About Japanese geisha

Geisha was born in Tokyo and Osaka in the17th century. The original geisha were all men. They live in brothels and casinos and perform dances and musical instruments. /kloc-In the middle of the 0/8th century, the geisha profession was gradually replaced by women, and this tradition has been passed down to this day.

In Tokyo and other places, kanto region is called "geisha" and the trainee stage is called "half jade"; Known as "Yunzi" in Kansai areas such as Kyoto and Osaka, pronounced as "Geiko", it was called "Maiko" in the trainee stage. After Meiji period, the pronunciation of "Geigi" became more and more common and became the modern standard Japanese pronunciation.

Geisha in Japanese Ukiyo-e Painting In Japanese, the word "prostitute" retains the traditional usage in China, which can represent both female artists and female sex workers. The "prostitute" of geisha refers to the former, because geisha is an art performer in principle and does not engage in sex trade. However, in modern Chinese, the word "prostitute" is often intuitively associated with sex trade, which is also the reason why the modern Chinese translation of "geisha" is taboo. In Japanese, "geisha" refers to male performers, such as kabuki, so some people think that "geisha" is the correct Chinese translation to show the difference.

Geisha are not prostitutes. Geigi (geigi) is a woman engaged in performing arts in Japan. In addition to catering for guests, a large part of them are entertained by dances, music, musical instruments and other performances at banquets. Their deal is to satisfy men's dreams-pleasure, romance and possessiveness. Usually they deal with rich and powerful people in the upper class. In expensive restaurants and teahouses, business men like to invite a geisha to accompany them, pour wine and serve, and adjust the atmosphere. It costs at least 1 10,000 dollars. Today, there are still a few women who join the geisha industry with romantic fantasies and love for traditional art, but before World War II, most geisha were forced to engage in this profession for a living.

Cultural development of geisha

Japanese geisha culture began to develop outward from Kyoto, and the origin of Kyoto geisha can be traced back to Dongshan, where the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto was located in about17th century.

Yasaka Shrine is a very famous shrine among many shrines and temples in Kyoto, with a long history. It is said that there were many people attending the Yasaka Shrine at that time, and many shops gathered nearby, forming a business district. Among them, there are many shops called "Water Teahouses", which sell snacks such as tea and jiaozi, so that believers from all over Japan can have a temporary rest place. The waitresses who work in these stores are called "tea girls" or "tea girls". Some tea girls will sing and dance to attract guests, which is the so-called modern management mode. After a long time, this business method has been introduced and its quality has been improved. For example, the performance of Sanwei Line has also been added. Under this virtuous circle, the business of some water teahouses is getting better and better, the scale is also expanding, and the types of goods are also increasing, such as wine and high-class cuisine.

Because the performance of tea girls is an important commercial technology, some owners of water teahouses began to train their tea girls in a planned way, which is the embryonic form of geisha culture. From an ordinary teahouse to an advanced pavilion, under the consideration of cost, the division of labor is becoming more and more detailed. Instead of supporting the training of geisha in various stores, it is better to concentrate on training and invite performances when necessary to bring greater economic benefits into play. As a result, professional training centers and operators named "Home Purchase" came into being.

In traditional Japan, women who pour wine at banquets without artistic training are called "wives" and have low social status. Prostitutes are generally called "girls" and "prodigal girls", among which the highest status is called "Taifu" and "Huakui". "Taifu" or "Huakui" is not only young and beautiful, but also has good attainments in tea ceremony, chorus, dance and incense. The service target is limited to dignitaries, and dignitaries also treat each other with courtesy, so their social status is relatively high. However, no matter whether it is a "girl", "wandering girl", "teacher" or "based on flowers", geisha's true identity is an artist, and her main job is to entertain guests.

However, due to the prosperity of the geisha industry and the romantic environment, there are some mercenary operators, so there are also geisha who were born because of social weak factors such as needing money to support their families and orphans, and signed prostitution contracts, or were sold by traffickers. Perhaps in order to pay off debts and get redemption at an early date, or perhaps unable to resist the temptation of money, some geisha began to engage in sex trade. Although traditionally, this kind of self-indulgence will be punished, in fact, until after the Second World War, this kind of prostitute-style geisha was widespread all over Japan, and many unscrupulous businessmen monopolized this business in disguise. Nevertheless, a truly first-class geisha still "sells art but not himself". "Selling art and not selling yourself" does not mean that geisha have no love life. On the contrary, a first-class geisha, like ordinary women, may only have one lover, named Dana, or even commit herself to him. Dana will also provide substantial help such as money to take care of the life needs of geisha. After quitting her job as a geisha, she married her lover and had a large family.

