Japanlogy Plus - Geisha

Episode Number : 30<br />Season : 1<br />Originally Aired : Thursday, December 18, 2014<br /><br />A private banquet in the company of geisha is considered the ultimate in elegant hospitality. A common misconception is that geisha are courtesans - in reality, they are skilled practitioners of traditional performing arts. At one time, there were 80,000 of them working in Japan, but only about 1,000 remain today. Our expert guest Kenji Watanabe, a scholar of early modern Japanese literature, will guide us into the real world of geisha. And in Plus One, playing party games with geisha!

(bright oriental music)

- [Female Narrator] Geisha
continue to uphold

performing arts traditions in Japan.

A private banquet in the company of geisha

is considered the ultimate
in elegant hospitality.

For centuries, geisha
were fashion trendsetters.

At their peak, there were
80,000 of them working in Japan.

Though the heyday of the
geisha is now long passed,

for this young woman it is
still a dream profession.

While an elderly geisha struggles on

after the great East Japan earthquake.

On this edition of Japanology
Plus, our theme is geisha.

We'll take a close look
at this unique profession

that keeps tradition alive
in contemporary Japan.

(bright oriental music)

- Hello, and welcome to
Japanology Plus.

I'm Peter Barakan.

Today, I am in Asakusa, an
area which is well-known

for preserving some of the
atmosphere of the old Edo,

as Tokyo used to be known

til the middle of the 19th century.

It's also an area that's
closely associated

with geisha culture and has been

since the days of the Edo period.

And even now it's not
unusual to catch a glimpse

of one of them on her
way to work right here

behind the main temple in Asakusa.

The word "geisha" simply
means an artist.

Let's start off with taking a look

at what kind of artists they are.

- [Female Narrator] A woman in
a gorgeous kimono

and striking makeup.

This is a geisha.

About 1,000 geisha are active today.

Contrary to a misconception outside Japan,

geisha do not engage in prostitution.

Rather, they are skilled practitioners

of traditional hospitality
and performing arts.

Geisha work in tea houses

or exclusive restaurants called ryōtei.

An area where these businesses congregate

is called a hanamachi, or flower quarter.

Tokyo, Kyoto, and Kanazawa are
known for their hanamachi.

Let's pay a visit to a ryōtei.

(speaks in foreign language)

- [Narrator] Inside guests are ushered

into an old fashioned to
tatami-floored banquet room.

Here geisha attend to diners,

pouring drinks and engaging in small talk

to create a convivial atmosphere.

To add a touch of vitality,
they also sing and dance

to the music of the shamisen.

And they amuse guests
with age-old party games.

Such is the work of geisha.

As a geisha's job is to entertain,

her personal appearance is crucial.

Geisha apply all their own makeup

following traditional techniques.

The white powder creates
a flattering contrast

between the face and a colorful kimono.

The younger the geisha,
the more red she uses.

This expresses youthful exuberance.

Finally, she applies her lipstick.

Black, white and red.

This striking color combination

is characteristic of geisha makeup.

Choosing the right kimono

is another important job for a geisha.

For example, a vivid cherry
blossom motif for spring.

From autumn to winter,

chrysanthemum and red
leaf designs are popular.

Evoking a sense of the season

is a key feature of a geisha party.

Attire is chosen carefully.

But the most important
thing of all for geisha

is the traditional arts that
they perform at parties.

They train in singing, dancing

and playing musical instruments.

(drum beats)

- [Narrator] Other skills
that geisha must master

to entertain their guests
include immaculate manners

and graceful movements.

That's why they study
the tea ceremony,

flower arranging, and
other traditional arts,

all under the guidance
of prominent teachers.

(speaks in foreign language)

- [Narrator] A geisha's schedule is packed

with training from morning to evening.

Then she attends banquets at night.

It is common for a workday
to finish after midnight.

All this effort, day in and day out

is to ensure that they provide
an unforgettable experience.

