thought goes into that though! Kikuyu is very pretty for a name.
That stuff they were eating looks delicious. I just love geisha-- they are so pretty and their discipline is so amazing. All the songs and dances they have to learn, even the correct way of pouring tea or a dring. I'm in awe of how they do it all. If the art form of the geisha ever dies out, I will be so sad.
Hey what her Maiko name means? I don't speak English at my native language so i didn't catch the meaning of the name.. Kind chrisaint...chroma...what? :DD Would you be kind enough to tell me. I would appreciate that.
Yes, her name is Liza Dalby, she is old now, and she was the first Western Geisha, but she didn't become a Geisha for her own pleasure or want, she became one to help with her Japanese History studies or something like that. I don't know if there is any other Western Geisha but I know she was one. She has a book which I've read. Quite hard to read/get into but nevertheless, still entertaining. I think it's just called "Geisha".
Yeah that's one of them bu there is also another one. I don't know her name but she became a geisha because her career got caught up in it some how. So yeah :)
Her name is Fiona Graham. Her, like Liza Dalby, decided to do a studied of it. Liza Dalby never became a full fledged Geisha. She says this in her book. She just played the part for her study. Fiona Graham however has become a Geisha in the Tokyo district of Asakusa.
It might not be laziness as much as inability to do so. I speak a language with radical phonetic differences with English (and coincidentally, with similarity to Japanese). And even after a decade of study and having attained fluency, I cannot pronounce many foreign sounds, like "th", properly.
The muscles of your mouth and your brain are simply build in a certain way and changing this takes years of hard work. Something which a simple TV reader normally doesn't have as far as I understand.
no there actually is a western geisha. You can become one, but it would be extremely hard and you would have to be the right age, know how to speak japanese, studt japanese history and art, etc.
I don't know. I think Kikuno has an eating disorder. When she is taking of her kimono in another scene in this video, she complains about being fat. And she is not even fat! She has a bigger bust line than most other maiko, but hey, she is a geiko now, no need to be so small like a child.
I guess that is just one of the negative aspects of the maiko/geiko life.
What did sensitivity have to do with my statement or the the video? Please be more concrete or justify your argument.
Anyway, like I said, she is not fat, she is very skinny, which is good, for her profession. However, obsession with weight can be dangerous if taken in such an extreme route. Thinking you'll get fat for eating crushed ice? Oh well...
Anyway, I just observing the ups and downs of the culture and making a neutral critique.
I don't think it has anything to do with being a maiko. Eating disorders and a warped body image are nothing out of the ordinary for a modern teenage girl.
Actually, the main Western misconception that geisha = prostitute came from the end of WWII when prostitutes passed themselves off as "geisha girls" to American soldiers
aurielMoon 2 days ago
Why is it we in the west (or east) have it so hard to understand the subtleties of other cultures and then we just rudely say what we want without research ?
Oiran are not Geisha. Geisha are not Oiran.
sihanling 6 days ago
At 3:02 does the narrator say £8 an hour or £80 an hour?
Saisons1234 1 month ago
@Saisons1234 80, A Maiko is sometimes called 'half jewel' meaning they're paid half of what a geiko makes
xShadowxPhoenix 1 month ago
I dont like how the sister is trying to look western at the end. She's got blue contacts in, has dyed her hair and everything and made herself look really western pale. Embrace who you are girl! Im English but i think the Japanese are some of the most beautiful people in the world! Really there isnt that much about us to love, i would prefer to be japanese any day!
Mikazukiful 1 month ago
If a geisha has a danna (husband), then that means they have to retire. If they marry, they have to retire.
KataniUchiha 1 month ago
''some took a danna''
Geisha dont take danna,danna choose gheisha if is she's very lucky and he is very rich..
reporter do you research please -___-
mientjeo4 2 months ago 5
Female narrator....stop....mispronouncing....the words!!!!