The geisha industry in Japanese history is quite developed. As a concentrated area, Kyoto was once full of art galleries with tens of thousands of artists. However, the geisha industry suffered a great blow after World War II. Only after the economic recovery, with the warming of the company's public relations industry and the prosperity of tourism, geisha flourished for a period of time. From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, there were still hundreds of geisha. However, with the bursting of the bubble economy, the company's business has decreased, and the geisha industry has once again fallen into a trough. It is estimated that there are only about 200 geisha in Kyoto at present, and the opportunity to accompany guests is greatly reduced. It can be said that "there are fewer and fewer cars and horses at her door". Some art galleries were used for other purposes, clothes and musical instruments were sold or rented, and geisha were transferred to nightclubs as waiters. The decline of geisha industry has become an indisputable fact.

Geisha in the traditional sense was not considered indecent in the past. On the contrary, many families are proud that their daughters can enter the art world. Because this not only shows that this family has a high cultural quality, but also has enough funds for her daughter to study art. Although this concept is not excessive today, geisha is still good in people's minds. In fact, being a geisha is really not easy. Generally speaking, it is very difficult to learn art from the age of 10 and complete the courses from culture, etiquette, language, decoration, poetry, piano and harp to bow and pour wine in five years. /kloc-you can go to the sea from the age of 0/6, first as a "dancer" and then as a geisha, and you can work until you are 30 years old. No matter how old you are, you can continue to work, but if you want to be demoted, you can only serve as a foil for young and famous geisha. As for the way out of old age, most of them are not optimistic. It is ideal to marry a rich man and live a stable life, but this is rare. It is also good for some people to use their skills to set up art schools or classes. If you have the opportunity to enter the company as a young lady, although it is only a "vase", you can still show your former style. Of course, many people degenerate into prostitution and even become prostitutes, which is very unfortunate.

The decline of geisha has also prompted some reforms to meet the requirements of the times, such as hiring women from places outside Kyoto, making a new face, setting up bars in teahouses to attract late-night visitors, and so on, which have not improved much. Because in the eyes of modern young men and women, geisha is out of date.

What makes Japanese men most satisfied is the conversation art of geisha. They know all about international news and gossip. They know how to cater to men's self-esteem, are good at observing words and feelings, and understand men's emotions. Their work is actually very tense, while men are completely relaxed.

It costs a lot of money to train a geisha, but once he becomes famous, the asking price is also very high, especially the young and beautiful senior geisha is more valuable, and ordinary people are afraid to ask for it, but the giant businessmen have money and spend less, and the big companies are willing to pay a lot of money. When the economy is booming, big companies always use geisha as a means of public relations to attract business.

Although geisha is still in decline, the scenery is no longer there. Decline is a trend, and extinction is only a matter of time. It is worth noting that geisha who are still engaged in this industry have not lost confidence. They think geisha is the "face" of Kyoto and Japan and should be preserved. They even travel around to improve their social status. Some people put it more clearly: geisha is the symbol of Kyoto, and traditional ancient culture must be protected. In recent years, there is still a tit-for-tat struggle between the decline and prosperity of geisha and the preservation and abolition.

The world of Japanese geisha has always been mysterious. Their industry is called "Hualiu World". This beautiful young geisha, with her face covered with makeup, charmed countless romantic figures. However, when you walk into their world, you will find that the real geisha life has a different taste.

Present situation of art and culture

It takes hard work to become a famous geisha.

The island island in Tokyo visited by the reporter is one of the six existing "flower willow circles". * * * There is a 18 pavilion (that is, a high-end hotel) that can provide geisha services. At present, there are 156 geisha living here, ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old. Traditionally, geisha must belong to a certain "combination". Then through "learning", that is, training, you can go to a banquet or perform on stage. "Xiangdao Modi Group" is not only the management organization of geisha, but also the training center. Here, the reporter visited the training of geisha with novelty and excitement, and further understood the true meaning of the word "art".

