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64-698: The theatre was originally built in 1925 to provide a venue for the Azuma Odori geisha dance performances, by Kawamura Tokutarō , manager of the Morikawa geisha house, who raised two million yen in capital and established the Shinbashi Enbujō Corporation. The site, by chance, was formerly that of the Matsudaira clan residence which serves as the setting for the kabuki play " Kagamiyama Kokyō no Nishikie ." Construction began in 1923, and

128-538: A courtesan accused a geisha of stealing her customers and business of sex and entertainment, an official investigation was opened, with the potential for a geisha to lose her right to practice the profession. Geisha were also forbidden from wearing particularly flashy hairpins or kimono, both of which were hallmarks of higher-ranking courtesans, who were considered to be a part of the upper classes. Despite their official status as lower-class entertainers, geisha continued to grow in popularity. While courtesans existed to meet

192-425: A full face of traditional white makeup during stage performances or on special occasions. Older geisha generally stop wearing oshiroi around the same time they stop wearing hikizuri to parties. For a short period before becoming a geisha, maiko in some geisha districts colour their teeth black , usually accompanied by wearing the sakkō hairstyle and a decorated black formal kimono. Teeth blackening

256-422: A geisha who slept with customers as well as entertaining them through performing arts – yujō ("prostitute") and jorō ("whore") geisha, whose only entertainment for male customers was sex, and machi geisha, who did not, officially and in reality, sleep with customers at all. By the end of the 19th century, courtesans no longer held the celebrity status they once did. This trend would continue until

320-648: A growing number of geisha have complained to the authorities about being pursued and harassed by groups of tourists keen to take their photograph when out walking. As a result, tourists in Kyoto have been warned not to harass geisha on the streets, with local residents of the city and businesses in the areas surrounding the hanamachi of Kyoto launching patrols throughout Gion in order to prevent tourists from doing so. A geisha's appearance changes symbolically throughout her career, representing her training and seniority. Apprentice geisha typically appear in one style of dress,

384-428: A kimono with a trailing skirt to every banquet, and may choose not to wear white makeup and a wig at all as she grows older. Changes, and style of appearance, vary depending on the region of Japan a geisha or apprentice geisha works in; however, there is a general progression of appearance that can be seen as applicable to all geisha. Both maiko and geisha wear traditional white foundation known as oshiroi . In

448-477: A living by entertaining at high-class social gatherings. After the imperial court moved the capital to Heian-kyō (Kyoto) in 794 , aspects of now-traditional Japanese art forms and aesthetic ideals began to develop, which would later contribute to the conditions under which the geisha profession emerged. Skilled female performers, such as shirabyōshi dancers, thrived under the Imperial court, creating

512-475: A manner deemed respectable to their status. As the tastes of the merchant classes for kabuki and geisha became widely popular, laws introduced to effectively neuter the appearances and tastes of geisha and their customers were passed. This, however, had the adverse effect of leading to the rise in popularity of more refined and subversive aesthetical senses within those classes, further alienating courtesans and their patrons from popularity and contemporary taste;

576-475: A name for themselves as talented musicians, dancers or poets,instead of becoming a prostitute. In the next two decades, female geisha became well known for their talents as entertainers in their own right; these performers often worked in the same establishments as male geisha. By 1800, the profession of geisha was understood to be almost entirely female, and was established as a distinct role in its own right; however, geisha were, throughout various points within

640-497: A patron you could stop working. If you were lucky you would be set up in your own apartment and have a life of leisure, taking lessons when you wanted to for your own enjoyment   [...] I think it's pretty unusual nowadays for a geisha to stop working when she gets a patron." The status of geisha in Japanese society also changed drastically after the war. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, much discussion had taken place surrounding

704-633: A patron, and were less likely than other women of the same age to have both children and an extended family to support them. In 1989, it was reported in the New York Times that there were an estimated 600-700 geisha left throughout the whole of Japan. Modern geisha mostly still live in okiya they are affiliated with, particularly during their apprenticeship, and are legally required to be registered to one, though they may not live there every day. Many experienced geisha are successful enough to choose to live independently, though living independently

