Contrary to popular belief, geishas were not prostitutes or courtesans. The word “geisha” literally means “person of the arts.” These women entertained guests at banquets called ozashiki in the homes of noble lords, where they served as musicians, dancers, comedians, poured drinks, and engaged in sophisticated conversation.
Additionally, geishas organized various parlor games like tosenkyo (a fan-throwing game) or Japanese versions of “rock, paper, scissors,” and served sake to the losers. They provided musical accompaniment at banquets, playing instruments like the shamisen (similar to a Japanese balalaika), ko-tsuzumi (a shoulder-held Japanese drum), and the fue (flute). If guests wanted to compete in composing haikus, painting, or dancing, geishas would participate as well.
It is more accurate to compare geishas to hosts, singers, dancers, entertainers, and hostesses (all rolled into one) rather than to prostitutes.
If a geisha wanted to offer sexual services, she would risk punishment, as it was legally forbidden for her to engage in prostitution or even to be seen near yūjo—the term for actual prostitutes in Japan. While it is unlikely that this rule was never broken, the prohibition still existed.
The misconception that yūjo and geishas were the same likely arose due to American soldiers after World War II. Many prostitutes then pretended to be geishas to earn more money, even though they weren’t entitled to that title. The Americans, unfamiliar with the distinction, began conflating the two.
Geisha Is an Exclusively Female Profession
When we hear the word “geisha,” we immediately imagine a Japanese woman with an unusual hairstyle and a face covered in white powder. The fact is, being a geisha wasn’t necessarily a female profession.
The first geishas were men—they were called taikomochi, which translates as “drum carrier,” or hōkan, meaning “jester.” They were comedians, musicians, actors, and tea ceremony experts. They told jokes and entertained guests in noble households or drew patrons into taverns and brothels with bawdy anecdotes.
This profession began in the 12th century, and at that time hōkan were called doboshu—“companions,” as they not only entertained the hosts but also served as advisors, conversation partners, and companions. Later, with the end of the Sengoku period in the early 17th century, female jesters began to appear. The first was named Kasen—she was initially a prostitute but managed to pay off her contract and, having gained her freedom, became the first female geisha.
Today, there are about five taikomochi left in the world. They organize celebrations, contests, and act as hosts. You can even find their performances on YouTube, which might amuse those who know Japanese.
Additionally, men known as hosuto—Japanese men who, for a fee, can take you on a date, shower you with compliments, and drink with you—could be considered male geishas.
Geishas Always Wear Makeup
Geishas are often imagined wearing traditional o-shiroi makeup (literally “white” in Japanese), which is based on wax. Their lips were painted red using safflower lipstick called beni.
However, contrary to belief, geishas did not always wear makeup.
It was mainly the maiko, apprentice geishas, and beginner geishas who applied white makeup, while experienced geishas only did so for especially important ceremonies. At a certain age, makeup was not worn at all, as it was believed that the beauty of an older woman did not require cosmetic enhancement.
Similarly, with hair: complex hairstyles with numerous decorations were worn by inexperienced maiko, while older, trained women opted for simpler shimadas. Elderly geishas merely tied their hair into a “shell” shape.
All Geishas Were Young and Beautiful
From an old Japanese perspective, geishas were indeed considered a decoration for any celebration, but their standards of beauty differed from ours.
In ancient times, due to their profession, geishas often suffered from skin issues. The makeup they used contained lead-based white pigment, leading to lead poisoning in women up until the 20th century.
The makeup was also rather peculiar: for instance, a cosmetic product called uguisu-no-fun was made from nightingale droppings.
The word uguisu-no-fun translates to “nightingale excrement.” In Japan, it was considered prestigious and fashionable to apply this substance to the face, which supposedly gave the skin smoothness and whiteness. Modern researchers, however, doubt that the urea and guanine in bird droppings are beneficial for the skin, although the high pH of uguisu-no-fun was used for whitening bed sheets.
Due to the tight hairstyles, geishas often experienced hair loss, but they even managed to take pride in their bald spots.
