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WHAT IS A GEISHA? For my psychology class.

How do you view the Geisha as?

  • Artists and entertainers (Japanese American)

    Votes: 4 16.0%

  • Artists and entertainers (Japanese)

    Votes: 14 56.0%

  • Highly paid prostitutes (Japanese American)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Highly paid prostitutes (Japanese)

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Both (Japanese American)

    Votes: 1 4.0%

  • Both (Japanese)

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • Total voters
    25
J

jinda1520

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I have to include a survey for my report on Geisha's in my psychology class and I'm looking for any Japanese American's and non Japanese American's(born or live(d) in Japan) to answer the question for me. It would be of great help if you can ask others for me too. It would also be appreciated if you have some knowledge of what a Geisha does.
I am not trying to degrade Geisha's in anyway. I personally think they are only artists and entertainers, but some view them otherwise and thus I'm doing a survey.
How do you view the Geisha as?
artists and entertainers (Japanese American)
artists and entertainers (Japanese)
highly paid prostitutes (Japanese American)
highly paid prostitutes (Japanese)
both (Japanese American)
both (Japanese)
Click on the one that states your identity, Japanese(born or live(d) in Japan) or American Japanese.
Thank You for your help with my survey!
 
Why do you have only two options? (Entertainer or prostitute)
The meaning of the word "geisha" ﾅ竹ﾅｽﾃ means the person with/of art.
:?
 
It's a difficult question to ask... and one that sometimes is only elucidated by reading Japanese sources (read- Non English).... Most English definitions, I'll use wikipedia as a source of possible (mis)information, yet I am fond of it's Japanese version for elucidating what the English versions leave out.

The Geisha of old, did in FACT work in what would be considered to be called the "red light district".... they made their money by entertaining men. You may or or may not be acquainted with the term Mizu Shoubai, or in English, "Water Trade"... there is some contention to the origin of this phrase, if it deals with the onsen (hot springs/public baths) where it originated, or the flowing nature of the business... but by and large, it is still prevalent today, and though some see it much like prostitution, it is, selling company to men, for money, for quite expensive sums, I'll leave that up to you to research.

Undoubtedly there were Geisha who were not trained specifically to be elegant, and not specifically to be entertainers, popular culture films such as the most recent iteration of Zatouichi make such claims, and I think your responses from the Japanese may be different (I am not, of course Japanese, but well read on these subjects.... Asian Studies major... blah de blah..) then those of non-Japanese origin.

I think personally, that of course there were many geisha who operated in a manner, indebted to their mama-sans to entertain chiefly, and wed, and provide sex, lastly... The idea of the untainted woman should be of some familiarity to you... Memoirs of a Geisha (Sayuri in Japan), is not the best source on the subject but it does elucidate some things, frankly a little less than what Zatouichi inevitably elucidates but does so, nonetheless.

Of course, like Mizu Shoubai, it is entirely up to the "peformer" as to the extent of IF they do provide sexual services to the customer, of course, with geisha, this would make their perceived worth lessened, so, perhaps it is not as common... not so much in Mizu Shhoubai, where men pay for the company of women (I have been), there is no touching, there is no contact, and depending on the establishment, there may be no impetus for the hostess (girl) to initiate any sexual contract--- though it is still possible.

That is my point about geisha, the possibility of contract.
 
It seems that outside of Japan, geisha and oiran (prostitute) are mixed up.
Memoire of Geisha is a good example.
 
Last edited:
Tokyo-jin is a magazine about Tokyo life and culture in Japan.
The article about the last geisha, Minako, in Yoshiwara was very interesting to read. I thought many geisha turned into prostitutes after the Meiji, but I was wrong. Even during the war time, the Yoshiwara district kept their strict in-house regulation that geisha must not be a prostitute.

If you are lucky to find the magazine at a local library, I highly recommend you should read it.

Some college students turn geisha after their research on the geisha culture.
 
pipokun said:
Tokyo-jin is a magazine about Tokyo life and culture in Japan.
Click to expand...

Well that's a relief! When I first saw 窶愬停?ｹﾅｾﾂ人ﾂ 237ﾂ坂?? I thought that was the woman's ID number! Made me wonder just how crazy life in Shôwa Japan was!
 
undrentideﾆ探ﾆ停?慊、

Maybe you can help me better understand the wiki's for red light district, a term that doesn't really exist in Japanese, but is more considered to be a "liscenced pleasure quarter..."

...and the wiki for geisha.

There does in fact seem to be geisha that act strictly and primarily as entertainers, they do 'sell entertainment', even if it is not sex... and perhaps, what you might simply call women who dressed slightly as geisha did but were basically prostitutes, not geisha.

Am I incorrect in reading that these women both resided in similar quarters close to each other in "liscenced pleasure quarters"?

I may just be misinformed.

I'll add that the prevalence of geisha being considered as prostitutes occurred after World War II, but more or less, these women most likely dropped all pretenses of being actual geisha... this is from the Japanese wiki...
 
Maybe you can help me better understand the wiki's for red light district, a term that doesn't really exist in Japanese, but is more considered to be a "liscenced pleasure quarter...
Click to expand...

