Geisha Beautiful?

[Dutch Baka]

do you think the geisha is beautifull?
and what do you think is most beautifull about them??

http://www.freewebs.com/japanichiban/cultuur/fo/geisha4.jpg http://www.freewebs.com/japanichiban/cultuur/fo/obi.jpg
http://www.freewebs.com/japanichiban/cultuur/fo/geisha2.jpg
http://www.danhagerman.com/images/Pseudo%20Geisha.jpg

i love the way they have there hair. and the white on the face...

[kirei_na_me]

What fascinates me about geisha is not their beauty, per se, but the mystery that surrounds them, I guess. I do think the most beautiful thing about them is their furisode, though.

[Brooker]

I went to Eigamura and three very old gaishas surrounded me and insisted that I take a picture with them. They were kind of scary. They looked like old drag queens. But I've seen other gaishas who'd make you melt like a stick of butter.

[Sally_Hawn]

Arghhhhh.... I think they are as ugly as Chinese opera singers. Pretty scary if seen at night.

[misa.j]

There is a Japanese word "miyabi" which means grace, elegance or refined, that is used to discribe Geisha who carry the word aound them. They are trained how to dance, play traditional musical instruments since when they are little, and their confidence makes them attractive.

The makeup and kimono make them almost look like dolls, but I remember being captured by their grace when I saw them.

[Faustianideals]

Geisha are ugly little things. Especially the fat ones.

[Timsan]

From my prospective the makeup is not very attractive, too concealing. The clothes they wear are beautiful though, but like any women there are some attractive ones and some who are not.

[Cryptnotic]

They're walking dolls　who can sing and play samisen! It's awesome! They are like actors pretending to be not really human (more like some idealized fantasy, e.g., doll). That's freaking cool.

Compare with the modern Gothic-Lolita subculture in Japan. The girls dress in complicated costumes and make up their faces so that they look like Victorian-era dolls. They sometimes have their pictures taken sitting extremely still (because dolls can't stand) and with their hands folded on their lap, not posing or smiling, just looking straight ahead. It's an interesting subculture to observe.

[lexico]

I've never seen one in my life, and was never interested.
I used to think the extreme white was so scary when I was younger.
But this photo here is absolutely beautiful.
I love their natural, casual expressions.
The kimono is quite wonderful in design, color, atmosphere which goes very well with the three ladies who are going some place..I wonder where.
Maybe with their lunch to a secluded shade under a tree?
The socks and slippers with red thongs are also very, very attractive...yes in a way like dolls...but live dolls.
The women themsleves are attractive.
It takes a certain cultivation of the aesthetic eye to see that actually...so don't despair....
Nice photo!

[Duo]

I think they look really ugly, how they were considered sex godesses is beyond my comprehension. The fat one especially :p

[lexico]

To put all this talk in proper context whether the relatively plump geisha is sexy in the photo, one only needs to see some fertility godess photos of Ancient Europe.
I'm sure you will recall from your high school history lessons.
The modern infatuation with feminine slimness is a transitory fad that shall come to pass mind you.

EDIT: Evidence that Aesthetic Standards Change over Time
Obviously these figurines represented the concept of physical beauty back then.

Warning: Enter at your own risk! :20:
The graphic nature of the images may spoil your appetite! :20:
You have been warned!! :20:

Late Paleolithic Venus excavated at Kostienki on the Don, Russia

http://donsmaps.com/lioncamp.html

[Duo]

To put all this talk in proper context whether the relatively plump geisha is sexy in the photo, one only needs to see some fertility godess photos of Ancient Europe.
I'm sure you will recall from your high school history lessons.
The modern infatuation with feminine slimness is a transitory fad that shall come to pass mind you.

is not just because she is a bit chubby, but i dont like that pale white make up
weird hair and all that, is just a fake mask. Is like the tied foot in ancient china. Japanese have a weird defenition of beauty.

[lexico]

Yeah, Duo. I guess what's beautiful to a person is not something that anyone can force on another. Sorry about that. Looking back, I never thought geishas were beautiful. More scared or disguested by the paleness to be honest.

