19
As time goes by, the amount of geisha or geiko was getting smaller. In her book, The World of the Geisha; Aihara stated that according to the statistic
recorded on 31
st
July 1999, there are only 190 okiya remaining in Kyoto, employing 195 geiko and 55 maiko 10.
b. Description of Geisha
According to Aihara 43, the word geisha the Tokyo dialect literally translated to ‘art person’ or ‘one trained in arts’ gei = art and sha = person. It is
also sometimes described as ‘woman of arts’, which is exactly described what a geisha is, that is a woman trained in the traditional arts of Japan, such as dancing,
playing music and singing. Perkins also stated the same thing. According to her, a geisha is also
known as a geigi or a geiko the Kyoto dialect; a woman skilled in classical dancing, singing, playing a banjo-like stringed instrument called shamisen and
witty conversation who entertains wealthy clients at banquets. A geisha is very knowledgeable about etiquette and the wearing of elaborate kimono 111.
Aihara stated that geisha districts are located in government-licensed pleasure quarters, which are called hanamachi or literally means ‘flower town’. In
fact, Kyoto has six hanamachi, they are: Gion-Kobu, Gion-Higashi, Ponto-cho, Kamishichiken, Miyagawa-cho and Shimabara. referred to Kyoto’s Gokagai or
Five Flower Towns; the sixth hanamachi is the oldest hanamachi of Kyoto, which is no longer active 11.
In the hanamachi, geisha live in a house that is called okiya. The okiya is managed based on the system of ie or ‘the family system’, where the address
20
system then is based on seniority. Aihara then stated in her book that okiya is managed by a woman, usually a former geisha, who is called ‘mother’ or okasan.
A geisha has to respect the ‘mother’ as if she were her own mother. The relationship with the ‘mother’ creates some duties and obligations for the geisha.
The geisha should obey the ‘mother’ without questioning her and be able to hide her true feeling 21.
Furthermore, being a geisha means mastering various Japanese arts. A geisha has to master some musical instruments, traditional dancing, Noh theatre,
ikebana or flower arrangement and chanoyu or tea ceremony. In order to master those arts, a geisha needs to practice different arts every day to sharpen her skills
82. Before a woman is considered to have the ability to become a geisha, she
has to be an apprentice geisha or maiko. A maiko is an apprentice geisha who must undergo a period of training that generally takes five years, where she learns
the various gei or arts, such as dancing, singing, playing music instruments, arranging flowers and doing tea ceremony. Usually, a maiko is tutored by an older
geisha, a senior successful geisha who is willing to adopt the maiko as her sister. The senior will tutor her in walking in kimono, holding a fan, pouring sake, doing
witty conversation, accompanying clients and learning to do tea ceremony. Yet, the maiko should obey her senior geisha before and after they are tied as sisters.
Next, the senior has a responsibility to introduce the maiko to famous teahouses and help them to learn the rules and customs in the world of geisha.
21
Aihara stated that the training period for maiko is called minarai or learning by observation. During minarai, a maiko does not speak too much at the
banquets; but only observes the ‘sister’- a senior geisha who becomes her sister. She observes her sister to learn about the proper social behavior in a banquet.
Generally, a maiko wears brighter colored kimono with long sleeves or furisode that reach her ankles when they are held to the side. Her sash or obi reaches the
back of her knees and it is wide around her waist 66. The older the geisha, the better she is. It is because an older geisha is the
best conversationalist and the real master of geisha skills. The most important quality of a geisha is her trustworthiness. Any information about and conversation
with the clients must be kept as a secret. A geisha even has some code names for her favorite clients and if she tells a story about them, she will never reveal their
names. A geisha who reveals her clients’ secret will be requested to commit seppuku
commit suicide by stabbing her own stomach in front of others since she is considered for dishonoring her proffesion.
c. World of Geisha