MercyGrrl15 2 months ago in playlist TV/Movies
3:24 When was this documenatry filmed? Shikomi looks like a little Mamechiho.....
xxxkimododragonxxx 2 months ago
she is listening to Avril Lavigne...cool
lolahoneyforyou 3 months ago
@MasterAsra
I'm not talking about the actual Japanese people that are talking. I'm referring to the British woman speaking...the narrator. Her Japanese is awful... I think her British accent gets in the way.
nghsrae14 3 months ago
@nghsrae14 I don't think it's so much the accent as it is just not doing research. I have a heavy accent, I'm from Newfoundland, but I also speak Japanese, and when I was learning I went out of my way to learn to properly speak the words.
KidaKarasu 1 month ago
See.Not All Asians Have Monolids.Her Mom Has Like quadlids Almost. I Rest My Case.But Cant Show The Peron That i Wanted To..Dang
imagine2C 4 months ago
that crushed ice looks so good!
mslovesoldier 4 months ago 2
OMG this women pronunciation is HORRIBLE! I'm a texas learning in a community college being taught by a frenchman that lived in Japan for 10 years and I'm better at annunciation than she is!
nghsrae14 5 months ago
@nghsrae14 That's because different parts of Japan say and enunciate words differently. Most teachers only teach the Tokyo dialect and way of speaking, but there are dozens more and trying to talk or understand what people are saying in some places in Japan would be impossible.
MasterAsra 4 months ago
Holy crap, there is some horrible pronunciation in this thing.
unfunnybone 5 months ago
All there names do start with Kiku- meaning chrysenthamum
xShadowxPhoenix 6 months ago
Is this like an official name change? Or is it just like a ceremonial kind of thing that all Maiko go through... Does this name become like her 'middle name' that everyone refers to her as for as long as she is a Maiko or Geisha?
greeneyedmonster6 7 months ago in playlist Geisha Documentaries
@greeneyedmonster6 I could be wrong, but I think it's like Catholic Confirmation name change. It's not really 'official' in the legal sense. It's not really a middle name. Sort of like.... a pseudonym or sorts? Anybody, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
32symphonic97 6 months ago
@greeneyedmonster6 ah,it's the name that she is addressed as so long as she is Geisha.After she retires,she can still keep the name of 'officially' change it.
blingblingshineshine 5 months ago
I love the Geisha world. I wish I could learn just a little of what Yukina learns. I couldn't become one of course but it would be cool to learn some of the skills and it would be so sad to see such old and lovely customs die out.
icekat83 7 months ago
At the end, I find it ironic how the sister envies the main girl for going out and always doing what she wants.
DarkEbony89 7 months ago
@DarkEbony89 It's a cultural thing. In Asia, unlike Western countries, you can't just simply do something just because you want to. It reflects in modern society where Asian college kids usually choose such majors as Business, Engineering and the like to please their not-so-understanding families. Asian kids are taught not to ever shock their families with personal decision like Yukina did. It's considered a social crime. I can understand why the sister envied Yukina. I'm an Asian.
AlexeiNguyen 5 months ago 2
Mizuage isn't real... geez... just because a western man said it is it doesn't mean it IS... jeebuz...
akissy 7 months ago
is it true that geisha's are not free to be in a relationship
FanTZ0PMgUrL 8 months ago
@FanTZ0PMgUrL Geiko have little time or desire for potential emotional issues of a relationship, but often leave tenure when a relationship develops or they wish to marry and start a family.
Maiko cannot be in a relationship.
thesecretpathoflife 7 months ago
@thesecretpathoflife oh thnx very much i got confused a bit but now i understand thnx, are geisha's still doing that thing where they need a danna
FanTZ0PMgUrL 7 months ago
@FanTZ0PMgUrL The Danna is a by-product of a specific era and the acceptance of the social male / geiko relationship. There are some Danna today, but the practice is no longer sought / expected.
It is solely a personal choice and a rare one now.
thesecretpathoflife 7 months ago
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9:25, I had a sneaking suspicion Misato was listening to Avril Lavigne, but I only could confirm it after my third time watching this :p
L1nkn1vy 8 months ago
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L1nkn1vy 8 months ago
Kikuyu is also a name of a tribe in Kenya..
JesusisLord7771 8 months ago in playlist geisha culture
kikuyu is such a pretty name.
eburel506 9 months ago in playlist Becoming a Geisha
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really nice and fascinating account. it just pains me that the narrator terribly mispronounces the japanese words, or maybe the producers intended her to do it to cater to the Western audience?