Last month I went to a 技生 photo exhibit in Seoul. The Korean courtesans wore light makeup. But what surprised me was how lively these women were although we were 80-90 apart. So maybe that positive feeling from the exibit somehow has changed my view on the Japanese courtesans. But this is new experience for me.

[Pachipro]

Japanese have a weird defenition of beauty.

I think some famous person once said "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

[isayhello]

I think geishas are the best thing ever!! They look like beautiful dolls, with the white, perfect makeup - and their clothes are sooo pretty.

I love their whole way of acting and being, so smoth and elegant. When they walk, they kind of... hoover above ground--- like they weren´t touching it.

BEsides, many geisha are very talented, they can sing and dance and know the proper way to serve tea and they can conversate like hell.
I love geishas! They´re awesome!

[Brooker]

Funny how geishas try to make their skin pale and so many white people are always tanning. The grass is always greener, eh? :-)

[jjaappaa]

Funny how geishas try to make their skin pale and so many white people are always tanning. The grass is always greener, eh? :-)
LOL! The opposite to the extreme is of course the Ganguro! This is where the grass is not always greener but a dark shade of brown :giggle:

[Duo]

hmmm i dont know im not saying our defenition of beauty is better, im just saying that i dont find geishas to be sex godesses.

[lexico]

A Mako, a geisha in training
The photographer chanced upon her while strolling down the streets of Kyoto.
She graciously agreed to be photographed.

http://www.danhagerman.com/images/Maiko.jpg

Isn't she pretty?

[den4]

I think the several thousand dollars worth of silken fabric is pretty....pretty outrageous...but then to each their own....don't much care for the ganguro, yamamba and all the other overly made up gals, either though....
but then the geisha were never meant to be the fashion trend for those outside of Japan...

[Duo]

ummmm sorry but i dont find her pretty, what am i supposed to do with that face cream and bloody red lip lipstik ? but maybe its because unlike many members here i dont find the japanese or asian women to particularly very pretty or more so than the caucasian women i encounter all day. YEs, there are many beautiful jaapnese girls/women but the japanese are not prettier than the europeans. sorry :p

[den4]

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=picture&id=1605
puttin' on da make up correctly... :D

[Dutch Baka]

im happy so many people response on my qeustion thanks to you all.

beautyness of them is also in there training of years, thats why they are special, i mean its not just a woman with make up, it takes yearsss to become a reall one!

just to bad they real geisha culture will die, because they are so expensive, training is to long, and people prefer cheaper in this time like host woman.

so i think they will stay in japan, but not like this.

now a days there are just around 90 real geishas in japan, while before there were hunderds of them.

a book for people who are interested in geisha, is : memories of a geisha from Arthur Golden.. amazing story and for the people who think geisha are ugly woman, should read this, and think differnt about them! i think but yeah, woman are woman, ugly and beautyfull

[Duo]

im happy so many people response on my qeustion thanks to you all.

beautyness of them is also in there training of years, thats why they are special, i mean its not just a woman with make up, it takes yearsss to become a reall one!

just to bad they real geisha culture will die, because they are so expensive, training is to long, and people prefer cheaper in this time like host woman.

so i think they will stay in japan, but not like this.

now a days there are just around 90 real geishas in japan, while before there were hunderds of them.

a book for people who are interested in geisha, is : memories of a geisha from Arthur Golden.. amazing story and for the people who think geisha are ugly woman, should read this, and think differnt about them! i think but yeah, woman are woman, ugly and beautyfull

training makes them beautiful :souka: ? how is that, maybe we should use this technique and help the ugly ppl of the world, imagine all the money we would make :relief:

yeah so sad geisha culture will die, we wont have any more proffesional prostitutes trained in pleasing men in all manners. Too bad we will get rid of a symbol that treats women as mere objects for the pleasure of men. Yeah so sad actually, 90 of them left, buhuhuh, im gona cry a river, i hope they are still around in japan next time i go around so that they can play tunes and act in front of me when all i need really is just sm good seuxal relaxation. AT least cheap hostess ladies are not faking who they are! A geisha is the same, just only pretends to be more high class, like that stereotypical french whore who stinks but puts a lot of parfume on to smell nice. yeah Women ar Women, ugly and beautiful, so why not accept them for who they are, why make them still live up to sm aracheic and stupid standard of beauty of a backward feudal society who didnt value life at all ?