These bald spots were considered a sign that a geisha had spent enough time as an apprentice, meaning she was well-trained.
With age, geishas often abandoned such self-inflicted harm and adopted a more natural appearance. Many of them continued to work well into old age. Moreover, older geishas were more valued in Japanese culture, as it was believed that a woman’s beauty fully blossoms with age.
The oldest known geisha, Yuko Asakusa, lived to 96. Born in 1923, she began her career at 16 and continued until her death in 2019.
So if you invited a geisha, it’s not guaranteed that a young beauty with a clear voice would greet you. It might instead be an older lady, skillfully serving tea and telling captivating stories.
A Geisha’s Smile is Enough to Enchant a Man
Another detail that adds allure to the image of a geisha is her smile. However, it was not as captivating as we might think.
Geishas followed the Japanese custom of blackening their teeth—ohaguro. As a dye, they used juices from various herbs and fruits, as well as a liquid made from galls—parasitic growths on plant leaves caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and arthropods. This was not a particularly pleasant procedure.
To prepare ohaguro, the dye was mixed with water and sake in a special container, into which heated rusty iron rods were placed. The mixture was left for a week and then poured into the mouth. Yes, the Japanese had some strange customs.
You probably wouldn’t want to kiss a geisha, as the teeth treated with ohaguro had an unpleasant odor. In 1870, ohaguro was banned for all nobles, including members of the imperial family. Apparently, even the emperor was bothered by the bad breath.
Interestingly, yūjo (prostitutes) rarely blackened their teeth. As a result, ohaguro became associated with the integrity of married women, where the durability of the dye symbolized loyalty to their husbands.
Geishas Were Dressed to the Nines
In movies, geishas are often portrayed as women not only with unnatural makeup but also dressed in extravagantly bright clothing. But this isn’t quite true. Colorful attire was the domain of yūjo (prostitutes) and oiran (more expensive prostitutes).
Among geishas, only apprentices and novice geishas wore bright, ornate kimonos. More experienced women dressed more simply and modestly. Compare, for example, the attire and hairstyle of a geisha and an oiran in the image above: the former wears a plain kimono and simple hairstyle, while the latter has a vibrant outfit and hair adorned with ornaments.
Additionally, oiran and yūjo, for understandable reasons, tied their kimono belts in a way that made them easy to untie. Geishas, on the other hand, were dressed by a special dresser, otokoshi, and could not remove their belts without assistance.
All Geishas are Japanese
When Japan was an isolated and closed country with no entry for gaijins (foreigners), this was true. But starting in the 1970s, geishas from other countries began to appear. Naturally, they adopted Japanese pseudonyms, as is customary in this profession.
There have been geishas from the USA, China, Romania, Ukraine, Peru, and Australia. They trained in special okiya houses and, therefore, had the full right to be called geishas.
Geishas Were Sold into Slavery
Due to the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, based on the novel of the same name, many believe that young girls were literally sold into slavery by their impoverished parents. But this isn’t entirely accurate.
Many new girls entered the geisha houses (the so-called okiya) quite voluntarily to earn money and receive an education and a profession. Other maiko (apprentice geishas) were the daughters of adult geishas, inheriting the craft. However, it often happened that poor girls with no other way to pay off debts became geishas (which was clearly better than being a yūjo).
Incidentally, Mineko Iwasaki, who inspired the character in Memoirs of a Geisha, was outraged by how geishas were depicted in the book. She sued the novel’s author, Arthur Golden, and later wrote her own book, Geisha, A Life.
Today, girls become geishas by choice at the age of 15, and they are required to have a school diploma beforehand.
If you think that geishas have long since disappeared into history, you are quite mistaken: they still exist in Japan today! They host tea ceremonies, serve in traditional Japanese restaurants, and work as musicians, comedians, and masters of ceremonies.
However, real geishas today are rare, and their numbers are dwindling. So, if you find yourself in Japan, you are more likely to take a selfie with a painted female entertainer who has no knowledge of the ancient Eastern art.