@Also, Japan has a higher GDP per capita than most European nations. How is it that it seems somewhat poor in Kyoto?- maybe because they are more economical, so they do not spend lavishly on the comforts of the West.
tactownguru 9 months ago
mih-zuagay ... really >.>
someone should have told her how to pronounce the japanese words before they had her record the doc.
Jade7272 10 months ago 2
Much as I love this documentary, the way the narrator butchers the Japanese words drives me crazy.
Seijakushii 10 months ago 33
@Seijakushii I was thinking exactly the same! the way she says "maaikow" or "misuwagay" or "dena" GAAAAH!!!!!!
ThePrayerx 8 months ago
@Seijakushii I've noticed that too. I keep wincing. O.o
MercyGrrl15 2 months ago in playlist TV/Movies
Geisha is beautiful ! But I know I could never become one. It seems very tough and you have to be dedicated.
Gigglez765 10 months ago
The 2 dislikes were from 2 oirans >:( thumbs up if you agreed!
piiikj 1 year ago
Also, Japan has a higher GDP per capita than most European nations. How is it that it seems somewhat poor in Kyoto?
smokenfly514 1 year ago
@smokenfly514 *Most* Japanese people are very conservative. This leads them to avoid many luxuries and manage their money well.
MiyuuKiwi 4 months ago
@MiyuuKiwi Interesting. So what you're saying is they remain rich by depriving themselves of luxuries, which makes them not rich... and all as a result of conservative political views :|
smokenfly514 4 months ago
@smokenfly514 I never said anything about political views..? I'm just saying they have money, but Kyoto is a traditional city, and the traditional Japanese aren't ones to go and renovate everything because it's not "pretty" just because they have money.
MiyuuKiwi 4 months ago
Thumbs up if you disagree with the first comment and would rather be a ninja
smokenfly514 1 year ago
its funny how everbody is saying wow I want to be a geisha etc.. it looks beautifull! seriously but I dont think people realise thats a really hard life... you give up really everthing but at the other hand its really beautifull
princessofDBZ 1 year ago 2
@princessofDBZ I can understand what you mean but froma girl whos really serious abt it i can say that iff you really want something badly enough you can achieve it..
Yeh you would have to give up friends, school, family in some form, and the usal life off a teenager. But you iff you amnage to keep on gping until ur misedashi ur a maiko a geiko apprentice a person who can achieve her dreams, some teens dont have dreams and those who ahve one not usaly achieve it. but girls like yukina do.
SauryGirl1 11 months ago
@SauryGirl1 thank you for the great explanation!!
princessofDBZ 11 months ago
@princessofDBZ your welcome :)
SauryGirl1 11 months ago
@princessofDBZ That's why many people say it's beautiful, because they realize just how much effort they put into it.
akissy 7 months ago
what they mean is she can carefully select highpaying johns after receiving this pedigree
PROSTITUTION
azureminded1 1 year ago
@azureminded1 Perhaps you should research the profession further and you will find it has nothing to do with sexual contact with any customers.
This is a highly demanding commitment to the arts and performance as well as a way of living quality that few know anything of or understand. It is far beyond a western concept of etiquette or social expectation.
Tatemae would not allow the Maiko / Geiko to make such a statement about anyone at anytime.
thesecretpathoflife 10 months ago 17
its funny how even in a small village in the north of japan they listen to avril lavigne
tetrulz 1 year ago 3
this is so fascinating to me
tetrulz 1 year ago
The only thing that bothers me is that she's wearing the same pair of pants over and over, and the pockets are all jacked up. And I can't help but notice it for the entire first half of this clip... Weird I know...
greeneyedmonster6 1 year ago
wow. the narrator butchers the pronunciation of so many words!
chocolateturtl17 1 year ago
@chocolateturtl17 she does indeed, it's horrible ^^
AldhisslaVargTimmene 1 year ago
@chocolateturtl17 I know its annoying
AngelicAcid453 1 year ago
virgins deflower for money= prostitution.
