Geisha- A Life

Read This if You've Read Memoirs of a Geisha
A few years ago I read Memoirs of a Geisha and loved it. Although the book was supposed to be based on Mineko Iwasaki's life, after reading Geisha: A Life, it's clear the Memoirs author took great liberties. Where Memoirs contained a juicy fictionalization, this title is much more straight forward and explanatory about the life of a Geisha. It clearly details the schooling and discipline necessary to become Japan's top Geisha. It would have been nice to know less about the classroom and more about the inner workings of the Okiya. While this book is not as beautifully written as Memoirs, true Geisha enthusiasts will want to read this version. Consider it an historic account of a nearly bygone era.

There's Better out There
I believe this book was only written in order for Mineko to salvage her tarnished reputation. It is adamant - startlingly so - on certain details, such as that she lost her virginity to her lover and the practice of mizuage is not what it was said to be in Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha." However, while Golden's book is indeed a work of fiction, what Mineko asserts is simply untrue. Up until 1957 when legal prostitution was abolished in Japan, the mizuage ritual for geisha women and the taking of danna were quite similar to what was described in Golden's fictional novel. You may interpret the dispute between them as you will, as I'm sure no one but they have all the facts on the matter, but I truly believe her lawsuit was an attempt on Golden's earnings for the book and to raise her own publicity. After all, she's gone on to be quite vocal and write even more books afterward, cashing in on the media attention. This book is an interesting read, and if you are truly interested in geisha culture I wouldn't say not to try it out, but I would recommend Liza Dalby's "Geisha" far more. It is considered by many to be one of the most accurate and informative books on Geisha that is currently on the market today.

To be the best no matter what...
This is a beautiful story about a little girl who became one of the most famous geisha in Japan. Mineko, which is her adopted geisha name not her birth name, moved into the Iwasaki geisha house when she was only five years old. She started her artistic training when she was merely six. At a time when most five and six year olds in America are starting kindergarden, playing video games and sports, Mineko was already "working." Her passion and greatest devotion became the dance. This biography came out in 2002 which may or may not have been around the time Memoirs of a Geisha published as well. Both novels are strikingly similar I noticed, especially when it dealt with World War II. But this novel, as opposed to Memoirs, is an actual biography. The Japanese terminology is so fascinating to learn and explained very well. I learned that geisha in training were called maiko, or "women of dance," and geisha or geiko actually means "women of art." For a period of twenty five years (from age five until twenty-nine), Mineko practiced all the traditional and ancient customs including dance forms, music, and tea ceremonies (ochaya). Maiko is simply amazing. Despite learning traditional customs she is also an incredibly skilled business woman. She worked 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from the time she was fifteen until she was twenty-one. In the Iwasaki okiya she was the hardest working and most devoted geisha. Her experience with love was also very humorous. Because she worked so intently she viewed most men as business transactions and nothing more. One man, by the name of Toshio, eventually changed her views. After visiting her multiple times he finally expressed his love for her, which she just scolded him as a young child (despite him being twice as old) and he was also married! Toshio explained they were both in a loveless marriage, but Maiko didn't want to hear of it; she refused him completely. Finally she told him, after his countless advances, if he came to the Gion Kobu every day for three years then maybe she would consider it. She pretty much figured that was that. He came every single day for three years. But despite this their romance became rocky and unstable. He never left his wife. She later met a young painter, Jin, that won her over. When Mineko decided to retire at the "old age" of twenty-nine, she was sent thousands of letters from her adoring fans. She met kings and queens, royalty, presidents, diplomats, politicians, and celebrities from everywhere in the world. Her assets were in the millions. She opened up her own club, then later sold it. She decided to get her art license and became an art dealer. The beauty of this novel is how truthful and painful it was for her to grow up. I didn't really feel that she ever had a childhood, she always worked and trained every day. Her training did pay off because she was so incredibly popular, but there was still a hint of sadness in my opinion.

Truth vs. Fiction
I found this book to be extremely intriguing and informative. Quite possibly fabricated in some aspects, but when your trying to learn about a culture that has so much secrecy behind it you read into whatever you can find. The secrecy is probably what makes it so fascinating to begin with! In attempts to preserve something thats so important to a culture the author may or may not have been entirely truthful with things. A case of "what should be" or what is expected of the geisha vs. what actually exists. The depiction over the years of the geisha has resulted in a bit of a smeared reputation, I think her desire to preserve the name may have overwhelmed the actual fact. Regardless I enjoyed this book very much.

A wonderful trip into the hidden culture.
I LOVED this book. If you are interested in Geisha's you must read this one. It details everything about a Geisha's life. Plus tells you what is truth and what is fiction. The way the author express things is just lovely. I really recommend this book.