Yubitsume (“finger shortening”) is the act of amputating a finger with a sharp knife or tantō. This gesture of remorse, protest, or apology is commonly seen among Japanese gang members such as the Yakuza. The ritual is also known as otoshimae. Yubitsume involves decapitating the tip of one’s left pinky finger. Wrapping the severed part and presenting it to the immediate superior, known as an oyabun, is the next step. If the offenders persist in their wrongdoings, further amputations may be made until they have no pinky finger remaining. After that, the right pinky is up next.
Origin of Yubitsume
The yubitsume originated in the Bakuto, an 18th-century gambling gang that served as a forerunner to the Yakuza. Losing one’s little finger was viewed as a fair substitute for being unable to pay off a gambling debt. Since the little finger is the strongest on the hilt of the sword in Japanese swordsmanship, losing it would have made the person or samurai weaker in battle and more reliant on the protection of a superior like Bakuto or Yakuza.
Names like “Ichika” show that gang members often treat each other like pseudo-families. Since they are not a true family, any sign of devotion must be greeted with an equal and opposite demonstration of love. This demonstration must be done in a “visible” way, just like this ritual. Historically practiced only by the Yakuza, yubitsume has since given way to the more common practice of paying hefty fines.
History of Yubitsume
A member of the Yakuza displays his hands, which are missing most of the pinkies. Fingers are cut off by yubitsume as a sign of loyalty.
Yubitsume, also called “yubi o tobasu” or “finger flying,” is a self-harming ritual that has been used as a promise sign since ancient times. But the oldest known reference to Yubitsume is from the early 17th century, during the Edo period (1603–1867).
Having one’s fingers severed as a pledge is depicted in the Japanese poet Ihara Saikaku’s “Budo Denraiki,” wherein a man named Shushudayu Izumikawa, who suspected his wife of adultery, stripped her naked and severed her fingers, stating, “If you do not have a secret husband, you must let go of the five fingers by yourself in the oath of all deities.”
Prostitutes in the Yoshiwara district were known to demonstrate their “single-mindedness” by severing their own pinky fingers and sending them to their patrons.
There have been instances where a finger made of rice flour (shinko) or the finger of a decapitated man was sent to the patron under the guise of the person’s own finger. An established prostitute (oiran) criticized such conduct as “unfashionable” and said, “If you want to leave, just leave.” Desperate whores who knew they would never be pledged to a man would swear allegiance to the man they were with or to the man they later fell in love with.
Implementation of Yubitsume
A man’s hand after yubitsume, in which the top two joints of the pinky finger have been amputated. (Image: Nesnad, CC BY-SA 4.0)
To perform yubitsume, typically the left hand is positioned on the chopping block with the side of the palm facing down. A topical anesthetic or cold water is used to dull the finger before it is amputated. After that, the finger is amputated from an individual joint. Now the proprietor uses a tantō or other sharp knife to personally sever the finger.
In most cases of yubitsume, only the ring finger and little finger will be removed. Based on the severity of the offense, the finger may be removed just above the joint or the entire foremost phalanx may be severed. Finally, a towel is used to present the cut finger to the insulted party’s head (oyabun) with the utmost respect.
Repeat offenders have the next pinky finger joint removed. If one pinky finger is already gone, the right pinky or the top phalanx of the left ring finger can be amputated as well. Many times, the first phalanxes to be removed are the ones closest to the top in order to keep the hand from becoming useless.
Yubitsume has devastating consequences. In addition to the obvious pain and trauma, losing a finger completely changes one’s professional and personal life. It can be seen as an indication of frailty or treachery in the yakuza and, as a consequence, lead to a fall in social standing.
While tantōs, typical short blades, were frequently used for yubitsume in the past, hammers and chisels eventually became the tools of choice. But yubitsume is associated with high rates of bleeding, infection, and permanent impairment or deformity. Now, a fine has often taken the place of this kind of ceremonial self-mutilation.