- So let me introduce our guest for today,

Mr. Kenji Watanabe, who's an
expert on Edo period literature

in general and geisha
culture in particular.

Thank you very much for
being with us today.

- Hello, nice to meet you.

I'm looking forward to being your guide

to the world of geisha in Asakusa.

- [Narrator] Today's guest Kenji Watanabe

is an expert in early
modern Japanese literature.

He has visited hanamachi
geisha quarters

all over the country
for the past 30 years,

studying the history
and culture of geisha.

Today, he will be taking us to a ryōtei

tucked away in Asakusa,

to show us what the geisha
world is like these days.

- [Peter] The word ryōtei, I know,
it means a restaurant,

but kind of has a connotation
of, for me anyway,

politicians having secret
discussions and stuff.

Is that accurate?

-[Watanabe] Well, a ryōtei offers an
extremely private environment

where secrets are protected,

where discretion is scrupulously observed.

So if you're a politician let's
say, or a CEO of a company,

you might come here to
conduct important negotiations

or to exchange frank opinions.

Even us, when we want total privacy,

it's nice to be able to
come to a place like this.

- [Peter] So shall we just go in?

(speaks in foreign language)

- [Peter] I remember from the
time I was a child,

if you asked somebody
in England anyway,

what their image of Japan was,

there may be two or three things,

and one of them would be a geisha.

It's almost like a cliché.

But I think, really, people
have not very much idea

what geisha are all about.

So, what is a geisha?
What is it they do?

-[Watanabe] Well, look at the word "geisha."

It means entertainer.

Someone with the skill to entertain.

That's a geisha.

- [Peter] What sort of skills
are we talking about?

-[Watanabe] It's essential that
a geisha be familiar

with the whole range of
traditional Japanese customs.

But that's not all;
she must also be cultured.

Most of the Geisha's
customers will be politicians,

corporate executives, people like that.

In Asakusa, there are many
wealthy business owners

and entrepreneurs.

A geisha must be skilled in
handling their conversation.

So she needs to be versatile.

If she's speaking with
business executives,

she might have to follow
a conversation about,

say, the stock markets.

She has to nod along
and reply in a way

that shows she's paying attention.

- If the person's talking to you

and even if you're just nodding,

I think there's a
difference between nodding

and understanding
what they're saying.

And nodding and not understanding
what they're saying.

And that's going to be very
obvious to the customer as well.

- But she can't just go "yeah, yeah."

She needs to be able to tune
in enough to sympathize,

to say things like, "what
a difficult situation,"

"but I'm sure you'll figure it out."

That's what the client expects.

To do that a geisha needs
to have her wits about her.

- [Narrator] The profession of geisha

came into being about 300 years ago.

In Edo, as Tokyo was then called,

there was one officially sanctioned

pleasure quarter, Yoshiwara.

In its heyday, 3,000
courtesans worked in Yoshiwara.

A district that drew
visitors from across Japan.

The city's biggest entertainment district,

Yoshiwara generated 100 million
yen a day in today's money.

At banquets where
customers were having fun,

geisha entertained them with
performances and conversation.

A strict distinction was made in Yoshiwara

between courtesans and geisha.

This raised the status of the geisha

and helped to differentiate
their profession.

Geisha were important emblems
of culture in that period.

They modeled for
Ukiyo-e woodblock prints,

the popular visual medium of the day.

They were star players of the shamisen,

which was indispensable to
the era's popular music.

Kabuki plays and novels
were often about geisha.

Geisha even taught
performing arts to children

at community classes
and in private lessons.

The geisha were at the
forefront of Edo culture,

capturing the public's imagination.

-[Peter] How did the people of
Edo perceive the geisha?

-[Watanabe] They were role models.

Opportunities for
women to be employed

were very limited
in that period.

They had few outlets
for personal success.

In that sense, the job of
a geisha offered a woman

a chance to have
some independence.