liqdC 1 year ago
Lord i love this culture, I'm speechless i wish i could be one... but im married and i dont think you can be if you're married lol. still.... *sign* hah
benchrono 1 year ago
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hakatayagyokuran 1 year ago
Does anyone know the correct kanji for her maiko name? If so please type it for me! Thanks!
hananokoe 1 year ago
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@hananokoe kikuyu=菊優 in kanji
hakatayagyokuran 1 year ago
@hananokoe kikuyu=菊優 in kanji
hakatayagyokuran 1 year ago
Aaand she starts playing Avril Lavigne. ^_^
MissContraryMary 1 year ago 4
Isn't it a rule that geisha can't eat in public? Or does that not apply to Maiko?
jaimelespoptarts 1 year ago
@jaimelespoptarts that's only when they have their hair done in Nihongami. When they are wearing nihongami they cant enter the main part of kyoto (i.e. out of the hanamachi areas) freely or wear anything besides kimono either
jojiojp 1 year ago
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CrystalChord2010 1 year ago
Im not sure how you spell it, but mezuagay? Anyway thia custom was used in the prostitute slave but in the geisha world it was just the changing into a maiko. Same word, different meaning.
MessedUpGrasshopper 1 year ago
@MessedUpGrasshopper I think it's spelt mizuage.
bullet4myex 1 year ago
@MessedUpGrasshopper Actually the name was different. o.o In the Flower and Willow world it's a ceremony called in English "The Turning of the collar", because a Geisha uses a white collar, while a Maiko uses a red one... it's a bit complicated, since the collars gradually change because of the ranks in Maiko apprenticeship but it's very very beautiful. ^^ I seem to remember somebody told me that every ceremony was different because of every Maiko being different.^^
akissy 7 months ago
@akissy Have you ever read Geisha of Gion? It's an autobiography written by a leading geisha called Mineko Iwasaki, who the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" is based on. Apparently she wrote that book because she wasn't happy with the way that movie portrayed geishas. In the movie, mizuage is where the Maiko's virginity is sold to the highest bidder, and that man becomes her "patron". In the book, Mineko Iwasaki explains that this mixup came from the prostitute ceremony of Mizuage, not the Geishas.
MessedUpGrasshopper 7 months ago
@SereneAndTranquil
I know!!! I think it crushed ice. Ahh so yummy!
princeofwinter 1 year ago
discipline that so many of us couldn't abide by. "Exotic" (different) excites us because it is not our own, we do not see the "cons" as well as the "pros" that are associated w/ continuing traditions. Many traditions come along w/ overwhelming responsibility, restrictions, not so much speaking your mind, shunning when you "disobey", no individuality, being a follower, going against what YOU want your life to be, having others choose what is taboo. Beautiful it is however comes many sacrifices.
stoleethatsme 1 year ago 4
Beautiful culture yes, but as w/all cultures that are different from our own we tend to mistakenly take for granted what we are seeing and end up with the cases of "the outside looking in" scenerio. There's beauty to ALL cultures, but to have total respect you must understand that not all that is beautiful is easy, fun & shouldn't be taken lightly. What we are viewing now, some of you are still blinded by the aesthetics, aside from their beauty there lies a true art form.
stoleethatsme 1 year ago 4
@LOGOMag actually it IS danna, emphasizing the n, cause it's doiuble. And it IS mizuage,not mi-zuh-ah-gay. Japanese isn't like English, it's more like Spanish, the way you write it it's the way you say it, with very few exceptions, like longer o's when u's are added or silent u's at the end of a word, to name two.
akissy 1 year ago 2
Kikuyu is such a beautiful name, so delicate to the ears. ^^
akissy 1 year ago 2
Fascinating, thanks for the upload!
CatherineSolo 1 year ago
does anyone know where they r @ 9:11 and what r they eating?