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768-404: A result. However, following the advent of wider accessibility to the internet from the mid-2000s onwards, a greater number of recruits have decided to join the profession with no existing ties to the karyūkai through watching online documentaries and reading websites set up by okiya to promote their business; documentary pieces commonly inspire young women to join the profession, such as

832-477: A system for Imperial Household Artists ( 帝室技芸員 , Teishitsu Gigei-in ) was in place. Under the 1950 Law for Protection of Cultural Properties, intangible cultural properties are defined as dramatic, musical, artistic, and other intangible cultural artifacts of high value in terms of Japanese history or art (Article 2, Section 1, Part 2). Those intangible cultural properties of especial importance can be designated as "Important Intangible Cultural Properties" by

896-459: Is a term for those designated as keepers of important intangible cultural properties. It is considered to be a great honor as a national living treasure. There are three types of certification: Of the three types, generally only those to have received "Individual Certification" are referred to as Living National Treasures. Those working in artistic fields such as drama and music receive Individual and Collective Certifications, while those working in

960-556: Is characterised by long, trailing kimono , traditional hairstyles and oshiroi make-up. Geisha entertain at parties known as ozashiki , often for the entertainment of wealthy clientele, as well as performing on stage and at festivals. The first female geisha appeared in 1751, with geisha before that time being male performers who entertained guests. Only later did the profession become mainly characterised by female workers. The arts that geisha perform are considered highly developed and, in some cases, unique throughout Japan to

1024-468: Is more common in some geisha districts – such as those in Tokyo – than others. Geisha are often hired to attend parties and gatherings, traditionally at tea houses or traditional Japanese restaurants ( ryōtei ). The charge for a geisha's time, previously determined by the time it took to burn one incense stick (known as senkōdai ( 線香代 , "incense stick fee") ) or gyokudai ( 玉代 , "jewel fee") ,

1088-470: The kokyū (a type of bowed shamisen ) and the koto (a 13-stringed harp). Some mikos and wander female performers also performed theatrical plays, dances and skits. One such person was Izumo no Okuni , whose theatrical performances on the dry riverbed of the Kamo River are considered to be the beginnings of kabuki theatre. Following their inception by the shogunate in the 17th century,

1152-534: The Edo period , unable to work outside of the pleasure quarters, being affected by reforms aimed at either limiting or shutting down the pleasure quarters. These reforms were often inconsistent, and were repealed at various times. Once established as an independent profession, a number of edicts were then introduced in order to protect the business of courtesans and separate the two professions. Geisha were firstly forbidden from selling sex, though many continued to do so; if

1216-533: The Meiji period , as well as kabuki. The Kabuki-za , located several blocks away, is the chief kabuki theatre in the world. It plays somewhat the role of a storehouse of tradition, and its stage is usually dominated by the top star actors in the genre. By contrast, many more experimental forms within the kabuki genre, as well as plays starring younger actors, are performed at the Shinbashi Enbujō. These include

1280-661: The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as based on Japan's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties ( 文化財保護法 , Bunkazai Hogohō ) . The term "Living National Treasure" is not formally mentioned in the law, but is an informal term referencing the cultural properties designated as the National Treasures . The Japanese government provides a subsidy of 2 million yen per person per year for Living National Treasures. The total amount of

1344-487: The Standard-Examiner reported the plight of geisha in an article written for the magazine Bungei Shunju by Japanese businessman Tsûsai Sugawara . Sugawara stated that girls now "prefer[red] to become dancers, models, and cabaret and bar hostesses rather than start [the] training in music and dancing at the age of seven or eight" necessary to become geisha at the time. Compulsory education laws passed in