The content of the word "art"

At the entrance, the reporter saw that the clogs were arranged very neatly, and the big glass windows were covered with Xiao Mu cards with the names of geisha, which made people feel orderly. When you enter the mainland, you will hear drums and flutes. In a room, seven women wearing simple kimonos are dancing, which the director of combination affairs said was their professional Japanese dance training. Sure enough, a kimono man sat against the wall indoors, commanding the dancers from time to time, reminding them to make their bodies soft and light. The geisha in the other room is practicing playing. There are drummers and bagpipers, and they are all serious. The folk music classroom is next to the drum music practice. Two geisha are practicing Sanxian and singing Japanese folk songs under the guidance of their teachers. The songs are warm and euphemistic, and the cadence conveys the traditional rhythm. In this small "combination", geisha should learn everything by playing, playing and singing as much as possible until they are proficient. Therefore, a simple word "art" contains profound contents, and it may take them a lifetime to master it before they can become a "famous geisha"!

Face painted white because there was no electric light in the past.

In a large single room with a stage, reporters watched the dance performance of geisha, which is also the real state of their work. I saw geisha of different ages, wearing heavy makeup and bright kimonos, which was completely different from the convention. During the performance, the reporter talked with a young geisha named "Orange". She was only 22 years old. When she was 18 years old, she entered the "world of flowers and willows" and decided to become a geisha. She said that she had little free time. Get up at about nine o'clock in the morning, then come here for training, come home after lunch, take a shower and start preparing makeup. Usually around six o'clock in the afternoon, I will "accompany the guests". I can't get off work until about 2 o'clock in the middle of the night and go back to the dormitory to rest. She said that geisha should not only be good at singing and dancing, but also learn to receive guests and train their speaking skills to make them happy. The reporter asked her, is there any trouble in being a geisha? She smiled and said that drinking too much is mainly harmful to health. Therefore, we should always take medicine to protect the liver. Many of her sisters are like this.

Make women more attractive

Look carefully at the makeup of oranges. Although the face is white, the corners of the eyes are red, and there is no makeup on the hands. An elderly geisha said that red has no special meaning, but only makes women more attractive. The dance teacher added that geisha's face was painted very white, because there were no lights in the past, only candles. Only by painting like that can people look more beautiful. As for the geisha's hands not painted white, it is to show the geisha's cleanliness, so as to reassure the guests when providing catering services.

The disappearing cultural landscape

Geisha society has very standardized discipline. For example, women can't get married, but they can find a man to be Dana. In order to avoid competition, men can only be the "Dana" of women. It is said that women born in Bingwu will bring disaster to men and are not suitable for marriage. As a result, many Japanese women have been sent into the colorful world by their parents and remain single all their lives. It is precisely because geisha can sing and dance well and keep their virginity that many dignitaries worship them.

Now it is a sunset industry.

With the changes of the times, similar commandments in Japan no longer exist. Due to the strict training and hard life of geisha, coupled with the service industry that mainly pleases men, this industry has become a sunset industry with fewer and fewer people. It is said that there are more than 200 geisha now. Kyoto is the largest gathering place for geisha. At present, there are five "flower streets" (that is, places where geisha gather). Japan's "Sightseeing Kyoto Network" has also launched a special service of dining with maiko. The so-called maiko is a geisha who has not graduated. Because they are younger than geisha, they are very popular and expensive. If you find a dancer while dining in a high-class kiosk, the cost is as high as 7500 yen and the service time is 90 minutes.

A public relations lady like a geisha.

In order to attract tourists, many places in Japan have launched public relations services similar to geisha. Some of these people are college graduates and some are high school students. Although they have also received some skills training necessary for geisha, they can't be called real geisha. In order to promote the development of the geisha community, Kyoto has also introduced a geisha pension. The purpose is to make this ancient profession have a stable old-age security, thus attracting more young people. However, these cannot stop the decline of the geisha industry. Now, if she just turns her head and smiles, the image of a geisha with a hundred kinds of magic is becoming a symbol of Japanese culture and the pursuit of perfect women in this society.

Cultivation of geisha

In Japan, the conditions for being a geisha are very harsh, and the cost of studying art is also very high, which is beyond the affordability of ordinary families. Moreover, the process of learning art is very hard, and not all geisha can persist.

In ancient times, geisha generally began to learn art at the age of 10. Now, due to the restrictions of the Child Welfare Law and the Labor Standards Law, they cannot start studying art until they graduate from middle school (that is, around 65,438+04 years old and 65,438+05 years old), and the learning process is very difficult. Including culture, etiquette, language, decoration, poetry, harp, bowing, pouring wine and so on. And every move, word and deed has strict requirements, which embodies nobility and stability everywhere. For example, one of the contents of the training is that eating hot tofu can't make a sound, let alone touch lip gloss, which shows that the requirements are strict. You can officially be a geisha when you are 16 years old, and the whole performance course lasts for 5 years. Those who become geisha for the first time are called "maidens (or dancers)", and then they can officially become "geisha". Geisha's career usually ends at the age of 30. If you continue to be a geisha after the age of 30, you will be demoted and become a foil for young and beautiful prostitutes. Among geisha, older geisha are called "sisters".