[ObscureAngel]

wow i think geisha are really beautiful
to me its the way they carry themselvs and all the training that they go through just to entertain drunk men.

[Duo]

hehehe, maybe you can become one ;)

(sorry couldn't resist :sorry: )

[ObscureAngel]

hey! what's that suppose to mean!? i'm not THAT unly now am i?

no wait.... don't anwser that...... retorical question.....

i just think geisha are very pretty

[Brooker]

to me its the way they carry themselvs and all the training that they go through just to entertain drunk men.

I think you're thinking of hostesses here. I doubt any training is required for that.

[Shooter452]

I think it is the grace with which they walk, dance, sing and play for their patrons.

Grace. Yeah, that's the ticket.

And they are beautiful, to me. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Sempai Dan]

I think they look really ugly, how they were considered sex godesses is beyond my comprehension. The fat one especially :p

They weren't. The fundamental thing that separated a geisha from a consort is that you weren't allowed to have sex with geisha.

[JustJosh]

Don't find much beauty at all really. It's an interesting history and tradition to read though, just leave out the pictures. Personaly, I'm abit weird (maybe) in that I think a man should dedicate himself to making a women happy rather than vice-versa.

[Malaika]

I really think geishas are very pretty, I like the entire concept of them wearing such pretty furisodes, how its colorful. And painting their faces white.

I like it, I mean its very interesting. Hopefully if I ever go to japan, I'm definitly taking LOTS of pictures of them. ^_^.

[ashuri2]

i think they're beautiful in a sense that's not completely physical. they weren't for sex, but they could so accomplished in conversation and music, and they were so etheral and embodied the ancient japanese ideal of feminine beauty.

and i love the kimonos and their hairstyles, though i admit the white make-up is kinda intersting in that it emphasizes the eyes and lips and the fabric of the kimono, but it also kinda reminds me of a blank canvas on which the customer could write his own desires or whatever...

[Leroy_Brown]

If they wiped off all that white make up that makes them look like ghosts, we could then see what they look like.

[Dekamaster]

i think they're beautiful in a sense that's not completely physical. they weren't for sex, but they could so accomplished in conversation and music, and they were so etheral and embodied the ancient japanese ideal of feminine beauty.

and i love the kimonos and their hairstyles, though i admit the white make-up is kinda intersting in that it emphasizes the eyes and lips and the fabric of the kimono, but it also kinda reminds me of a blank canvas on which the customer could write his own desires or whatever...

The essence of a geisha. How much does one charge nowadays for entertainment ? I heard that only big businesses could afford one today. :blush:

[ashuri2]

it all depends on what one values aesthetically.

[Dutch Baka]

Well now the movie Memoirs of a Geisha is in most cinema's, and a lot of newbies came into the site, i thought, lets blow this thread a new life...
So what do you think: Is a geisha beautiful?

I include some new Photo's here:

http://english.epochtimes.com/news_images/highres/2005-8-7-geisha_dance_53030761.jpg ( Verry sharp photo)

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=72648992&size=m (view from the backhead)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62326881@N00/59437737/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suttonhoo22/13625160/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/geisha/interesting/?page=2 (Geisha Tag in online photo-base)

[Uncle Frank]

I love the kimonos and what's underneath(belts&robes), but never liked all the make up.

Frank

:souka:

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I think there is some misunderstanding about geisha/geiko and maiko, plus the whole makeup and kimono look thing;
a. A maiko is a geisha in training, they are usually quite young and almost always look like this although their hairstyle, obi style and kimono/furisode style will be altered slightly to the different events of the year or the maiko's life;
http://www.immortalgeisha.com/images/gallery/mod_maiko_014.jpg
For example when they are off work and doing stuff doing their free time, they will wear normal yukata with no makeup or fancy hairstyle or anything and look just like any other normal young girl. Maiko wear furisode(long sleaved kimono) with a large obi usually done in the darari style- maiko obi can be up to 5metres long, the colors a maiko wears are also often very bright and eye-catching.
When a maiko becomes a geiko(or more commonly known as geisha), her style of dress becomes waaay plainer, and her makeup is less vibrant, especially as she gets older as well she will no longer wear long or brightly kimono, and the white makeup will not be worn unless on a specific special occasion- most of the time she will look just like any other ordinary woman in kimono.
http://www.immortalgeisha.com/images/gallery/vcp_geisha_012.jpg
http://www.immortalgeisha.com/images/gallery/vcp_geisha_014.jpg
When you look at maiko and geiko there are a huge amount of differences in their appearance- from hairstyle, kimono and obi style, colors worn, makeup and even geta/zori worn.
One thing a geisha or maiko should never be mistaken for is an oiran or tayuu, which no longer exist as they were prostitutes and prostitution was banned in japan after WW2- many prostitutes during WW2 sold themselves off to american troops telling them they were "geisha" as the americans were so entranced with the geisha thing, but usually couldn't tell a normal lady in kimono apart from a geisha even if one poked them in the eye- unfortunatly many gaijin still cant distinguish a geisha apart from a normal lady in kimono even to safe their lives.
The geisha and maiko look is about many things, from beauty, karma, grace, sophisication, tradition, tranquility, cuteness and maturity etc etc...
I cant put my finger on what exactly i like about the maiko and geiko/geisha look, i even like makeup...I suppose its the way an adult geiko so gracefully wears even the plainest of kimono, and how beautifully the darari style obi can flow on a young maiko :bluush: .
If you go to japan you are way more likely to see tourists being dressed up as geisha or maiko rather than see true geisha or maiko- the geisha and maiko way of life is extremely busy and hectic and most will be at school training or running errands during the day time- I cant remember who said it about the ugly geisha asking to take their photograph with him, but real geisha would never do that unless you asked them to in the first place; plus if they were old geisha they most likely wouldn't do it all simply out of dignity- i think you got fooled :blush: .
Geisha are a living national treasure of Japan, they were some of the first women to give help give other women rights and independance in japanese society and fought against the image that being a successful woman wasn't just about getting married to some rich guy and having loads of babys.
They helped japan throughout many of its wars in many ways, for example one hanamachi in gion donated 2 planes to the war effort while others made comfort box gifts to be sent to the front lines for the troops to keep their spirits up- the boxs contained things like traditional lucky charms, food and comforst like magazines.
They entertained men with their artistic skills and talents and helped boost the economy in many ways as well as help forge friendships and bonds between many powerful companys and in turn help create jobs for many people, even those who were not directly connected to the geisha, ochayas, or hanamachis.
Japan owes alot to the geisha :) .

[トラちゃん]

I think they're great. Although I have only seen a hand full in my time in Japan.

[yukio_michael]

I don't find geisha nearly as mesmerising at a pack of girls running around at a matsuri in yukata or kimono, as recently in the seijin no hi, comming of age day---

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/photospecials/graph/090106comingofage/

Memoirs of a Geisha/Sayuri was pretty to look at, but it wasn't that great of a geisha movie--- I'm not sure if had it been more authentic that it would have been more interesting to me, but it was more like a modern love story wedged into a pseudo-geisha theme with a good deal of characters who awkwardly bounced back and forth between their real accents and a sort of forced fake Japanese accent---

[JerseyBoy]

I prefer chicks with no make-up or little mark up. Too much of it will mask their beauty (or lack thereof). With too much make up, sometime you cannot see if a person is a man or woman (I am going too extreme here to some extent).

[nurizeko]

I think the major appeal of geisha is the unatainability, their not for sale except for company (at least real geisha).

I guess its the japanese take on rich westerners surrounding themselves with the company of beautiful well dressed women.

In japan its simply a more traditionalised ritualised version.

No poxy little joe-public can afford an evening with a geisha keeping him and his friends company at the drinks/lunch table.

[yukio_michael]

No poxy little joe-public can afford an evening with a geisha keeping him and his friends company at the drinks/lunch table.As far as I know, geisha popularity has descreased to the point that some westerners, who would not be close to being called 'wealthy', employ the few remaining 'geisha for hire'... Unless things have changed since the few years ago that I had seen the documentary on the scant few younger woman who were employed as geisha...