LilDtownBarbie 1 year ago
@LilDtownBarbie people are eating parfaits and kakigoori (shaved ice)
jojiojp 1 year ago
very facinating. Japanese Culture is so gentle and dignified.
diphenhydramineHC 1 year ago 3
@diphenhydramineHC
Many Asian countries have beautiful cultures as well. Gentle, Grace and Elegant is an Far-East thing. This is what we called 'attractive' :D
princeofwinter 1 year ago
it's so beautiful to totally dedicate your life to one thing.
neonaction 1 year ago 24
@neonaction it seems like the asian culture is really dedicated and very focused at things i.e. the samurai and the geisha. all of the hardwork they went through just to master something. lol the okasans say that the geiko nowadays have it way easy, i believe it. their life seemed glamorous way back, but a lot of hardwork and pain went into it.
ameliad05 1 year ago
i saw these episodes on here like a year or less ago and i loved this whole story sooooooo much i love geishas they are beautiful and i read the book to akaisohma1and aquarianvalkari that is the best book
angelcarmie2 1 year ago
i love the world of geishas it;s so mysterious!!!
angelcarmie2 2 years ago 3
it'd be cool if i could become a geisha lol i'd be thee first black geisha.
AquarianValkari 2 years ago 5
@AquarianValkari Yeah that would be cool.
zxcbxfjyj423 2 years ago
Totally KOOL!!!! ^_^
LilDtownBarbie 2 years ago
Avril Lavigne? lol i didn't know she was known in japan....
smellyface101 2 years ago
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lol theyre meant to be named after a flower
i researched her name on google kikuyu and its literally grass
hahahahaha
stikitape214 2 years ago
@stikitape214 No, it does mean "kind chrysanthemum" (well something to do with chrysanthemums anyway), just like they say in the documentary.
derbydaiquiri 2 years ago
She's 19 or 20 now. I wonder hows she's doing.
ForeverStarstruck 2 years ago 4
I wonder if the popularity of Memoirs of a Geisha - the book, and the film - have sparked an increase in Geisha numbers now in Japan? Does anyone know? I hope it has, in a way, would be sad to see such a beautiful art dwindle away.
01fey 2 years ago 5
@01fey Not really, Memoirs of a Geisha was under attack by the Geisha community because most of the info in the book is wrong. And the retired Geisha (Mineko Iwasaki) the author interviewed actually sued him. She later wroter her own book Geisha of Gion.
AkaiSohma1 2 years ago
@01fey I believe Memoirs of a Geisha is generally disliked in Japan because it's riddled with inaccuracies, and the film is even worse. There's lots of bad blood over that.
derbydaiquiri 2 years ago
omg i remember i had to read that book....even though i knew nothing about geishas i knew that the author knew nothing about girls XD i mean caves and eels? wow
AquarianValkari 2 years ago
@01fey I'd rather see people inspired by Mineko Iwasaki's book, not by Memoirs of a Geisha
CherryFlavouredFluff 8 months ago
@CherryFlavouredFluff - well unfortunately (or fortunately?) both the book and the film are more accessible and offer most people, who wouldn't have known much about this certain culture, a nice starting point into their own research. It opened me up to a whole world of books, including Mineko Iwasaki's - and more, and I'm -very- greatful for that.
01fey 8 months ago
@01fey True, but to be only inspired by a book that is mostly fiction, isn't really a good thing. If it was a starting point, and they've educated themselves more about this culture, and then they're inspired, that's fine.
CherryFlavouredFluff 8 months ago
when you become a geisha...can you quit after a while? or is it permanent? i was wondering...
TheEirica 2 years ago
@TheEirica you can quit without any problem. When you mary, for example, you quit being a geisha.
AccaLarentia90 2 years ago 3
No proper wage for five years!!!! I don't think I can wait that long to start earning money for doing work.
sarenthach 2 years ago 4
sh has 15 years... when she has 20 she will earn money i think is good... she is still a young girl
DarkCrow1303 2 years ago 2
in the mean time shes well looked after
FU2Max 2 years ago
After that time she can make 20,000 a month. So it's worth it. If she finished school and went to college she still would not make that much money.
siszam 2 years ago 3
@sarenthach- they look at is a huge investment..if they are popular with their customer's, the geisha can expect to earn really well..i read an autobiography of a real life geisha who lived the kind of life we ordinary citizens can only dream of..