People knew the geisha
world was very demanding,

but they also idolized geisha,

treated them as pop stars almost.

Have a look at this.

Do you know what this is?

- [Narrator] It's an
Ukiyo-e woodblock print

of a geisha applying makeup

and it actually served
as an advertisement.

The geisha is using a
perfumed white face powder

popular at the time.

An actual geisha served as
the model for this picture,

which promoted the product
among women in the city.

-[Watanabe] In other words, women
would see this print

and they'd want to try
this kind of makeup.

It actually launched a fashion trend.

- [Narrator] The geisha
culture that flourished in Edo

spread across Japan in
the late 19th century.

At the peak in the early 20th century,

there were 80,000 geisha
working nationwide,

1,200 in Asakusa alone.

As times changed, geisha went
into decline across Japan.

Today, the number of
geisha working in Asakusa

has dropped to just 25.

However, one young woman is on track

to become a full-fledged
geisha next spring.

Chihana, who's currently an apprentice.

She's 21.

There are no other
geisha her age in Asakusa

and she will be the first in six years

to attain full status.

The geisha world has
high hopes for her.

She first became fascinated by
geisha in junior high school

when she saw how glamorous
they looked on a TV show.

She started thinking she
could do it as a career.

After finishing high school,

she started on the path
of becoming a geisha,

an exotic world centered
on drinking parties.

At first, her parents
opposed her decision.

- [Female Narrator] After entering
the geisha world,

Chihana faced the
daunting task of learning

all the required etiquette
and performing skills.

She considered quitting
any number of times,

but she always rallied and
hung in for these three years.

(stringed instrument plays)

(singing in foreign language)

- [Narrator] Chihana's lovely dancing

is accompanied by the
singing and shamisen playing

of Yuko, who's 91 years old.

Yuko is the oldest
active geisha in Tokyo.

Most of the songs
performed at geisha parties

are about romance or
the beauty of nature.

An experienced shamisen
player like Yuko

adds an essential flavor
to the performance.

- [Watanabe] You see Yukosan,

we have flowers in the
room, seasonal decorations

but it's the shamisen playing

that really conveys a sense of nature.

For example, if I close my eyes,

I can almost see the snow
falling in front of me.

The sound punches it all up for me.

(shamisen plays)

(singing in foreign language)

- [Watanabe] I'm right there.

I can actually see the snow falling.

- [Peter] If you understand
what's being sung,

then you start to appreciate

the delicacy of the playing as well.

- [Watanabe] Yes.

It's hard to put into words,
but it's the whole experience.

This entertainment
appeals to all the senses

and it's just for us,
for our private pleasure.

It's the ultimate
entertainment, such luxury.

- [Watanabe] The arts of the
geisha really are wonderful.

- I'm Matt Alt.

And confession time: this
is my first geisha party.

That's what today's episode is all about.

How to comport yourself
and enjoy yourself

at one of these most traditional
ways of unwinding in Japan.

Well, hello.

Hello?

- Though you might be wondering,

what does one wear to a geisha party?

So am I dressed appropriately
for the occasion?

- Okay.

Geisha parties are classy affairs,

and you need to dress the part.

It's best not to wear short
sleeves or short pants.

Kampai!
- [Ladies] Kampai!

- One of the fun parts of a geisha party

is playing little games
in the room together.

So what kind of game are
we going to play today?

- [Matt] Toratora, what's toratora?

- Okay, this is complicated,

but I'm willing to give it a try.

(singing)

(clapping)

-[Matt] I lost!

- What happens now?

Is this really a punishment?

- This is one of those games
where when you lose, you win.

Now, I know what
you might be thinking,

that a place like this is
pretty expensive to come to,

but actually, there's
places all around this city

and others in Japan
where you can enjoy

the geisha experience
for a lot cheaper.

- [Matt Narrating] This is one of them.

It's held in Tokyo's
Nihonbashi twice a month.

