Japan 2013

My Scholarship Entry, "Geisha - Artists of the Floating World"

JAPAN | Thursday, 4 July 2013 | Views [532] | View Larger Image

(2) As I sifted through the beautiful hand-painted and embroidered silks she told me about how, many years ago, she would sometimes buy, sell or repair kimono from the Okiya (the geisha houses in the Gion District of Kyoto), but hadn’t for many years. The numbers of geisha in Japan have fallen from 80,000 in the 1920s to as few as 1000 practicing today, and it is seen as a dying art.

(1) While exploring the temples in the East of Kyoto I stumbled upon an antique kimono shop, and had a stilted Japanese/English/hand-gestures conversation with the owner. Having always been fascinated by the world of the geisha – the high class entertainers who specialise in dance, playing traditional Japanese instruments and the tea ceremony – I asked her if she had ever had experience with them.

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(3) In a nearby temple I encountered a group of schoolkids saying “ohayoo” (good morning) to the koi fish, and wondered if in 10 years time any of them would become geisha. In the 1800s many girls would be trained as “Maiko” from as young as 9, and would be taught elegant dances, how to play traditional Japanese instruments and “the art of conversation”. Nowadays, those who do choose to become a geisha start after they leave high school, with some even entering the profession as adults.

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Japan 2013

My Scholarship Entry, "Geisha - Artists of the Floating World"

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