“Geishas were not allowed to sleep with clients”: dispelling myths about Japanese geishas (11 photos)

Geisha is a symbol of Japan. However, how much do we know about geishas? Most believe that geishas are Japanese prostitutes who cover their faces with a thick layer of white paint.

There’s just one thing: a geisha is not promiscuous, she doesn’t cover her face with white paint, and the first geishas were men.





That's it. Let's see what else interesting you can learn about geishas.

1. The first geishas were men



Female geisha only appeared in the 1750s. And then even the idea that girls could be geishas was considered very strange.

In fact, there was no such word as “geisha” until the 1600s. But the concept itself has existed for more than 500 years.

Since the 13th century, men have been doing the same things that more modern geishas do - entertaining men with conversations, pouring tea for them, singing songs and telling jokes.

But already in the 1600s, these men began to call themselves geisha and work in brothels with elite prostitutes. Male geishas entertained guests while they waited their turn.

2. Geisha were never prostitutes





In fact, geishas were even prohibited from sleeping with their clients. They, we repeat, only entertained men while they waited their turn to sleep with oiran - that’s what elite prostitutes were called in Japan.

Some brothels did not even allow geisha to sit too close to the men for fear that they would steal clients from the oiran.

3. The word “geisha” (“geisha”) is literally translated as “man of art”



To become a geisha, it was necessary to undergo very complex training, which began when the girl turned 6 and lasted at least 5 years. Moreover, the training, one might say, never stopped: geisha honed their art every day.

They were known for composing their own “melancholy” songs and melodies, slow and graceful dances, characterized by deep symbolism.

4. Prostitutes called themselves geisha to attract foreigners



At the end of World War II, the American military was based in Japan. And prostitutes literally rushed at them, calling themselves geishas in the hope that the soldiers would buy into the exoticism. The girls had nothing to eat, and a night with a foreigner promised good money.

5. The “geisha” you see in photos on the internet are actually maikos.



Maiko is an apprentice geisha. And this maiko's face is usually covered with white paint. Geisha paint their faces white only on special occasions, and then only young geisha do this. The older the geisha, the simpler her outfit and makeup.

6. The predecessors of geishas were women who dressed as men.



Before geishas, there were shirabyoshi - women who dressed as men. They danced and entertained the guests. There is no reliable information about why shirabyoshi wore men's kimonos. But many believe that they did this because the samurai back then were not averse to sleeping with boys.

7. Most geishas were bald.



Many geishas had bald spots on the top of their heads, which they covered with wigs or combs when going to work.

This is because when they were maiko, they had to wear extravagant hairstyles in which the hair was always pulled very tightly at the back of the head. Geisha were proud of these bald heads and considered them a “maiko medal,” a symbol of how much they had to endure before becoming professional geisha.

8. The older the geisha, the more in demand she is.



It is believed that the older a geisha is, the more experience she has accumulated. The oldest geisha, Yuko Asakusa, is 94 years old! She entered the profession at the age of 16! Now Yuko is ordered only by the rich and politicians who are willing to pay a considerable price for her services.

9. Geisha training is so hard that it is now illegal.



Of course, there are still geishas in Japan, but they are taught in a completely different way.

Training begins at age 15 rather than age 6, and often classes are held only once a week.

Now there are only about 250 female geisha in Kyoto, but a century ago there were 2 thousand.

In 1998, some parents wanted to send their daughter to classical geisha training, but they were sent to prison. And this is not surprising, because they essentially sold their child. Previously, geisha training began with this.

10. There are still male geishas in Japan



In the Kabukicho quarter of Tokyo alone, you can count about 7 thousand male geishas. In general, they are now called Khosuto. They do not have the talents of geishas, but they can drink with a lady and shower her with compliments.