Kimono is one of the defining characteristics of a geisha. Geisha wear kimono with a neckline that dips low on the back to show off the nap of the neck. That part of the neck is as sensual for Japanese men as the breast is to Western men. Geisha have a formal kimono (called de)…
Tag: japanese culture
Geisha: Hair and Kanzashi Styles
It costs around $500,000 to train a geisha. Most of this cost is found in hair styles and kimono. Until an apprentice (called maiko) becomes a geisha, she has to visit a hair dresser each week. Hair styles vary based on the geisha’s rank. Full geisha wear wigs for banquets and special appearances. The rest of…
Geisha: Beginnings
Geisha are an icon of Japanese culture. Mystique and stigma surrounds the profession. Being a geisha is a profession, just as librarianship is a profession. Geisha are not prostitutes. Although, prostitution has marred the profession. Becoming a geisha was one of the few means a girl in the Edo period could gain an education and…
Visu the Woodsman and the Old Priest
Many years ago there lived on the then barren plain of Suruga a woodsman by the name of Visu. He was a giant in stature, and lived in a hut with his wife and children. One day Visu received a visit from an old priest, who said to him: “Honorable woodsman, I am afraid you…
Tawara Toda, My Lord Bag of Rice
Long, long ago there lived, in Japan a brave warrior known to all as Tawara Toda, or “My Lord Bag of Rice.” His true name was Fujiwara Hidesato, and there is a very interesting story of how he came to change his name. One day he sallied forth in search of adventures, for he had…
The Mirror of Matsuyama
In ancient days there lived in a remote part of Japan a man and his wife, and they were blessed with a little girl, who was the pet and idol of her parents. On one occasion the man was called away on business in distant Kyoto. Before he went he told his daughter that if…