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1408-468: The Super Kabuki form pioneered by Ichikawa Ennosuke III , which incorporates Western music, Chinese, Indian, and other non-Japanese stylistic influences, and over-the-top stage special effects beyond that seen in typical kabuki, and the hanagata kabuki ( 花形歌舞伎 , lit. "star actor kabuki" or "floral pattern kabuki" ) performances featuring the younger generation of kabuki stars. The building

1472-509: The criminalisation of prostitution in Japan in 1956. World War II brought lasting change to the geisha profession; before the war, geisha numbers, despite seeing competition from jokyū (café girls, the precursor to the bar hostess profession in Japan), had been as high as 80,000, however, following the closure of all geisha districts in 1944, mostly all geisha had been conscripted into

1536-498: The 1680s, odoriko had become popular entertainers and were often paid to perform in the private homes of upper-class samurai. These dancing girls, who were too young to be called geisha but too old (over twenty) to be called odoriko, began to be called geiko. By the early 18th century, lots of these odoriko had also begun offering sexual services as well as chaste performances. Performers who were no longer teenagers (and could no longer style themselves odoriko ).At that time,

1600-492: The 1800s, the role and status of courtesans as artistic and romantic entertainers were a tradition that geisha came to inherit, with the basic artforms of entertaining guests through song, dance and conversation being employed and adapted to contemporary tastes by geisha. Walled-in pleasure quarters known as yūkaku ( 遊廓/遊郭 ) were built in the 16th century, with the shogunate designating prostitution illegal to practice outside of these "pleasure quarters" in 1617. Within

1664-547: The 1960s effectively shortened the period of training for geisha apprentices, as girls could no longer be taken on at a young age to be trained throughout their teenage years. This led to a decline in women entering the profession, as most okiya required a recruit to be at least somewhat competent and trained in the arts she would later go on to use as a geisha; by about 1975, okiya mothers in Kyoto began accepting both recruits from different areas of Japan in larger numbers, and recruits with little to no previous experience in

1728-477: The American military occupying Japan. In 1945, the karyūkai saw restrictions on its practices lifted with teahouses, bars, and geisha houses ( okiya ) allowed to open again. Though many geisha did not return to the hanamachi after the war, it was evident that working as a geisha was still considered to be a lucrative and viable career, with numbers increasing quickly. The vast majority of geisha after

1792-458: The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Article 71, Section 1). In other words, intangible cultural properties are certain artistic skills. Those individuals or groups who have attained high levels of mastery in those certain skills can be designated as preservers of them by the Japanese government for the purpose of ensuring their continuation. Living National Treasure

1856-410: The appointments taken by a geisha and her schedule. In modern Japan, geisha and their apprentices are a rarer sight outside of the hanamachi or chayagai ( 茶屋街 , "tea house district", often referred to as "entertainment district") ; most sightings of geisha and maiko in and around cities such as Kyoto are actually tourists who pay a fee to be dressed up as either a maiko or geisha for

1920-434: The celebrities of their day. Around the turn of the 18th century, the first geisha, or forerunners of geisha, performing for guests of the pleasure quarters began to appear; these entertainers, who provided song and dance, developed from a number of sources. Some geisha, who were something of travelling entertainers going from party to party, were men, who would entertain the customers of courtesans through song and dance. At

1984-536: The country, in 1955. A number of terms are used to describe the profession and community that geisha both live and work in. Though each has its own distinct meaning and translation, some are used interchangeably to describe the geisha community on the whole, such as hanamachi and karyūkai . In the early stages of Japanese history , saburuko (serving girls) were mostly wandering girls whose families had been displaced by war. Some of these saburuko girls offered sexual services for money while others made

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2048-519: The crafts receive Individual or Preservation Group Certifications. The Japanese government , with the goal of preserving important intangible cultural assets, provides a special annual grant of 2 million yen to Living National Treasures. In the case of groups, the government helps defray the costs of public exhibitions and activities necessary to continue the group. The National Theater of Japan provides training programs to help train successors in such arts as Noh , bunraku , and kabuki . Many of