heomak 2 years ago 2
@sarenthach it's the same as being in school and going to college :\
coveruplies 1 year ago
more than 2000 pounds a month? omg
looker768 2 years ago
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It hardly seems worth it. I can see how the Geisha culture strived a couple hundred years ago in a much more patriarchal society, but these days giving up your freedom to be indebted to a teahouse is just incomprehensible. And being forced to drink alcohol? It would be like peer pressure with adults for the rest of your career.
ericamt 2 years ago
Remember, you have to put yourself in their cultural mindset. I'm sure they see it differently.
txgrl7 2 years ago 10
@ericamt they are not indebt. she's barely fifteen. It's like any normal house.You're a youngerster, underage and your parents pay for you education, the only difference is they won't charge you with anything... but honestly, many parents should, seeing as how ungrateful their kids are... By the time she's 20 she will be gaining money, which is great, she'll be of age and living a life no 20 yo would dream of.. and all because she worked really hard to earn it. Life's not easy, easy come easy go
akissy 1 year ago
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Ha.....are they all pigeon toed, or do they keep using clips of the same girl walking.....Anyone else notice? Anyway, also what does the word mean, that sounds like kahn jay, or con jeh?
LVdancerbabe 2 years ago
Do you mean Kanji? Its their writing style. Not sure thats what you meant.
And no, they aren't "pgeon toed." As the video stated, its part of the costuming and they are trained to walk and move in certain ways.
DeadlyChinchilla 2 years ago
That's right. When I lived in Hawaii, all the Phillipino ladies carried umbrellas to protect their skin from the sun, and all the tourists slathered on suntan lotion at the beach. Maybe people just want what they don't have.
no1zgrl4eva 2 years ago 70
@no1zgrl4eva
Tan skin is actually unhealthy skin, so in a way, the Filipino women are smart to carry the umbrella around
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dsadasdaa25 2 years ago
I'm in love with their culture. If I was lucky enough to live over there and be a Geisha, I'd strive to live, breathe, move as elegantly as those of the past. So beautiful. <3
01fey 2 years ago 117
OMG me too! I would love to just visit and see a Maiko in Gion, even if it's just in passing. I think they are beautiful and very elegant.
dagger09 2 years ago
@01fey Are you American? How does one do such a thing?
XxMissNoNamexX 1 year ago
@01fey I agree it's such a beautiful world, and such a rich culture. I would consider myself very bless if i got to live that kind of life.
eburel506 9 months ago in playlist Becoming a Geisha
I always see Asian girls dying their beautiful black hair. I don't get it; it is always sleek and shiney, so lovely. I think the colors they dye into it make them far less beautiful.
no1zgrl4eva 2 years ago 14
trust me not every asian girl has black hair..i know an asian girl who's full chinese and she has really light dirty brown hair...and it's natural..i've seen her baby pictures and she has the same color. ...abt them dying their hair a diff color..it's their life..they should be able to express themselves any way they want to.
heomak 2 years ago
Calm down! I was expressing my opinion and giving Asian women compliments on their beauty - go pick a fight with someone else.
no1zgrl4eva 2 years ago
Comment removed
heomak 2 years ago
woah..why r u telling me to calm down.i wan't picking a fight..as a matter of fact, i was just commenting not challenging you or your beliefs...u need to stop being so overly sensitive. geez.
heomak 2 years ago
True, one of my best friends real color is a red-ish brown.
psyche100 2 years ago
My aunt is a nun and they give all the novitiates new names too. I don't think this much thought goes into that though! Kikuyu is very pretty for a name.
no1zgrl4eva 2 years ago 5
That stuff they were eating looks delicious. I just love geisha-- they are so pretty and their discipline is so amazing. All the songs and dances they have to learn, even the correct way of pouring tea or a dring. I'm in awe of how they do it all. If the art form of the geisha ever dies out, I will be so sad.
KABOODLE562 2 years ago 11
the narrator says Japanese words horribly... XD
she should learn the proper pronounciation before letting the words spill from her mouth.
alixinthemiddle 2 years ago 17
mizu-agay lol she pronounces it so wrong... nice documentary though
clauwie1 2 years ago 7
what are they eating at the end.
daltiepoo 2 years ago
daltiepoo:
That's Kakigoori, shaved ice with sweetened topping(syrup, sweet bean paste etc.).
allgoo19 2 years ago
what are they eating???