The Purpose of the Yubitsume Ritual
This Yakuza member is missing his left pinky and ring finger. (Photo: Anton Kusters)
To keep up their samurai image, the Yakuza still cut off fingers as part of the ritual. Each phalanx of the finger represents atonement for a mistake. But a yakuza still has to perform hara-kiri for a major wrongdoing.
Reflection
The yubitsume ritual was created by Japanese gangs as a punishment for their members who had disobeyed the rules of the organization. The ratio of yubitsume is usually “three sun and three bu” which is 1.31 inches or 3.33 cm.
Up until the Shōwa period (1926–1989), Japanese swords were the primary tool of choice for gangs. As a punishment, amputating the little finger reduced one’s hold on the handle of the sword significantly. The yubitsume implies deep remorse to the extent that you offer your opponent what is important as a Yakuza.
Another fact about the ritual is that no matter how much they cut, the gang members never use more than three fingers of their dominant hand. This is to leave the rest of the fingers for things like chopsticks and pencils.
One Yakuza member testified in 2015 that they would perform yubitsume if they were out of money. And since they can get stitches right away, the hospital roofs were a convenient place to perform the ritual. The former members also testified that the fingers were stored in glass bottles with formalin.
Arbitration
Sometimes a person can perform yubitsume in order to show one’s earnestness, resolve a situation the person is not personally responsible for, or bring peace between warring gangs. The term “living fingers” is used to describe the fingers amputated for this goal. This is as opposed to “death fingers,” which are cut as a sign of remorse.
Protest
In Japan and Korea, far-right and nationalist groups favor yubitsume as a way of protesting. The Koreans employed yubitsume in the past to oppose the annexation of Korea by Japan. In the present, yubitsume was used in the movement to protest the creation of Takeshima Day. The ritual is also used for lawmakers seen as anti-Japanese.
As a form of protest, severed fingertips are sometimes delivered to the protest site.
Is Yubitsume Still Performed Today?
After being victimized by the ritual several times, a Yakuza member lost his left pinky finger completely. (Photo: Anton Kusters)
Today, the gangs, including the Yakuza, don’t perform yubitsume as often as they used to. Because swords are no longer used in fights, it does little good to leave a person disabled and still expect them to do their jobs at their best. The ritual is still considered a serious action in the eyes of gang members. Because of that, the person who committed yubitsume must always be forgiven by his boss.
Today, a person who has violated a gang rule will sometimes willingly subject themselves to yubitsume as a sign of regret in the hopes that they will be spared a more severe penalty than finger cutting.
According to police data from 1971, at least one finger joint was missing from 42% of bakuto, 45% of gurentai, and 30% of tekiya members. In 1994, statistics from the police database showed that this figure had fallen to 33%. The practice of yubitsume is fading away among today’s gangs. They are increasingly relying on monetary sanctions to convey the idea of shame.
The Reasons for the Decline in Yubitsume
The yubitsume is now halfway out of use as a means to resign from a gang group or to show regret, as stated above. This is in part because it is banned by the Anti-Boryokudan Law and other laws.
The decline of yubitsume might be caused by the strengthening of police rules under the Anti-Gang Legislation but also by the collapse of the inflated economy, which has had a significant impact on criminal groups. Since cutting a finger does not bring in a cent, yubitsume has been increasingly replaced by making a compensation payment to the gangs. This is surely more lucrative than cutting a finger.
Finger Prostheses
In order to conceal their Yakuza membership, many Yakuzas today use prosthetic fingers. Japanese gangs like the Yakuza can request yubitsume from people who want to leave the organization. And to better reintegrate into society, former Yakuza members often attach caps or prosthetic fingers to their amputated fingers. And more recently, it has become possible to have the cut fingers surgically transplanted.
Many members (both current and retired) of the Yakuza sport artificial fingertips to avoid drawing notice and scorn in their civilian lives after being given yubitsume upon leaving the organization. Approximately $2,700 is required to purchase a wax prosthesis that is made to look as realistic as possible. Hair from the client’s other fingers is also used if the absent joint is hairy. A prosthetist can complete a finger phalanx in as little as five working hours after an imprint is taken.