2112-455: The day, a practice known as henshin . Over time the number of geisha has declined, despite the efforts of those within the profession. Factors include the nature of the economy, declining interest in the traditional arts, the exclusive and closed-off nature of the karyūkai , and the expense of being entertained by geisha. The number of maiko and geisha in Kyoto fell from 76 and 548 in 1965 respectively to just 71 and 202 in 2006 as

2176-446: The eyes and eyebrows than senior maiko . Younger apprentices may also paint their eyebrows slightly shorter or rounder to emphasise a youthful appearance. Maiko wear noticeably more blush – known as tonoko – than geisha. Young apprentices may have the mother of the house or their "older sister" mentors help them apply makeup. Geisha wear more black around the eyes and eyebrows than maiko . Older geisha tend only to wear

2240-509: The geisha Satsuki, who later became the most popular geisha in Gion for a seven-year period: [Geisha] Satsuki first took an interest in the kagai while a middle school student in Osaka, at around the age of 14, after seeing a documentary about a maiko 's training. "I already had heard of maiko , but it was when I saw the documentary that I thought – I want to do that." In recent years,

2304-523: The geisha did not experience the rapid decline and eventual death that courtesans had experienced in the previous century, they were instead rendered as "protectors of tradition" in favour of preserving the image geisha had cultivated over time. Nonetheless, in the decades after the war, the profession's practices still underwent some changes. Following the introduction of the Prostitution Prevention Law in 1956, geisha benefited from

2368-455: The incumbent pressures of the war rapidly turned the tide against Westernisation, leading to an effective abandonment of most radical "Western-style" geisha experiments. After the war, geisha unanimously returned to wearing kimono and practicing the traditional arts, abandoning all experimental geisha styles of appearance and entertainment. This, however, led to the final blow for the profession's reputation as fashionable in wider society; though

2432-494: The introduction of laws on dress only furthered the popularity of geisha as refined and fashionable companions for men. As a result, over time, courtesans of both higher and lower ranks began to fall out of fashion, seen as gaudy and old-fashioned. By the 1830s, geisha were considered to be the premiere fashion and style icons in Japanese society, and were emulated by women of the time. Many fashion trends started by geisha soon became widely popular, with some continuing to this day;

2496-465: The introduction of various laws intended to clamp down on and regulate the lower classes – in particular, the emerging merchant classes who had established themselves as the premiere patrons of geisha. Both had, over time, come to hold much of the purchasing power within Japan, with their status as lower class allowing them a degree of freedom in their tastes of dress and entertainment, in contrast to upper-class families who had little choice but to appear in

2560-525: The most formal, the entire time they are working: a long-sleeved kimono with a trailing skirt, a formal obi which may be extremely long, full white makeup and a traditional hairstyle , which is done using the apprentice's own hair. A geisha, in contrast, may not be called to wear her most formal outfit (a trailing kurotomesode with an obi of matching formality, a wig and full white makeup) to every engagement. Though apprentice geisha appear in their most formal dress when attending engagements all of

2624-490: The needs of upper-class men (who could not respectably be seen to visit a lower-class prostitute) and prostitutes met the sexual needs of lower-class men, this left a gap of skilled and refined entertainers for the emerging merchant classes, who, though wealthy, were unable to access courtesans because of their social class. The status of courtesans as celebrities and arbiters of fashion had also waned considerably. The art forms they practiced had become stiffly-cherished relics of

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2688-405: The official criminalisation of practices such as mizuage , a practice that had at times been undertaken coercively or through force by some maiko in mostly pre-war Japan. Despite this, the misconception of geisha being on some level prostitutes and of mizuage being a common practice continues, inaccurately, to this day. After Japan lost the war, geisha dispersed and the profession

2752-424: The past, this white makeup – formerly made with lead – would have illuminated the face of a geisha when the only lighting available was candlelight . Oshiroi is worn with red and black eye and eyebrow makeup, red lips and light pink blusher. Both maiko and geisha underpaint their lips with a red lipstick known as beni . First-year apprentice geisha paint only the lower lip, and wear less black around

