IIK! history i need opinions

[MrsAmberface]

okay this is what i have of my history report so far on my report....


The most common misconception about geisha (or geiko as the Japanese call them) is that they are prostitutes. They are nothing of the sort. Geisha means person of the arts or artist. Geisha, in Japan, are entertainers they are in no way associated with prostitution. During WWII they did sell themselves to American soldiers when their prices were dwindling, since then that has stopped there are very few traditional geisha in Japan as of today. Though you will still see the occasional walking down the street in a beautiful silk kimono with a dragon sew into it beautifully stitched and matching the season in which you are visiting Kyoto. There are thousands of geisha now-a-days in Japan few are “true” geisha. Around the time of WWII geisha were very common in Gion especially.


well i was hoping for opinions on this one plz helP?

[Mars Man]

I think that is pretty much on line, although, if I'm not wrong here, the act of giving oneself to the client to the sexual degree, though not the focus of being geisha, was, nevertheless there. I'll see if I can get any other info on that. When is your dead line?

Also, I noticed a couple of places where the English could stand some correction. I will provide some examples of how those weak sentences could be bolstered, but probably by PM rather than on this thread. I think you are doing a good job so far. I wish you luck on getting it all together...when is the deadline? See you !!

[MrsAmberface]

deadline=march 28th is the day i have to have it on the poster board and in the school thank you much

[Mars Man]

ok gottcha...will have it to you in time for that. Maybe not in such great detail, but will provide some insight, and will help with the weak sentences...see you then... !!

[MrsAmberface]

Thanky Thanky!

[pipokun]

TAIKOMOCHI (http://www.mitene.or.jp/~houkan/)
This site is about Taikomochi, or male geisha, and offer you well-organized info about them and geisha in English.
I bet his site will support your opinion, though the relation or history of geisha and prostitution may be an interesting topic.

the US and Japan were hostile to each other during WWII, weren't they?

[MrsAmberface]

yes that was what i was going to do my project on was Geisha in WWII because we had to have some US history in it but my teacher said screw it Whatever you want to do it on is fine thank you for your help :-)

[Mars Man]

The site given above was good, and here is some more information. It does seem that there is a bit of difference in some of the explanations I've come across, so no absolutes here. I'll try to give the jest of it.

While the geisha dates primarily back to early 18th century (or late 17th) there do seem to have been some pre-geisha the Saburuko and Shirabyoshi, dating back to the end of the 7th century and the late Heian-early Kamkura period (1185~1333 AD), respectively.

Of the two above classes of pre-geisha, the earlier one may have been closer to one of trading sexual favors, where as the latter group, of whom some had become well known such as Shizuka (the concubine of Minamoto no Yoshitsune) and Kamagiku (the favorite concubine of the retired ordained Emperor, Gotoba), was closer to the entertainer that the geisha would be.



Through a line of brothel history dating back to 1589 (Nijo Yanagimachi in Kyoto) we come to the Moto-Yoshiwara (Keisie-machi Nanushi) that the Bakufu allowed one Shoji Jin' emon, a brothel proprietor, to open and run. It was located at Fukiya-machi, and opened for business in November of 1618. Yoshiwara developed its own customs and traditions and soon became a thriving cultural center for all manners of arts. It is from this atmosphere that the highly popular ukiyo-e "pictures of the folating world" were said to have come.

There were many different classes of courtesans within the pleasure quarters the highest being the Tayuu who were esceptional in their beauty and talent and the last year of a listed, practicing Tayuu was 1761. Around that time, the Koshi-joro class also faded out, and the Sancha-joro class took over the quarters, although a new class of high ranking courtesans came into play--the Yobidashi. This class was split into several rankings, one of which was the Oiran--which could be said to be your avearge prostitute, but in some cases, it is said, as much of an artist as a prostitute. (not as skilled as the lost classes of Tayuu and Koshi-joro, however)

In the mid eighteenth century, the "Geiko" arose. This was a class of men performers from the earlier Taikomochi group from since the Kwambun era. (1661~1672) The first female 'geisha' is said to have been Kikuya, from Fukawwa. The introduction of the shamisen (jabisen [a three-stringed instrument]) is said to have been around the same time and these courtesans soon picked up on it--although it was eventually left to the men.

One develpment around this time was the emergence of the odoriko (dancer). Originally, these teenage girls sent out to dance teachers by Daimyo and upper-class samurai were put out for hire without the offering of sexual acts, but over the years, with many parents starting to exploit their daughters, many took turned to prostitution. In 1743 a group of Edo odoriko were arrested along with other illegal prostitutes and sent to work in Yoshihara. In 1753, a group of 104 odoriko from Fukagawa were sent there too. It is said that these girls started to call themselves "Geiko".




It is said that in 1762 the first female in Yoshiwara is listed as Kazen or the Ogiya brothel, although odoriko (calling themselves geisha) had been listed as early as 1752. By 1779, female geisha had become so popular and in great demand, that they had started to rival the courtesans, even taking some of their clients. Because of concern with this, Kaikokuya Shoroku (a brothel owner) came up with the idea of registering the male and female geisha in a system which still previls today--the kenban. Under the rules of that kenban paved the way for what the Geisha has become today--not a prostitute, although there may well be those breaches of the code for personaly gain, as one would fine in any 'high society' worlds.

[Mars Man]

One more quick point: One said reason for misunderstanding in foreign countries may be due the the Emancipation Act issued in 1872. The pact was in response to the charge that Japan had been keeping women as slaves, and it abolished obligatory terms of service common among women. The geisha and the oiran had been placed in the same category.

Another possible one is that both the oiran and the tayuu had been trained in the traditional arts and may have been confused for geisha.

It does seem that line are a little hard to draw on just what was happening when. While the 'true' (if we may use that modifier) geisha would not be a prostitute, the forerunners of the source idea, had pretty much been.

There had been a rather famous 'house' in Shiojiri ( 30 min. drive south of Matsumoto) up until the end of the war, and there had even been a small one in Aida (a part of Shiga) where I live.

[MrsAmberface]

Bump For My Own Good

[Color red]

Well, how do you call the prostitutes then, if they aren't?