They quit at the end of the
For women who are aged 21 to 23 and above, they are deemed to be too old to become maikos so they already become a geisha when they get accepted to the community — again, still with training beforehand. In Tokyo, maikos are called as hangyoku (“half jewel”) and they can remain to be so until they are 23.
Nowadays, there are just 1,000 geisha left in Japan, most of whom live and work predominantly in Tokyo and Kyoto. These modern geisha tend to remain within their district, where they're treated with the utmost respect by Japanese locals, and not approached for photos or conversation.
After the World War 2, prostitution was outlawed in 1958 and Geisha could get high school education. It was decided that Geisha could not begin their career until they turn 18. Another big change after World War 2 was that women started to wear Western styled clothes, not Kimono.
There is no specific retirement age for geisha, so if they don't want to marry, they can continue being a geisha throughout their lives. Conversely, despite being unable to marry, it's still acceptable for geishas to have children – and it's relatively common.
Chiyo is taken to the Nitta okiya (geisha boarding house) in Gion, but her sister is taken to a brothel within Kyoto's pleasure district.
Sayuri's beloved older sister. Since Satsu is not as pretty or as clever as Sayuri, Mr. Tanaka sells her to a brothel instead of an okiya. Satsu despises life as a prostitute, so she runs away to her home village where she reunites with her boyfriend.
No, it is not based on a true story. However, a real geisha, named Mineko Iwasaki, sued the author of the book because of defamation. Surprisingly, not the plot, but some characters in the book resembled some of the real characters in Mineko Iwasaki's life that she shared with the author in a private conversation.
Mineko Iwasaki (岩崎 峰子/岩崎 究香, Iwasaki Mineko, born Masako Tanaka (田中 政子), 2 November 1949) is a Japanese businesswoman, author and former geisha. Iwasaki was the most famous geisha in Japan until her sudden retirement at the age of 29.
In Japan, geisha are very highly respected because they spend years training to learn the traditional instruments and dances of Japan. Although some western media portray geisha as prostitutes, that's just a myth.
At its worst, the geisha tradition involves force, fraud, and deception, and the horrifying practice of selling one's own children into slavery for purposes of sexual exploitation.
The white face makeup customary to geisha and maiko originated in China. At that time, they wore thick white makeup because it looked better in the light, particularly if they were to perform to or entertain nobles. In the dim candlelight, wearing thick white makeup created a porcelain look.
Historically, geisha are entertainers who perform various arts like classical music, dancing and games. But in fact the original geisha were men. They were male advisors and entertainers to their daimyo (feudal lords), dating back to the 1200s. They were also tea connoisseurs, artists and gifted storytellers.
Stay out of their way. 3. Never touch the geisha. It takes hours - literally - to get dressed and prepare for an evening.
Geisha cannot get married. The rule of this profession is “being married to the art, not a man”. If they want to get married, they have to quit the job. Once they quit, it's usually impossible to come back, however they can debut from the beginning in a different city, under a different name and rules.
Now Sayuki, she is the only white woman to ever become a full-fledged geisha in Japan. Sayuki says it took her three years to perfect the art of geisha.
The history of the geisha and courtesans
In contrast, the highest-ranking of them, who were the true courtesans, were the Oiran (花魁) and the Tayū (太夫). Oiran, which means “First Flower,” were found throughout the country and were at the top of the hanamachi pecking order.
Also unlike humans, geishas do not get fat/obese problems, so there are no fat geishas in real life, so all geishas of every geisha subspecies are skinny and somewhat muscular in build, and they are slightly stronger than the common human.
Actually seeing a geisha in Japan is rare, but it's not impossible. And if you are going to see one, Kyoto is your best bet. Here's our advice for how and where to see geisha (or geiko, rather) and maiko in Kyoto.
An honorable and loyal man, the Chairman at first sacrifices a relationship with Sayuri in order to let his friend and business partner Nobu pursue a relationship with her. But when the Chairman realizes that Sayuri feels as much love for him as he does for her, his love for Sayuri outstrips his loyalty to Nobu.
A drunk and an uncaring man, he forces Sayuri to undress in front of him so that he can pleasure himself while looking at her in the mirror. He kills himself out of fear that the Americans will win the war and take away his landholdings and title.
But when Nobu rejects Sayuri, the Chairman becomes her danna (a man who pays a geisha to be his long-term mistress). He does not marry her (he already has a family), but he pays all of her expenses and allows her to move to New York to open her teahouse and rear their son. He takes care of Sayuri until his death.
One of the reasons that the two sisters never reconnect is because Sayuri never again tries to escape the bonds of being a geisha. Even in the end, when she moves to New York, she's still the Chairman's mistress.
Pumpkin's big moment is when she betrays Sayuri by bringing the Chairman instead of Nobu to "accidentally" see her have sex with the Minister.
However, it is hinted and implied in the novel that Hatsumomo collapsed into alcoholism, and as Sayuri guesses, was successful in eventually drinking herself to death, presumably dying from the negative effects the alcohol had on her physical health.