It's easier nowadays to work in the mizu shoubai (water trade) as a hostess, which has been popular regardless for a long time---

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Geisha and maiko do very well money wise in todays world, of course if you are untalented or untrustworthy as a geisha you will never get paid much and will be forced to quit the profession, although i think that goes for most jobs in life- im not sure how many yen there is to the pound or dollar, but i believe the average teenage maiko makes about 10 or 20,000 yen a day.

The reason why maiko and geisha wear so much make up is to quite literally put on the image/appearance of wearing a mask- as far as i know, they do this because it was believed it made the man think more about the woman hiding undernief that mask when he was talking to her- it basically made them appear more mysterious and special than the average woman, and of course, pale skin has always been a sign of beauty or the upper class in japan.
The whole white makeup thing seems to many, something that is inidividual to japan, but in reality we the English have also gone through many phases in our history of putting white makeup on to make ourselves look more attractive.

[klepman_1971]

I think personally that u cannot say that all geisha are beuatifull or ugly. it depends per person.

[neko9]

that white makeup on geisha's face scares me. just like clowns :/

[Dutch Baka]

compairing a Geisha with a Clown? haha

Thank god they don't wear the same kind of shoes:p
http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/images/clown.jpg
http://www.whatever.net.au/~amaya/geisha/gallery/modern/kurokami.jpg

[neko9]

hehe i just thought about it more and yeah clown is a bit too much... they look just like mimes. in a very nice clothes though :-)
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/310/mimbothemimeartist11qw.jpg

[Minty]

...we wont have any more proffesional prostitutes trained in pleasing men in all manners. Too bad we will get rid of a symbol that treats women as mere objects for the pleasure of men. Yeah so sad actually, 90 of them left, buhuhuh, im gona cry a river, i hope they are still around in japan next time i go around so that they can play tunes and act in front of me when all i need really is just sm good seuxal relaxation. AT least cheap hostess ladies are not faking who they are! A geisha is the same, just only pretends to be more high class, like that stereotypical french whore who stinks but puts a lot of parfume on to smell nice. yeah Women ar Women, ugly and beautiful, so why not accept them for who they are, why make them still live up to sm aracheic and stupid standard.


Geishas are not prostitutes. Memoirs of a Geisha the book has been denounced as being an inaccurate depiction of the life of a geiko. Iwasaki (the real retired geisha) which the character of the book Sayuri is based on was particularly offended by the novel's portrayal of a geiko engaging in ritualized prostitution.


Iwasaki received several death threats and was accused of dishonoring her profession for her involvement with Memoirs of a Geisha. Iwasaki and Golden (the author of Memoirs of the Geisha) settled out of court for an undisclosed sum of money.:nihonjin: :japanese:


A profession similar to that of the geisha existed in imperial China, whose job it was to entertain male guests with their talents in music, go, calligraphy, painting and other arts. However, they did not enjoy the status accorded to geisha in Japan.:chinese:


Memoirs of a Geisha/Sayuri was pretty to look at, but it wasn't that great of a geisha movie--- I'm not sure if had it been more authentic that it would have been more interesting to me, but it was more like a modern love story wedged into a pseudo-geisha theme with a good deal of characters who awkwardly bounced back and forth between their real accents and a sort of forced fake Japanese accent---


I don't know why people put so much emphasis on Chinese actresses playing Japanese geishas; :snore: there are numerous examples of similar behaviour from white actors who play European characters interchangeably. For examples in "The Terminal" Tom Hanks plays an Eastern immigrant from Krakozhia without a country. Tom Hanks is not from Krakozhia. In "Titanic" Kate Winslet plays an American she is in fact British. In "The hours" Nicole Kidman covered up her Aussie accent and plays an English suicidal woman during 1900-1920s and so on.

[MrsAmberface]

do you think the geisha is beautifull?
and what do you think is most beautifull about them??

i love the way they have there hair. and the white on the face...


I do think that they are beautiful. In my opinon it is because they are meant (in my opinion) to be pictures of perfection... i think that they are definatly beautiful some don't have that same just natural beauty but even in make up they are beautiful

[godppgo]

They look classic to me.