Is Yubitsume Legal?
Boryokudan (“violence group“) is commonly referred to as the Yakuza, and Sections 20 and 21 of the Anti-Boryokudan Law (Anti-Gang Legislation) make it illegal for boryokudan members to force other gang members into yubitsuming themselves. This includes providing tools for the ritual. The ritual makes it more difficult for the victims to quit the gang or rejoin society.
In the past, former gang leaders who were found to have forced less powerful gang members to do yubitsume were arrested on charges of harm or intimidation.
A member of a named organized crime group, such as the Yakuza, who coerces others to yubitsume themselves may be issued a stop and desist order by the Public Safety Commission. The violators of the law face a maximum of one year in jail and/or a punishment of up to 500,000 yen ($3,700).
In 1993, when the Japanese government conducted an inspection, they found that about 45 percent of Yakuza members had done yubitsume. Furthermore, 15 percent of participants repeated the routine at least twice. Yubitsume is not only practiced by outlaws but also by regular members of society. Geisha Chish Takaoka severed her middle finger out of loyalty to her lover in 1915. From then on, she was known as the “Nine-Fingered Geisha.”
Yubitsume in Popular Culture
A man performing yubitsume in the manga “Bucho Shima Kousaku.”
Yubitsume in Literature
In the novel Neuromancer by William Gibson, 1984
In the novel Kamikaze by Canadian author Michael Slade, 2006.
Movies and TV Shows
Yubitsume is a common theme type in Yakuza-eiga (Yakuza films) and the following Western movies and TV shows:
The Yakuza by Sydney Pollack, 1974.
Black Rain by Ridley Scott, 1989
The Outsider, 2018
The Man in the High Castle (season 4, episode 10), 2019
The British TV series Giri/Haji (season 1, episodes 4 & 8), 2019
The American TV series Tokyo Vice (several episodes of season 1), 2022
The American TV series Miami Vice “The Rising Sun of Death” (season 4, episode 9), 1987.
Yubitsume in Video Games
Yubitsume is also commonly encountered in Sega’s popular video game series with the title Yakuza. These video games include 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon and the older Yakuza 0.
Meanwhile, there’s also a dice game called Yubitsume in which players lose a finger for every roll they don’t win.
Miscellaneous Facts About Yubitsume
Kei Sato’s character, Tokudaiji, in the film “The Wicked Reporter 2,” is a peacemaker who stops fistfights between rival gang members by performing yubitsume on his own fingers.
The Kansai region of Japan uses the word “yubitsume” to refer to the experience of having a finger trapped in a door or similar object. Stickers reading “Yubizume ni chuui” (ゆびづめにごちゅうい) used to be affixed to the doors of trains in the Kansai region, including subways. However, this term was not widely known outside of the Kansai region.
There was a widespread shift in the 1980s toward the use of simpler phrases like “Doa ni go chūi” (“Note the door”, ドアにごちゅうい). Kyoto Bus, unlike many other Kansai-region transit firms, continues to use the term “yubitsume” (指づめ) and has no intentions to do otherwise in the foreseeable future.
Autumn Scenery at Takao Takao Shukei. Artist: Nomura Yoshimitsu (1870-1958)
Depending on whether you consider Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, to be a form of paganism, the issue of religion often baffles even the Japanese. A 2018 NHK survey found that 62% of Japanese people call themselves atheists. The other 31% are Buddhist, 3% are Shintoist, and 1% are Christian. Nonetheless, the majority of respondents (74%) believe that the Japanese islands are inhabited by “myriad gods” and make pilgrimages to Shinto shrines.
The “myriads of gods” include both local deities and national icons whose shrines may be found all across the country. The sculptures of foxes that serve as messengers for the deity Inari, who is in charge of success and wealth, make his temple most easy to locate. The most well-known Inari shrine is Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha. The scene in Rob Marshall’s Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), in which the film’s young heroine sprints through a tunnel of brilliant orange torii gates, contributed to Fushimi’s increased visibility. As the gateway to a holy site, they an act of worship to the gods.