MaPaCha 2 years ago
I think that since the maiko sister was concern that the ice is gonna make her fat, i'm guessing its shaved ice they're eating
AlpineAddict317 2 years ago
i love the meaning of her name its gorgeous
ExcelleATL 2 years ago 2
at the end her sister is so beautiful
fluffybutt81 3 years ago 4
i want whatever yukina and he ne-san are eating. ^^ Yummy!!!!!!!
mariakai 3 years ago 4
Hahha I always have such a hurry... She says flower! Of course! Chrysanthemum! Isn't it?
ttsiuh 3 years ago
Hey what her Maiko name means? I don't speak English at my native language so i didn't catch the meaning of the name.. Kind chrisaint...chroma...what? :DD Would you be kind enough to tell me. I would appreciate that.
ttsiuh 3 years ago
Chrysanthemum :P
i think that's how you spell it
RossclartRETROGRADE 3 years ago
"Do you think crushed ice is fattening?"
that made me laugh so hard...of course it isn't!! LOL
broKenwIngS787 3 years ago 6
Such a beautiful culture, Japanese Women are so pretty.
jafoosy 3 years ago 8
There is a western Geisha over in Japan. I read about her. So you can become a geisha but you have to know all the right stuff.
ForsakenNightDreamer 3 years ago
Yes, her name is Liza Dalby, she is old now, and she was the first Western Geisha, but she didn't become a Geisha for her own pleasure or want, she became one to help with her Japanese History studies or something like that. I don't know if there is any other Western Geisha but I know she was one. She has a book which I've read. Quite hard to read/get into but nevertheless, still entertaining. I think it's just called "Geisha".
mazzy10001 3 years ago
Yeah that's one of them bu there is also another one. I don't know her name but she became a geisha because her career got caught up in it some how. So yeah :)
ForsakenNightDreamer 3 years ago
Her name is Fiona Graham. Her, like Liza Dalby, decided to do a studied of it. Liza Dalby never became a full fledged Geisha. She says this in her book. She just played the part for her study. Fiona Graham however has become a Geisha in the Tokyo district of Asakusa.
osbourn15 3 years ago
Yeah thats her. Thanks
ForsakenNightDreamer 3 years ago
It might not be laziness as much as inability to do so. I speak a language with radical phonetic differences with English (and coincidentally, with similarity to Japanese). And even after a decade of study and having attained fluency, I cannot pronounce many foreign sounds, like "th", properly.
The muscles of your mouth and your brain are simply build in a certain way and changing this takes years of hard work. Something which a simple TV reader normally doesn't have as far as I understand.
angrymallard 3 years ago 4
I know! I noticed that!
diseasexqueen 3 years ago
I would love to become a geisha, that is practically my biggest dream.
But i'm european, so that is impossible. ._.
Toviih 3 years ago
no there actually is a western geisha. You can become one, but it would be extremely hard and you would have to be the right age, know how to speak japanese, studt japanese history and art, etc.
ForsakenNightDreamer 3 years ago
honey..it isn't impossible..i'm sure they'd consider you if you were super serious about it. try it!!
heomak 2 years ago
I don't know. I think Kikuno has an eating disorder. When she is taking of her kimono in another scene in this video, she complains about being fat. And she is not even fat! She has a bigger bust line than most other maiko, but hey, she is a geiko now, no need to be so small like a child.
I guess that is just one of the negative aspects of the maiko/geiko life.
DameDiabolique 4 years ago
geez you are very sensitive.
iamyourteddybear 3 years ago
What did sensitivity have to do with my statement or the the video? Please be more concrete or justify your argument.
Anyway, like I said, she is not fat, she is very skinny, which is good, for her profession. However, obsession with weight can be dangerous if taken in such an extreme route. Thinking you'll get fat for eating crushed ice? Oh well...
Anyway, I just observing the ups and downs of the culture and making a neutral critique.
DameDiabolique 3 years ago 5
I don't think it has anything to do with being a maiko. Eating disorders and a warped body image are nothing out of the ordinary for a modern teenage girl.
tokyojesusfist 3 years ago 5