Real geisha show visitors their dances

and explain the basics of their games.

On this day, visitors
from France and America

and people of all
ages are taking part.

The event is designed to lift
the veil off geisha culture

so that more people can enjoy it.

The fee to participate is
only a 10th of the cost

of an actual geisha course,

so it's extremely popular and exciting.

- [Female Customer]
They explain what to do.

They explain the things and
it's very good to be so close.

- [Matt] I win!

And that's a geisha party for you.

No need to be embarrassed;
that's just how it goes here.

Next time you come to Japan,

why don't you become a
little tiger yourself.

- [Narrator] Kamaishi, a
city in Iwate Prefecture.

In 2011, it was devastated
by the tsunami

at the time of the great
East Japan earthquake.

One of the survivors was the
city's only active geisha,

Tsuyako Ito, who is now 87.

The tsunami destroyed her home.

She's still living in temporary housing

After the disaster,

her work at geisha parties
dried up almost completely,

but she's taking good
care of her shamisen,

the essential tool of her trade.

After the Second World War,

geisha culture flourished in Kamaishi

and geisha parties were
often held in the city.

Ito was proud to follow
in the glamorous footsteps

of the other geisha in her hometown.

But as the city began to decline,

so, too, did the number of geisha.

Finally, in the 1990's,
Ito became the last one.

- [Narrator] Then in March 2011,
a tsunami engulfed the city

and Ito was suddenly an evacuee.

Her livelihood was in jeopardy.

She had lost clients
and close friends.

In this dark time, one
friend showed Ito a poem

that had been written by someone

whose factory was
destroyed by the tsunami.

Called 'Flee Away,'

it has an instructional purpose.

To keep people conscious
of the danger of tsunami

and of the importance
of getting away quickly.

- [Narrator] Ito, as
Kamaishi's last geisha,

believed it was her mission
to put the words to music

and choreograph a dance.

Having failed to train a successor,

this would be her
legacy to the community.

- [Narrator] Two years ago,

this summer festival was
held for local evacuees.

Ito had spent half a
year working on the song.

She kept the choreography simple

so that anyone could learn it.

And she incorporated
stylized running motions

to symbolize the need to flee
a tsunami as fast as possible.

At first, Ito was dancing on her own.

But as people watched and
learned, they joined in.

Eventually, more than 100 were dancing.

- [Narrator] Now Ito's
aim is to spread "Flee Away"

all through the city of Kamaishi.

She performs the dance
whenever people gather,

and she invites them
to dance with her.

- [Peter] These days, people
generally retire around 60-ish,

and social security
is becoming a problem

in a lot of countries now.

So the fact that a woman
can continue to work

until the age of 87 or
in Yukosan's case 91,

is really quite remarkable.

- [Watanabe] When you have an art,
when you have a skill

and you keep trying to perfect
it, you'll always shine.

You'll never fade away.

And talking about cultivating
and perfecting the arts,

I hope more people like Yukosan

will come along in the future.

I know it's not easy,

but I hope others will
follow in her footsteps.

I do think this is important

for preserving Japan's
traditional culture.

- [Peter] Well, Chihana is
just about to start.

She's obviously very
positive about her work.

I think it's going to be,
quite honestly, very difficult

to maintain this level of quality

in the geisha's work
in the 21st century.

But on the other hand,
looking at Yukosan,

there's like a sparkle in her eye.

Her skin looks beautiful.

She's so alive and an
extremely charming woman.

And to think that she can
have worked in her field

for 75 years and
she is how she is now,

it says something for her
line of work, I think.

And it was fascinating
just to observe her

at such close distance.

So thank you very much for
the opportunity to do that.

- [Watanabe] Thank you very much.

- [Narrator] Next time, sports days.

Special annual gatherings
with competitions

in all sorts of races and games.

We'll explore the appeal of these events

and their more than 100
years of history in Japan.