Day 10 of our adventures, Disney was done and onto the next adventure…. KYOTO. Kyoto is known as the city of a thousand shrines and was the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868.
One of the most recognizable aspects of Kyoto is the famous Geisha district. When you think of Kyoto, you imagine old streets with ladies in kimonos with white makeup walking the streets at night.
Before coming to Kyoto, we read “Memoirs of a Geisha”… well Jessa did. I only got through 67% of it (I promise I will finish). We also watched part of the Netflix series “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House”. It was very educational, but we still felt like the Geisha concept was archaic and not applicable to today’s world.
Did Geishas still perform as they did in the 1800s? Was it easy to get a dinner with a Geisha? Did Geishas use technology? How long did it take them to get ready? Those were just a few of the questions we had! We honestly had no idea where to begin, so I searched the depths of the internet and reddit for ideas on how to meet one of these elusive people.
After a lot of research, I stumbled across a name “Peter MacIntosh”. He had moved to Kyoto in 1993 and dedicated his life to learning about the Geisha and studying their traditions. What caught my eye the most was the straight forwardness of his site. It was a simple site you could tell that had been constructed in the early days of the internet and focused on the history of the geisha. He had not only focused on learning about the Geisha but he had managed to build a strong relationship with them. Here is a picture of Peter in the early 1990s with a Japanese businessman that changed his life by introducing him to a geisha.
In fact, Peter had managed to bring Geishas across the world without the help of a Japanese intermediary. Now this guy was the real deal, so I found a email address and contacted him assuming it would be a dead end. To my surprise, Peter replied and we were able to arrange the opportunity of a lifetime. I could go on and on about how awesome Peter was and how knowledgeable he was, but then you’d never hear about our experience so if you’d like to learn more about Peter check out:
http://www.kyotosightsandnights.com/about/peter.html
Here are some common misconceptions about Geisha:
Is a geisha a prostitute?
NO. Did you know the first geisha performers were actually men? It wasn’t until 1751 that women were geishas. Gei – art and Sha – person of. Their focus was solely the arts such as playing musical instruments, singing, and entertaining. Originally, that was the selling point of the geisha (these women will not interfere with the courtesan industry).
You can see geisha everywhere in Kyoto?
Not exactly, there are not thousands of geishas like there were before WW2. During WW2, women were sent to the factories to work and with all the latest economic hardships, the numbers have continued to decline.
In Gion, there are approximately 80 geishas. In the district we visited, Miyagawa-cho, there are 50 geishas. Wow that’s not a lot to serve all the business.
Most of the people you see in those Instagram photos of Kyoto that have on kimonos or yakutas are actually just tourists. You can rent a kimono for a day and walk around the town. I mean, we did it as well. More to come on that later. Spotting a geisha in the wild felt like that moment when you see a rare bird. They are there but you had to keep your eyes peeled because they know the backstreets of Kyoto and can dissappear in a flash.
Anyone can book a geisha right?
Not exactly… While you can go onto Google or TripAdvisor and find plenty of “geisha experiences” these are not the same as booking a geisha. These are large group performances where a group of tourists will watch a maiko perform a dance and snap a photo or two and be ushered out the door.
A true meeting with a geisha is usually by introduction only, which means you must use a regular customer (someone who has a working relationship with the specific house) and is willing to vouch for you. This adds risk to their reputation if you were to act up, so this is not to be taken lightly.
Most geishas are seen accompanying groups of wealthy Japanese businessmen, celebrities, and other people in positions of influence. The fact we were able to sit down with one for an hour was beyond a blessing and truly a once in a lifetime event.
How expensive is it?
It varies based on the ochaya (house) rate. Each geisha has a contract to a house (correct me if I’m wrong Peter) and the house takes the payment. NO, this is not a form of slavery, as all geishas now have to apply to become one.
The reason why it can be so expensive is because geishas must have not just one or two kimonos but at least 12 kimonos and who is going to pay for their 4 years of schooling…. that’s right the house. The ochaya, aka teahouse, usually fronts the education and kimonos with the agreement that the giesha will repay the house.
Can anyone become a giesha?
Most gieshas start their training at the age of 15 years old. Geishas are of all ages. In fact, Peter was telling us of a geisha who is 91 that is still performing! He showed us a picture of her doing a headstand at the age of 85 which was super impressive. To become a geisha you send your resume to the different houses with the hopes that one will accept you.
Our Experience
We met up with Peter on Wednesday night and it started with a simple walking tour around old town Kyoto also known as the Gion district. Kyoto is broken up into 5 geisha districts with Gion being the most recognizable one. Little did we know this walking tour was also a pre-screening to make sure we met Peter’s standards.
We learned that the lanterns signified different Geisha teahouses, and that meeting a geisha in a private setting was not as easy as just signing up on TripAdvisor. A regular customer had to provide an introduction and you would need a translator. This meant all the risk was on Peter if we were to act out of line.
We arrived in a district known as Miyagawa-Cho and entered the teahouse with Peter. The experience was more than we could have ever hoped for. Peter’s warm greeting made us realize he truly did know these women as they smiled and greeted him with lots of conversation.
It was just us, Peter, and the Maiko. Wait you said you met a geisha not a maiko huh? A maiko is just a young geisha who is still in school. Most maikos become geikos around the age of 20 to 21.
We spent the evening asking questions, enjoying drinks, listening to a traditional song and dance, and learning from both Peter and the maiko whose name was Kotono-san. She wanted to become a geisha at 8 years old when she saw a geisha and was in awe. Kotono-san chose this as a lifestyle. She is in boarding school for 4-7 years. Peter explained this to us like someone going to Julliard, the day filled with studies and work. They only get 2 days off during the month and are not allowed to go back home in fear of homesickness.
It was an experience like no other. It truly felt like we had stepped into the Magic Treehouse (90s reference) and were experiencing something out of a movie or book. We realized the maiko was just like you or I and had aspirations, favorite Netflix shows, and emotions. It’s sometimes hard to remember that when you see them all dressed up in such a royal style. This experience had been a once in a lifetime experience, and we would never forget it.
Words don’t do the experience justice. It’s one of those you had to witness it to feel it. I can describe the feeling of honor, tradition, and innocence all wrapped into one as she sat across from us. We truly had a reverence for this culture and way of life. A geisha isn’t just another trip or excursion you book to mark off your bucket list. It’s a timeless lifestyle filled with honor and passion.
That concludes our geisha experience. Major thanks to Peter for acting more as a friend than a guide and providing the proper introductions and translations for us to experience this magical moment. Now, don’t be confused this does not mean we can just show up to Kyoto and reserve a geisha on our own. We would still rely on Peter for everything. Our advice go watch a few of the following things if you’d like to learn more:
Youtube: Real Geisha Real Women: A documentary by Peter MacIntosh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmH4mcTb6JE
Netflix: The Makanai –
Very good show! Our maiko said that this show was very accurate to current maiko training and life.
Reading/Movie: Memoirs of a Geisha.