[gaige]

allright duo or whatever your retarded geisha arent prostitutes they are artists the oiran are prostitutes and geisha are the japanese equvilant of movie stars in the west and prostitution was banned in japan in 1959 allright (edit by Dutch Baka because of bad language) !!!!!!!!!!:auch::auch::auch:

[KirinMan]

allright duo or whatever your retarded geisha arent prostitutes they are artists the oiran are prostitutes and geisha are the japanese equvilant of movie stars in the west and prostitution was banned in japan in 1959 allright (edit by Dutch Baka because of bad language):auch::auch::auch:

For someone who may be 12 years old might I suggest that if you have a counter point to make to another member here you do so with less, how should I say this, "harsh" language.

Let the merits of what you have to say stand on their own, if you can back up what you have to say with proof from other sources by all means include it here.

By yelling and swearing at someone, particularly on a message board it really doesnt help make your points any more believable than anyone elses.

People that post here will respond more positively on the merits of what you have to say and not how you are writing it.

btw I agree with what you about about not being prostitutes, not all women that sleep with men for renumeration are prostitutes.

[marsans]

allright duo or whatever your retarded geisha arent prostitutes they are artists the oiran are prostitutes and geisha are the japanese equvilant of movie stars in the west and prostitution was banned in japan in 1959 allright (edit by Dutch Baka because of bad language)!!!!!!!!!!:auch::auch::auch:

Please please please, watch your language and manner. This is a nice board that is inhabited by nice people. If someone holds a contrary opinion or muddled up facts, then explain yourself in a polite manner.

What your saying may be true, but the way in which it was delivered was scathing.

[gaige]

im sorry for what i said everybody its just i take the subject of geisha very seriously and when i saw what duo said i just snapped i hear this all the time that geisha are prostitutes i just get out of control i was basically teaching the class on japan and this stupid girl sat up and said "aren't geisha prostitutes?" and i said "no yujo,juro,and tayuu,oiran!are prostitutes!!! then i almost started screaming at her. i was really embaressed!

[diceke]

http://www.danhagerman.com/images/Pseudo%20Geisha.jpg

Are these people real geishas? Or just cosplayers..:clueless::clueless::clueless:

[Iron Chef]

i was basically teaching the class on japan and this stupid girl sat up and said "aren't geisha prostitutes?" and i said "no yujo,juro,and tayuu,oiran!are prostitutes!!! then i almost started screaming at her. i was really embaressed!

Wow, your "teaching" approach and overall demeanor towards your students is amusing... Your profile says you are 12 and have never been to Japan. I am curious what qualifications/credentials you think you have that someone would let you teach a class on Japan as you mentioned above?

[Sirius2B]

hmmm i dont know im not saying our defenition of beauty is better, im just saying that i dont find geishas to be sex godesses.

I don't know a lot of Japanese culture... but I know that Geishas speciality is not "sex", but grace, feminity and art... the "sex" thing, is much secondary.

Looking right now at the dictionary, I see that Geisha (芸者) is someone with abilities, someone artistic...

Many people in the West, confound the role of the Geisha with that of the prostitute... and of course it is a mistake (note: western-like prostitution also exist in Japan). The role of a prostitute and a Geisha, is in both case to amuse and entertain, but with different approaches.

I myself do not find "sexuality" in the view of a photo of a Geisha. I don't know if it is due to my lack of appreciation.

However, a couple of Japanese I personally know (one of them teaches Japanese in a local University) dressed in western-type clothes, I have found very attractive. :D

[pipokun]

Rural tea-rooms seek geisha girls
Tea-rooms will display advertisements for geishas
Geishas are being sought to serve up green tea in cafes in rural Cumbria.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/6896121.stm

Geisha image (http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/43995000/jpg/_43995468_geishaadvers300.jpg)

It is true that many Japanese love Peter Rabbit, but few Japanese associate geisha with the lake district...

[RevengeBabyYeah]

Lol true. I think they're beautiful because they're so far removed from current ideals of beauty. And the fact that they conduct themselves so gracefully and elegantly as opposed to all the crudeness and vulgarity I see everyday just appeals to me.