The costumes of geisha

Most female prostitutes engaged in geisha industry are beautiful and delicate, with gorgeous costumes and erudite books, especially good at singing, dancing and playing the piano. Their main business is drinking and having fun with their guests. Geisha industry is a performing art, not to show off pornography, let alone sell yourself. But the bread here contains elements of female music in male huan, so it is called a geisha. Geisha is elegant but not vulgar, not only because it is different from prostitutes, but also because it is not excessive. Strangers are difficult to get involved in, and most of them are introduced by acquaintances or celebrities. Geisha mostly entertain guests in art galleries, but sometimes they are invited to accompany guests in teahouses and restaurants. According to industry regulations, geisha are not allowed to get married during their work and life, otherwise they must retire first to keep their "pure" image.

Geisha's clothing is very gorgeous kimono, with excellent workmanship, texture and decoration, so it is also extremely expensive, generally above 500,000 yen, and some even reach 6.5438+00,000 yen. The costumes of maiko in Kyoto are even more famous. They are hung elegantly and are called "だらりの". These things are quite heavy, and considerable strength is needed between bundles, so they are often helped by footmen called "men".

The special dress of maiko and the kimono worn by maiko and young geisha are called "Yin Yin", and the part from the belt to the skirt is called "Yin Yin". When walking outside, maiko and young geisha will definitely put their left hands on this paragraph, which means "busking without selling themselves".

Although the costumes of geisha are classified as kimonos, they are actually different from traditional kimonos. Traditional kimono has a high back collar, which usually tightly wraps around a woman's neck. However, the kimono collar worn by geisha is open and deliberately leans backwards, so that the geisha's neck is completely exposed.

Geisha is also very particular about makeup. There are special procedures for applying heavy makeup, and the materials used are mainly traditional raw materials. The most striking thing is that a geisha will evenly coat her face and neck with a liquid white pigment, so she looks like a gorgeous doll.

Geisha performance

Geisha usually live in seclusion. Usually, people can only see geisha rushing from residence to teahouse or from teahouse to residence in public places. They form a small circle, and it is difficult for ordinary people to spy on their lives, thus arousing people's curiosity and interest in their lives. Geisha has a high income and extraordinary temperament, but her ability to take care of herself in daily life is poor. In view of this, geisha's employers will provide personal nannies for geisha to take care of their daily life and diet.

Excellent geisha often become the target pursued by dignitaries, including two of many of its kind. In ancient Japan, married women had to give up their jobs as geisha, and it was not until modern times that this rule was gradually abolished, so that geisha could lead a normal life. However, most women still follow the tradition and leave the geisha ranks after marriage, but there are also a few people who return to the geisha industry after divorce, among which Nakamura Kiharu is the most famous in contemporary times.

When a geisha attends a banquet, a man will accompany him with a box of shamisen. In addition to doing chores for geisha who are inconvenient to move because of dressing up, they are also responsible for protecting geisha from being harassed by drunkards and disciples.

In a narrow sense, the props used by geisha in performances refer to hand-held performance tools, including various musical instruments and ornaments; Broadly speaking, it should include all the knowledge learned by prostitutes, song and dance accompanists and even geisha. Because geisha's reception of guests is not limited to song and dance performances, they provide many activities that can add fun to guests' banquets.

At first, geisha only performed in art galleries. Later, geisha began to haunt teahouses, restaurants and kiosks because they had to attend banquets of dignitaries. With the changes of the times and the impact of modern western culture, the pressure of geisha's decline is increasing, forcing geisha art to change its tradition, and geisha practitioners are also allowed to entertain guests in the special bar of the teahouse.

Geisha performances can be roughly divided into "cubes" and "places".

"Cube" refers to dancers, and "place" refers to performers who sing songs such as "Longbai" and "Love" and play Taigu and Sanwei Line. Because "local" performances are difficult and require long-term training to be competent, they are mostly performed by senior geisha. "Cubic" performance is relatively easy, so it is generally performed by junior geisha and maiko. In addition to the above two performances, geisha also has traditional Japanese art performances such as tea ceremony and incense road. Besides, geisha are trained to speak, so there are many talkative people. After the performance, they will also chat with the guests to increase the atmosphere. The performance fee paid by customers to geisha is called "line fragrance generation" or "jade generation", and Kyoto is specifically called "flower generation".