{"id":6,"date":"2008-11-07T19:32:01","date_gmt":"2008-11-07T23:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/?p=6"},"modified":"2008-11-07T19:32:01","modified_gmt":"2008-11-07T23:32:01","slug":"geishas-%e8%8a%b8%e8%80%85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/geishas-%e8%8a%b8%e8%80%85\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Culture: Geishas (\u82b8\u8005)"},"content":{"rendered":"

My students often ask me, \u201cwhat is a geisha (<\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 and what do they do?\u201d\u00a0 The truth is, there is no easy answer to this question.\u00a0 The world of the geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 called <\/span>kary\u016bkai (<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u82b1\u67f3<\/span>\u754c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>), which translates into English as, \u201cthe flower and willow world,\u201d is a world shrouded in secrecy and exclusivity.\u00a0 However elusive, we can still figure out some aspects of the geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) world by trying to understand\u00a0 the origins of the word \u201cgeisha\u201d (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0 Let\u2019s begin by looking at the word geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 and breaking the words apart to decipher its meaning.\u00a0 The word gei (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 means art while the word sha (<\/span><\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/strong>) means person.\u00a0 Altogether the word geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) means \u201cperforming artist.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the strictest sense of the word, geishas (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 are truly multi-talented artists.\u00a0 They are required to master an eclectic and diverse area of study, which includes knowledge of Japanese literature, music, dance and current events.\u00a0 They must be witty conversationalists and present themselves in a manner that is agreeable to the client.\u00a0 Considering that geishas (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 must know pretty much everything, I find this to be truly inspiring, for I can barely do any one of the things above, much less do them all.\u00a0 Oh and don\u2019t get me started on playing the shamisen (<\/span><\/span>\u4e09<\/span><\/a>\u5473<\/span><\/a>\u7dda<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0 A shamisen (\u4e09<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u5473<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u7dda<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>)\u00a0is a three stringed instrument played with a bachi (<\/span><\/span>\u3070\u3061<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0 A bachi (\u3070\u3061<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>) is used to strum the shamisen (<\/span><\/span>\u4e09<\/span><\/a>\u5473<\/span><\/a>\u7dda<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0 The shamisen (<\/span><\/span>\u4e09<\/span><\/a>\u5473<\/span><\/a>\u7dda<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong>), although consisting only of three strings, is actually really hard to play!\u00a0 Plus my stubby fingers make it impossible to pluck the individual strings. Lol!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Being a geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) nowadays is truly demanding.\u00a0 With the declining economy and clients unwilling to pay the high prices that geishas (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 charge, the majority of geishas (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)\u00a0 are hired only for very special occasions.\u00a0 Also, the reputation of the geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) as a prostitute has downgraded the profession somewhat, causing much controversy in the kary\u016bkai (<\/span><\/span>\u82b1\u67f3<\/span>\u754c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>), or the world of the geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0 How much the kary\u016bkai (<\/span><\/span>\u82b1\u67f3<\/span>\u754c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) is involved in prostitution or whether it is even involved in prostitution is not always clear.\u00a0 However, one thing is clear.\u00a0 The number of geishas (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) are decreasing, and the art and knowledge that they possess may also disappear; especially if we don\u2019t make an effort to preserve that knowledge.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So, curious about what goes on in the kary\u016bkai (<\/span><\/span>\u82b1\u67f3<\/span>\u754c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>) or the world of the geisha (<\/span><\/span>\u82b8<\/span>\u8005<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong>)?\u00a0 Here\u2019s a clip: