MINEKO IWASAKI on THE BUSINESS OF BEING A GEISHA

MINEKO IWASAKI

In her memoir of her life growing up to be an entertainer known as a Geisha in Japan, Mineko Iwasaki tells us that balancing a husband and a career is not an easy life, but it is allowed.  Most geisha first retire, then marry.  She sees the life they are raised to live as an independent one.  Women lead the business, keep records and do the bookkeeping (including the cost of lessons in dance and music to provide the woman a professional career and the cost of food and the extremely expensive kimonos) and says that the geisha are out late, often not getting to bed until 3 am.  Around 10 am, the business men who sell things they need come to show their wares.  But no husbands, no men, not even a girl's own father, is allowed where only priests and children are allowed and there in an inner house that is all women, a feminine society. And there is no stigma to becoming a single mother.  But if the geisha has a boy, she must leave the house, while a girl child is welcome as a future geisha.

In Chapter 9, page 13 of 27 of the e-book, she emphasizes that Geisha houses are NOT houses of ill repute. 

In Chapter 19, pages 3 and 4 of 28 of the e-book, she writes
"MISEDASHI, the term used for a moiko's debut, means "open for business" and indicates that the maiko is prepared to begin working as a professional."  (She had hers on March 26, 1965.)

She states that this event is expensive, tens of thousands of dollars, easily over $100,000 is spent!  There is a strong emphasis on kimono.  In Japan there are 28 seasons, each with it's own symbol (I think of this as like a zodiac) and the kimono, obi (sash) and hair ornaments are supposed to reflect the season, which means that a geisha must be able to own or borrow at least 28 different kimono.  The colors and patterns of kimono communicate class, status, and much else. Each geisha has a "dresser," (think of him as a fashion stylist) who dresses her and sees to it that every detail is correct.  So much time is spent with the dresser that they become a geisha's friendly confidant.