There's a full blown red light district in Osaka's south, around the Tennoji/Nishinari/Abeno areas. It's basically a neighbourhood of old style houses that are open right onto the street, with a mama-san sitting by the prostitute. Although you can't take photos, my friend and I rode past with a hidden camera one day and took a few shots. Unfortunately the camera wasn't on the right setting so the photos turned out all blurred, but here are some ones that are not too bad...
 

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As my point of view geisha are more respected than a local hooker, prostitute. In my country we call them the Fan Dancers(just a name hasnt to do anything with a "fan dancer") why do we call them like that? because they paint their skin very white! I think geisha are actors and performancers of love, i've searched for the top 10 most respected hooker/prostitute and the most respected was the Geisha, they are much better and you can laugh and talk with them also, its not always for the...***...! So what i say: Long live Geisha and their mysterious ways of seducing/loving! (If this aint clear watch the american movie: Memories of a Geisha: with Zhiyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe)
 

Just a side note: In present Japan, prostitution is illegal.
Being illegal does not mean it is non-existent, but those you and your friends saw are most likely those who are working in the industry where they are doing some "special services" to the clients.
 
Yeah that's how it works. I spoke to a police officer who once patrolled the Nishinari streets, and basically a client will pay 10,000 yen or so to spend 20 minutes with the girl. What they do between each other is between themselves, as consenting adults. The police actually turn a blind eye to it all, believing that it reduces real prostitution, which, in such a rough area full of homeless, gangs, and day labourers, would become quite a problem.
 
undrentide said:
Why do you have only two options? (Entertainer or prostitute)
The meaning of the word "geisha" ﾅ竹ﾅｽﾃ means the person with/of art.
:?
Click to expand...
Well I only put those on my survey because people who have some knowledge of a Geisha, be it wrong or right, usually generalize them as one or the other or both. I want to see how many Japanese and Japanese Americans view them in the Japanese society. I didn't want to put out information and wanted to allow people to choose what they considered what a Geisha was from their own knowledge. It has Artist and entertainer as a choice. They are artist that entertain with their music, wit, dance and so on.
 
I have to include a survey for my report on the Japanese Geisha in my psychology class and I'm looking for any Japanese American's(born in the US) and non Japanese American's(born or live(d) in Japan) to answer the question for me. It would also be appreciated if you have some knowledge about the Japanese Geisha.

How do you view the Geisha as?

a)artists and entertainers (Japanese American)
b)artists and entertainers (Japanese)
c)highly paid prostitutes (Japanese American)
d)highly paid prostitutes (Japanese)
e)both (Japanese American)
f)both (Japanese)


You can just leave me a message with one of the letters above.

Your answer will be accumulated with the total at the end of my survey. Only I will see your answer.

I am not trying to degrade the Geisha in any way. I only put those choices on my survey because people who have some knowledge of a Geisha, be it wrong or right, often time generalize them as one or the other or sometimes both. I want to survey how many Japanese and Japanese Americans view them as in the Japanese society. I didn't want to put out information and wanted to allow people to choose what they considered what a Geisha was from their own knowledge.

Thank You for your help with my survey!
 
the word geisha means "artist"
highly paid prostitutes is an american stereotype...i think =|
speaking of gesha watch the movie memoirs of a geisha
IT MIGHT help >.<
watch the specials
 
Funny you should be the second person to say that, when just a few posts up:

undrentide said:
It seems that outside of Japan, geisha and oiran (prostitute) are mixed up.
Memoire of Geisha is a good example.
Click to expand...

NOT a good film to watch to get an idea of what geisha really are and really do according to at least one Japanese person.
 
Geisha are no°1 most respective ''prostitues'' in the world.
In Europe they are better known as the Artists of making Love.
They see geisha as a way of life not as a ''paypal''

Isn't the movie a good example?
 
I'm certainly not saying that Geisha were prostitutes, but I think that there is a very thin line between selling desire, and selling sex.

I think it's fine to say that they were "artists", and entertainers, they were that in fact, but I think that its naive to think that in no way was there any sexuality inherent, If you look at Japanese culture as regards women, it's anathema to think so... --- Passion, either given, or forbidden, that lulled men to spend their money being entertained by Geisha...
 
Glenn said:
NOT a good film to watch to get an idea of what geisha really are and really do according to at least one Japanese person.
Click to expand...

No. Not at all. In fact "VERY BAD".


If the film were about an Asian country that nobody knows if it really exists, then it could be a beautiful (I mean visually, not the story itself) and interesting.
But it is meant to be a film about Geisha, and it is beyond my words - dreadful and outrageous, in the least. Totally wrong.

It does not convey what Geisha was/is but the mis-conception Hollywood has about so-called "Geisha"...
 
I wonder if the misconception shouldn't be referred to as ギーシャ, as that's how the GIs in Japan (mis)pronounced the word. Of course, I'm not terribly sure how people in general pronounce it now; it usually only comes up in conversation with people who know something about Japan(ese).
 
So the movie is also Hollywood?? i see! thanks minnasan for the precious information
 
At the time of early Meiji, no Toyota or Nintendo then, so the photo of geisha, I should say women in kimono, was one of the most important export item from Japan.
 
Women in kimono? hell yeah! thats why i like japan, there isnt any other country were kimono is used, chinese people try it also but the chinese style of kimono isnt that beautiful then the japanese kimono, cheers for women/girl/boy/men in kimono!
 
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