[emily_mai]

i think geishas are beautiful :)

[MadamePapillon]

It's funny how most of the women are saying they find Geisha beautiful and most of the men are like, Meh. lol, I guess it's true, women really don't know what men want XD

[avalon]

yes geisha are beautiful, but...not too old....

[DarkSharingan]

After reading memoirs of a geisha, I was kind of sickened by the treatment towards women in post WWII times. In terms of looks, they are fine but in terms of inner beauty, i am kind of drifting the other way. But besides the photos and that book(which was great and I deemed true) I have no other knowledge of geisha.

As a straight man, giving my opinion on solely "the appearance" of the women, I'd say they have too much make-up and would look "hotter" without some of it... eh maybe all of it actually. Japanese women already have the best skin tone than any other race.Their kimonos are really cool and I love some of the art on them. I think a black one would look cool.

[jurek1810]

geisha is an art of body and soul of woman from japan. that i think

[Meum]

Actually I have live one week in geisha world. Really. I'm reading Memoirs of a Geisha, and when I read I really read. So I have started to think just like geisha, acting like geisha and so on. I didn't think that "now I will be like geisha" it just came with that story. Maybe it changed me somehow, I have been more calm, think what to say, I have been very polite. And it feels good. I know that a few day after ending reading I will be again "normal me".

I think that geishas are one of the most beatiful thing in the world. They are "artists of the floating world". Geisha's live was not easy (in older world) they didn't decide their life, they had no option "it's not for Geisha to want, it's not for Geisha to feel.. ". Somehow it's so sad and beatiful.

In these days many people do not understand what geisha is, they think that geishas are prostitutes.. but it's not true, maybe some prostitutes just say that "I'm geisha" but we have to remeber that in Japan have been also some geishas who was almost like prostitutes. Like that book Memoirs of a Geisha told. Or am I totally wrong?

[Koishi-maru]

Hello everyone, I'm new to Jref and this is my first post:bluush:
I happened to have a relative who used be a geisha and ran an "Okiya （置屋）" (an establishment/agency which manages registered geishas) after her retirement as a geisha. Many of my extended family are very fond of traditional Japanese style entertainment, so we still enjoy traditional sort of party （宴会） with geishas from time to time (not often though).
There's one thing I could assure from my personal experience - geishas are not prostitutes. Whether or not getting engaged in a relationship with a particular customer is up to the geisha, yet in fact, having a relationship with a customer is considered rather a shameful act. But when it happens, the relationship is just like any normal one between two individuals - nothing to do with selling and/or buying sex.
Actually, geishas are excellent artists who had to come through elaborate training process, and they play a very important role in preserving the culture in my country. And because they are so skilful in music, dancing, playing games, talking and everything, 宴会 with geishas is a real fun even for a female like myself!! :p
I got really scared and nearly jumped out of my skin when the first time I saw geishas in the partiy, though (I was like 5 yrs old at that time).
It's really sad to know majority of the people are under the deep influence of widespread misconception... :(
BTW, enjoying 宴会 with geishas is not always that expensive, depending on the place, occasion, or the number of geishas/宴会 attendees. For instance, hato-bus （はとバス） offers a very good deal to have a glimpse of geisha world :cool: Punch in 芸者　はとバス in google search box and you get the link!

[jurek1810]

Koishi-Maru wrote:"...geishas are not prostitutes...". She got right. Geishas are cultural, young woman to company at opera, theater, lunch, supper which we may talk about music, cinema etc. People who think that geisha is a prostitute are wrong and made big misteake and offend this woman.
In my opinion geisha is beautiful and perfect.
Jurek

[jurek1810]

By the way Koishi-Maru in the name of all members of JREF I want to sincerely welcome between us:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:.

P.S.
Greetings from rainy Warsaw
Jurek1810 (or shortly Jurek)

[drj0402]

If you are in Kyoto, there is a place called Gion Corner where you may watch Maiko perform traditional dances and play traditional instruments on stage.

Afterwards, you can get a photograph taken of you with one of the performers.

It was not very expensive (by Japanese standards) and some might call it a tourist trap but I think it was a very good experience.