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It’s almost Halloween season, so here’s a little pop art type coloring project I did on an old photograph (the original is here Source)--as you can see I’ve made them out to be little geisha ‘ghouls’! @gion-lady (please don’t repost or remove caption!)
Update on my maiko posts circulating!
There are a few corrections I’ll be making to these posts, I’ll try to have those re-posted ASAP. They are corrections in vocabulary. If anyone who has questions would like to know some great/accurate vocab in the meantime, check out @missmyloko‘s glossary on her blog. Remember that a lot of English language books about Japan in general can have a lot of mistranslated words, so it’s always best to do what you can to make sure you find the most accurate. It can be tough!
Thanks! -gion-lady
Mizuage and how this blog will address it in future information posts:
it is totally up in the air with me right now because of my research, so i made sure to put “According to Liza Dalby…" (on the Pt.-I maiko post) (though it is as well as according to Kyoko Aihara, as well as according to Lesley Downer; they have quoted older geisha in their books on their stories of their experiences with mizuage–Dalby goes into it rather graphically as she recalls one of her experiences at an ozashiki where mizuage was the subject)–and so i decided to add this into that post. i trust in Mineko Iwasaki in that she had not had that old-style mizuage, and i am aware of the current practice of ‘mizuage’ as it has become a ceremony of seniorship and not of any sexual nature whatsoever. i want you all to know that i am aware of this. i’ve been studying Kyoto geisha since high school, and i’m realizing i came from a place originally that denied any sexuality in the geisha world, as i had associated sex with something being inherently bad; this is incorrect when you think of it contextually in Japanese history, and remember that sex is not inherently bad.. sex has always been a part of human life in general, and the way Japanese culture views it is very different from most Western customs in that it has not been something associated with ‘shame’ until Japan started adopting Western, hard-nosed Victorian ways of viewing it. While prostitution has never been a part of the geisha profession, i am going to keep myself open to the possibility of mizuage as it has been so suggested by Dalby, respectively. i have written in the past that there has been no empirical evidence really on whether mizuage, as it was practiced by initiated courtesans, was practiced in the Kyoto geisha world before WWII–there are only stories of old geiko conveyed by (mostly) white authors. a level of trust has to go into this for me as a researcher with only their accounts as a reference. i am not here yet to say yea or nay on the subject, and so in my two posts here i wanted to keep it open ended but with factual evidence noted as best i could, while making the distinction between pre-war geisha and post-war geisha customs big enough. thanks!
-gion-lady
Sorry for my silence!
I have been trying to read more books on this subject lately, so that I can make more informational posts! I have recently been reading: “Geisha” by Liza Dalby, “Women of the Pleasure Quarters” by Lesley Downer (although I really don’t think I trust it very much--read with skepticism!) and “Geisha: A Living Tradition” by Kyoko Aihara. There is a book I’ve been wishlisting by John Foster for some time, but it is expensive enough to where I can’t see purchasing it anytime soon.
If anyone has any book recommendations, please add onto my list! Anyone reading anything cool?
Maiko Furisode Hikizuri post updated
i’ve made important edits to this post this post and as for the past reblogs, those will be without those updates because tumblr staff never knows what they’re doin or how a website should work.
gion-lady: Asks are always open!
*If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it for you!
gion-lady’s .:Geiko and Maiko Video Documentary Masterpost!:.
Here are some great informational videos and mini-docs on Kyoto Maiko and Geiko! Enjoy!
Seasoning the Seasons: The Enigmatic Entertainers of Gion (28 min)
BBC Geisha Girl (Geiko Kikuyu’s Story)
NHK Japanology+Plus: Geiko and Maiko
Hello-Nippon: Maiko + Asobi games
A Day in the Life of a Geisha ft. Geiko Miehina!
Kyoto, Miyagawa-Cho Mini-Doc ft. Maiko Fukunae!
Full 30 min. footage of a Maiko painting her face
2011 Gion Odori: Maple Dance footage
Japanology+Plus: Through the Eyes of a Geisha (Tokyo Geisha)
2015 143rd Miyako Odori footage
Real Geisha, Real Women Documentary ft. Geiko Miehina (53 min)
Beautiful 1935 Footage of Geiko dressing and make-up!
Geisha vs. Oiran: What’s the Difference?
Maiko of Kamichishiken ft. Katsue and Katsuya
Core Kyoto: History of Geisha mini-doc (28 min)
Geisha Entertainment at the Hatanaka Restaurant in Kyoto (24 min)
The Arts of Kyoto (more about traditional experiences in Kyoto)
2014 Maiko Korin and Geiko Miehina perform Hagikikyou
Geisha, Flowers of Kyoto (beautiful footage of Maiko and Geiko throughout Kyoto!)
Differences Between Geiko and Maiko ft. Geiko Miehina!
Konpira, Fune Fune! Geisha Asobi Games ft. Geiko Miehina!
Beautiful Kyoto: Being a Maiko ft. Maiko Fukunae!
Gion Matsuri in HD
Experience Japan with Yuka: How to Meet a Geiko!
Please take most of these videos with a grain of salt; many of them are translated from Japanese to English, and some of them no doubt mistranslate what the Geiko say. Use these videos as a springboard for learning more! There’s a lot of ins and outs in this subject, and it’s tricky to find authentic and accurate information about Geisha. Always think critically and have fun!
Follow @gion-lady for more Geiko and Maiko!
Costume Inaccuracies in Memoirs of a Geisha
a geiko or maiko’s appearance is as important as her training and skill. each part of a geisha’s clothing and accessories is significant to their profession. it all has a specific purpose. Memoirs of a Geisha did not respect the tradition of the geiko/maiko culture; hairstyles, make-up, kimono...all incorrect. the entire Snow Dance scene (where “maiko” Sayuri performs onstage dressed in a kind of Heian garb) is completely inaccurate (not to mention the interpretive, fancy, erratic dance she does is something unseen in traditional midori performances by geiko or maiko).
though the story takes place in the 1930s, you can see below that modern geisha styles have stayed traditional. none of the costumes in the film make any sense, and it really is a shame.
1930s Maiko and Geiko
follow @gion-lady for more Geiko and Maiko!
