Beauty is a vague word that is hard to define. But each country has managed to produce it’s own perception and definition of this word that transcends time. In India, long, thick, dark hair is a necessity to be considered beautiful. In China, beauty is achieved by having small feet. But rarely are human beings considered utterly beautiful in all aspects. This is something that the Geisha of Japan were able to achieve. The Geisha were women who embodied Japan’s idea of perfection in all areas, with skills involving the art of conversation, painting, and anything pertaining to femininity. The average Geisha would far surpass any ordinary girl with talent, grace, and Japan’s meaning of beauty by a very young age. However, Geisha represent much more--they are the embodiment of Japanese culture, preserving it and shaping it to this very day. Geisha played a large role in the Japanese society by contributing to its view of women, upholding the arts, and preserving Japanese traditions for the future.
In essence, Geisha are women of the arts, which is exactly what their title means (Layton 1). Geisha are highly skilled musicians, artists, and conversationalists. They understand the inner workings of a man’s mind, knowing how to flatter, amuse, and bewitch him (Cobb 2). While a Geisha may have focused on developing and expanding one of their favorite arts, they certainly would have mastered them all (Layton 2). But in order to be so skilled, these Geisha begin extensive training at a young age--around seven years old. Their strenuous studies would normally last six years, until they found an apprentice (Layton 6-9). Geisha also were learned in the areas of tea ceremony, calligraphy, dance, and the samisen (Cobb 5). They also were taught social graces and flower arrangement (Layton 8-9), as well as traditional Japanese instruments such as the samisen, koto, shimdaiko, and fue (Layton 7). In this way, the Japanese women upheld and preserved traditional Japanese arts.
Additionally, Geisha women were considered the fashion icons of Japan, influencing the idea of a beautiful, flawless woman (Cobbs 1). In fact, when one thinks of a Japanese woman, it is often an image of a Geisha that surfaces. Geisha style is described as “iki (Perkins 111).” They cover their faces with thick white paint called o-shiroi (Perkins 203). Also, geisha outline their faces with red makeup and wear elaborately decorated wigs (Perkins 203). Each of these wigs carries meaning about the wearer, displaying their knowledge level and status. Elder geisha would wear oil, wax, white powder, and lipstick (Layton 19). One feature that set geisha’s kimono apart from others was that it exposed the neckline, which the Japanese considered to be beautiful (Layton 17). These women dressed in long silk kimonos that costed over $1000 each (Layton 18). Their flawless makeup and manners exemplify the Japanese image of the perfect woman. (Cobb 4)
The Geisha had a very unique job where they implemented their talents. Geisha were essentially entertainers who were responsible for maintaining an inviting atmosphere in a party. They would roam around and converse with people, soothing conflict and making guests feel comfortable and happy (Layton 14). Geisha were so proficient in this area that they could even encourage the most disinterested man to speak and enjoy himself (Layton 9). This was not just a fun social activity--keeping a party interesting was a Geisha’s most important role. Parties were their workplace (Layton 14). Geisha parties would cost from $200-$300 per two hours (Layton 11); they were a luxury that only a very wealthy men could afford. These women would have a patron who was involved emotionally and economically. It was this patron who would sponsor their expensive clothing and training (Geisha 446).
In the past, Geisha were highly popular figures with pivotal roles in society. The first Geisha started out as men, but by the 18th century, women dominated this field (Cobb 1). Although the early Geisha were born into the trade or sold into it by lower class families, this practice ended after World War II (Cobb 1). The career path soon began to flourish, with women having much more power because they lived in a strictly matriarchal society (Layton 5) . In Geisha towns, where Geisha worked together to support one another, women ran all of the businesses (Cobb 4). This was also a career allowing women much freedom to show themselves in public, unlike other women who would have to abide to the image of the ideal Japanese wife. These women would normally be bound to this career for the rest of their lives, unless they married or chose to leave and work as a bartender or waitress, where they could exercise their talent and knowledge (Geisha 446). Being a Geisha came with societal perks and benefits, so it was not uncommon to see Geisha stick to this honorable career into their late ages.
As can be guessed, this was not the case for all women in Japanese society. There was a severe job discrimination against women in Japan, making it very difficult for women to find work (Reischauer 204). This may have been because society still followed Confucian views on women, seeing the purpose as women to bear children and care for the family (Reischauer 204-205). Confucian views tended to be puritanical, which meant they emphasized strict moral behaviour. Because of this, love between the husband and wife could sometimes be viewed as weakness (Reischauer 205). In the past, The average Japanese couple did not spend much time together and women were expected to remain highly faithful (Reischauer 207). This is where Geisha came in.
Geisha played a part in Japan’s perception of women in their status in society. Japanese wives were regularly excluded from the public, so Geisha took their place during public gatherings (Layton 1). The ideal Japanese wife was expected to stay home and educate children as well as manage finances (Reischauer 209). These women had to stay highly faithful to their husbands and rarely left the house. On the other hand, men were allowed much more freedom to pursue the company of others and even other women (Reischauer 207). They relied on Geisha to sing, dance, and flirt with them, usually having little romantic connection with their wives. Geisha knew the art of conversation and how to keep a man happy, interested, and captivated. They were up to date and fluent with all of the latest news and gossip as well (Reischauer 206).
Evidently, Japan views the Geisha as very important to their culture, taking efforts to add to their diminishing numbers. For instance, about 30 years ago, there were 220 professional Geisha working at the seaside resort, Shimoda. This number has been reduced to 5 part-time professionals (Treble 1). Japan fears that it will lose some of it’s vital culture and art. As a result, Shimoda spent about $70,000 worth of government subsidies to train three new Geisha. Other Geisha applicants were paid $400 weekly. Also, programs have been set up to allow tourists to view training sessions, spreading the culture and raising awareness (Treble 1). The Geisha head is very grateful for the help, and Japan’s cultural symbols have hope of growing into something greater.
As can be seen, the Geisha are a pride of Japan, being leaders in various areas such as fashion, makeup, and anything involving the arts. These women had a great impact on women in Japanese culture and society as a whole, being the stars of their days. They were the masters of men, the perfect women, and the rebel ladies who carved their own path and future, not wanting to give in to the societal constrictions that fall upon women. Although they may not be as prominent today as they once were, citizens can be assured that these women and all they stood for will never be lost.