2816-430: The pleasure quarters quickly became popular entertainment centres that developed their own additional forms of entertainment outside of sex. The highly accomplished courtesans of these districts entertained their clients by dancing, singing, and playing music. Some were renowned poets and calligraphers as well; the development of the cultural arts of the pleasure quarters led to the rise in oiran being considered to be

2880-457: The pleasure quarters, yūjo ( 遊女 , "[women] of pleasure") – a term used to refer to prostitutes as a whole – were classified and licensed , the upper echelons of which were referred to as oiran , a category with its own internal ranks, the highest of which being the tayū . Though women in the lower ranks of yūjo did not provide as much artistic entertainment as they did sexual, oiran , whilst still prostitutes, also included

2944-404: The same time, the forerunners of female geisha, the teenage odoriko ("dancing girls") , developed trained and hired as chaste dancers-for-hire within these teahouses. Further still, some courtesans, whose contracts within the pleasure quarters had ended, chose to stay on to provide musical entertainment to guests, making use of the skills they had formerly developed as part of their job. In

3008-424: The status of geisha in a rapidly-Westernising Japanese society. Some geisha had begun to experiment with wearing Western clothing to engagements, learning Western-style dancing, and serving cocktails to customers instead of sake. The image of a "modern" pre-war geisha had been viewed by some as unprofessional and a betrayal of the profession's image, but as a necessary change and an obvious evolution by others. However,

3072-525: The subsidy is determined by the national budget, and since 2002 it has been 232 million yen. Therefore, the number of Living National Treasures in existence is a maximum of 116, and if there are 116 Living National Treasures, no person with any outstanding skills will be newly designated as a Living National Treasure unless a vacancy occurs due to death. By December 1, 2020, 371 persons had been designated as Living National Treasures, and as of February 1, 2021 , 111 of them are still alive. Before 1947,

3136-406: The time, this appearance is not static, and the seniority of apprentices can generally be distinguished visually by changes to makeup, hairstyle and hair accessories. When an apprentice becomes a full geisha, her style of kimono changes from a long-sleeved one with a typically long obi to a short-sleeved one with an obi of the same length worn by any woman who wears a kimono; she may not wear

3200-493: The traditional arts as a key aspect of their entertainment, their practice of which differed considerably from those of geisha. As oiran were considered to be low-ranking members of the nobility, the instruments they played and the songs they sang were often confined to those considered "respectable" enough for the upper classes. This typically meant that oiran sang long, traditional ballads ( nagauta ( lit.   ' long songs ' ) ), and played instruments such as

3264-498: The traditional arts. Before this point, the number of maiko in had dropped from 80 to just 30 between 1965 and 1975. By 1975, the average age of a geisha in the Ponto-chō district of Kyoto was roughly 39, with the vast majority being aged 35–49. The population of geisha at this time was also surprisingly high, roughly equivalent to the numbers of young women within the profession; geisha no longer retired young when they found

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3328-517: The traditions of female dance and performance that would later lead to both the development of geisha and kabuki actors. During the Heian period, ideals surrounding relationships with women, sexual or otherwise, did not emphasise fidelity, with marriage within the Heian court considered a relatively casual arrangement. Men were not expected to be faithful to their wives, while women were expected to remain faithful to their husbands. The ideal wife instead

3392-406: The upper classes, as had their manner of speech and their increasingly gaudy appearance. In contrast, machi geisha ( lit.   ' town geisha ' ) had begun to successfully establish themselves as worldly, cutting-edge entertainers, more artistically daring than their cloistered, indentured cousins, and able to come and go and dress as they pleased. This popularity was then increased by

3456-437: The war effort proper, with many finding work in factories or elsewhere through customers and patrons. Though geisha returned to the karyūkai relatively quickly after the war, many had decided to stay on in their wartime jobs, considering it to be a more stable form of employment. Both during and after the war, the geisha name lost some status, as some prostitutes began referring to themselves as " geisha girls " to members of

