Skip to main content

The Robes of Tradition and The Sanctity of Their Calling

A beautiful, absorbing memoir of a precocious little girl living far away from her own home, who bloomed with the most exquisite grace and became Gion's Mineko, one of the most famous geisha in her era. To learn more information, check out online accredited colleges to find history classes that can teach you about Japanese Culture and the secret world of Geisha.

Masako Tanaka was a quiet little girl of independent means. Willful, clever, and often a little too proud, she lived her idyllic life before she decided to agree to go to an okiya to save her parents. She is taken in the Iwasaki okiya when she was barely 5 years old. Masako was going to be legally adopted into the Iwasaki household, and was deemed to be the apparent successor of the establishment. Though struggling to understand the situation as only a little girl can, she adapted to her new environment, came to get used to her small living quarters and had developed a relationship with the women of the okiya. And it was there that she discovered her love for the artistry of dance.
Her enthusiasm for learning and her perfectionist nature was the very mark that the women of the Iwasaki household found curious about her, six years old and ready to take on the brunt of her geisha training.

As the successor of the Iwasaki household, she was re-named Mineko Iwasaki, and from then on she continously studied the geisha arts and trained rigorously under the tutelage of the very best teachers in the dancing school until she was ready for her debut. At the age of 15, she shed her little girl's yukata and donned on an elaborate ceremonial kimono to celebrate her debut as a maiko. Her rise to fame was rocky, especially with the malicious intent of other geisha who try to bring her down. Her beautiful figure, delicate face, and her natural grace and talent for dancing easily eclipses almost all the other maiko. And though miserable and without friends, Mineko managed to master the traditional customs, perfect the dances and become versed with the shamisen. Finally, she "turned her collar" and became a full-fledged geisha by the time she was 21. It was at that time she began to unravel as one of the highest-paid and the most sought after geisha in the history of the Gion Kobu.
Mineko revolved her life around the okiya. She made a choice of dedicating herself to her craft and preserving the age-old tradition of the karyukai.
Geisha, A Life is a biographical work that reveals the intricacies Mineko's life as a geisha until her leaving Gion Kobu. Mineko seems vocal, proud and headstrong. But the pain, sadness and sacrifices that she made as she continues her journey to become a geisha is not something that's easy to overlook. This book is filled with her story and anecdotes about one of the most exotic and rare culture of the geisha.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Go Home Faulkner, You're Drunk ('Difficult Books' series)

In my quest to 'broaden my literary horizon' I made a point to go out of this  terrible 'complaisant zone' I am currently  at. To be honest, my reading state is probably a lot bleaker that what I'm letting on: I have not finished a novel since three months ago! As penitensya for my incessant lack of drive and, I suppose, to jolt my brain back to the pace it used to enjoy prior to this reading drought, I decided that I must go the route of reading 'Difficult Books'. "A difficult book is still just a book",  I told myself; how silly to get hung up on what other people say about how much of a PitA   it is to slough through. I pride myself on reading basically everything I get my hands on. Because when all your life you've felt that reading a book was the warmest , most comfortable state to just be , it feels as natural as a breeze turning a page. So I grabbed a copy of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury . I am lucky enough to be at ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai: Melancholic Contemplation

Arriving all the way from USA, I had a tiny traveler plop down right in front of my desk. The moment I held the book, I immediately focused long and hard on the book cover. I've had my small share of contemporary Japanese novels and each had very interesting designs, but not one is as gently arresting as this Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai published by One Peace Books . Soft yet stark. I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, but it certainly is a good way to hold the interest of the readers. A closer look at the cover would remind one of things that are "beautiful in its simplicity". Everybody knows the Japanese aesthetics, a "set of ancient ideals that include wabi (transient and stark beauty), sabi (the beauty of natural patina and aging), and yûgen (profound grace and subtlety). * " Reflecting at these values, it's wonderful to observe how the cover follows the flow of wabi and yugen, isn't it? But a book should offer more than...
2 comments
Read more

Atoning

Okay so it's not a clever title. Well, I am currently reading Atonement by Ian McEwan (wow, I've been at this book for aaaages) and I am trying to atone for the lack of posts lately! We were having--- actually we still are having a tough time at home. We're moving!!! Been pretty busy with the repairs of the new home and packing all our stuff. *Sniff, Sniff* I feel really sad leaving our home. We've lived there for around 13 years. Hopefully we can all scramble and leave before September 18. And ugh, it's such a downer to spend September 19 unpacking and decorating our home. It's my b irthday , I was planning to host a Crab Party! :( Anyway, I thought I would just like to share my favorite quotes on Atonement , if you don't mind. I love this book. Everytime I read a passage that struck me, I hastily jot it down. The book is wonderfully written, it is so erudite! The story itself makes me contemplate on the dynamics of family, the strength of imagination ...
8 comments
Read more