3520-459: The war were aged 20–24, as many retired in their mid-twenties after finding a patron – a trend carried over from the pre-war karyūkai : I showed the mother of the Yamabuki [ okiya , in 1975] some statistics on the age distribution of the geisha population in the 1920s. She remarked on the big dip in figures when women reached the age of twenty-five. "In those days, when you found yourself

3584-432: The wearing of haori by women, for example, was first started by geisha from the Tokyo hanamachi of Fukagawa in the early 1800s. There were considered to be many classifications and ranks of geisha, though some were colloquial or closer to a tongue-in-cheek nicknames than an official ranking. Some geisha would sleep with their customers, whereas others would not, leading to distinctions such as kuruwa geisha –

3648-425: The word "geiko" became synonymous with illegal prostitute. The first woman known to have called herself "geisha" was a prostitute from Fukagawa , roughly around 1750, who had become a skilled singer and shamisen player. The geisha, who took the name of Kikuya, became an immediate success, bringing greater popularity to the idea of female geisha. Following Kikuya's success as a geisha, many girls began to make

3712-534: The world of geisha. For example, the Gion district of Kyoto is the only district wherein the kyo-mai style of Japanese traditional dance is taught. This style of dance is taught solely to the geisha within the district by the Inoue school, with the school's former head, Inoue Yachiyo , having been classified as a " Living National Treasure " by the Government of Japan, the highest artistic award attainable in

3776-991: Was destroyed in the Allied bombing of Tokyo during World War II , but was reconstructed in 1948. Major renovations were undertaken in 1982, incorporating technological upgrades, extra seating, and expanding to take over the nearby Nissan Motors Building. The Shinbashi Enbujō was the main kabuki theater from 2010 until March 2013 while the Kabuki-za theater was undergoing construction. Geisha Geisha ( 芸者 ) ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ ʃ ə / ; Japanese: [ɡeːɕa] ), also known as geiko ( 芸子 ) (in Kyoto and Kanazawa ) or geigi ( 芸妓 ) , are female Japanese performing artists and entertainers trained in traditional Japanese performing arts styles , such as dance , music and singing , as well as being proficient conversationalists and hosts. Their distinct appearance

3840-410: Was halted following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake , but was completed in 1925. The theatre entered into a contract in 1940 with Shōchiku , a major film and theatre production company, today the chief kabuki production company. Since becoming associated with Shochiku, the theatre has regularly seen productions ranging from modern drama and musicals to the shinpa (New School) genre developed in

3904-508: Was in shambles. When they regrouped during the Occupation and began to flourish in the 1960s during Japan's postwar economic boom, the geisha world changed. In modern Japan, girls are not sold into indentured service. Nowadays, a geisha's sex life is her private affair. From the 1930s onwards, the rise of the jokyū bar hostess began to overshadow geisha as the premiere profession of entertainment at parties and outings for men. In 1959,

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3968-401: Was modernised during the 19th century to a flat fee charged per hour. In Kyoto, the terms ohana ( お花 ) and hanadai ( 花代 ) (both meaning "flower fees") are used instead as part of the Kyoto dialect. However, appointments and arrangements are still made by the mother of the house (the okasan ) through the official registry office ( 検番 , kenban ) , which keeps a record of both

4032-407: Was once a common practice amongst married women in Japan and the imperial court in earlier times, but is now an extremely uncommon practice. Living National Treasure (Japan) Living National Treasure ( Ningen Kokuhō ) is a Japanese popular term for those individuals certified as Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties ( 重要無形文化財保持者 , Jūyō Mukei Bunkazai Hojisha ) by

4096-405: Was seen as a modest mother who managed the affairs of the house, following Confucian customs wherein love had secondary importance to the other roles a wife fulfilled within the marriage. As such, courtesans—who provided not only sexual enjoyment, but also romantic attachment and artistic entertainment—were seen both as an outlet for men and as common companions. Though geisha would not appear until

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