Japanese people rush to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples on the first few days of the new year to buy an amulet and get their yearly o-mikuji prediction. The ministers of shrines and temples put religious goshuin seals in special pilgrimage notebooks for a modest price, and collecting them has become trendy in recent years. Shinto shrines and Buddhist shrines (butsudan) are common fixtures in Japanese households (kamidan). Shinto and Buddhism cohabit peacefully, a phenomenon known as syncretism. Even though the majority of Japanese people are not Christians, a sizable number of them choose to celebrate Christmas and be married in Catholic churches. In a nutshell, Shinto deities Kami and Buddha, along with other religions, cohabit in Japan.
In the 6th century, the ruler of the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje presented the Japanese king with Buddhist sutras and a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, marking the beginning of the official history of Buddhism in Japan. For fear of angering the local kami, the old priesthood clans opposed Buddha worship. And when smallpox broke out, the statue of the “foreign deity” was dumped in the Naniwa Canal as a preventative measure. However, Buddhist doctrine quickly established itself in Japan, spawning several new schools of thought and becoming inextricably linked to Shinto.
If the new faith was so superior, then why didn’t it replace the old one? Because it was thought that gods, like people, were subject to the law of karma and suffered in an endless cycle of rebirths, Buddhist teaching was crucial in helping the kami deities achieve enlightenment. So, Buddhist sutras were recited to the Shinto deities in Shinto shrines. As a result, the deities gained status as the Buddhist guardians, and shrines to them were built on the premises of Buddhist places of worship.
Second, the rudimentary beliefs in the kami deities were developed into a sophisticated theory of the “way of the gods” under the influence of Buddhism and its intricate system of dogmas and rituals. Most notably, it detailed how the Buddha and bodhisattvas It detailed how the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, who were too lofty for commoners, took human form as Japanese deities to spread Buddhist law. There developed competing interpretations of Japanese mythology in the 15th and 16th centuries, suggesting that the Buddha and bodhisattvas were actually reincarnations of Japanese deities.
Finally, Buddhists handled funerals, protecting the kami deities from the grim reality of life’s final chapter. Ultimately, blood and death are the primary sources of kegare (Japanese for “bodily pollution”), and the Japanese gods will not accept it. This is why people are asked to wash their hands and spit in special stone bowls before entering a Shinto shrine.
The government chose to divide Shinto from Buddhism during the start of the Meiji period (1868–1922), when the cult of the emperor, a descendent of the sun goddess Amaterasu, who heads the Shinto pantheon, became the state doctrine. Shinto shrines that had acquired Buddhist temples, sculptures, and sutra scrolls were destroyed as part of an effort to “expel Buddha” from the domain of Shintoism.
Following the Japanese surrender in World War II, the Emperor renounced his position as “revealed deity” (arahitogami), Shinto was no longer recognized as the official religion of the country, and Buddhist preachers were called back into service. Currently, Shinto and Buddhism may live side by side without any problems.
Do they commit hara-kiri today?
Seppuku with ritual attire and second. This is from a play in the Meiji Era. Source: Gutenberg
Suicide through harakiri (or seppuku in Japan) is a demanding ceremony that takes a lot of physical strength and energy. It is not done nowadays. The samurai have always been the only ones allowed to cut open their abdomens to prove their mental and spiritual purity. For example, a samurai would carefully tuck the sleeves of his waist-length garments behind his knees so that his body wouldn’t slide backwards during the ceremony, which was frowned upon during the Edo era. Death through seppuku is not instantaneous but rather a drawn-out ordeal. In order to complete what he began, namely, to cut off the head, a kaishiku assistant is required.
Author and samurai values advocate Yukio Mishima (1925–1970) was one of the last people to take his own life by cutting into his stomach (seppuku). On November 25, 1970, he and his fellow Shield Society members attempted to overthrow the government. When things didn’t work out, Mishima took his own life. But not very successfully; a helper botched the initial attempt to sever his skull.
Is it true that Japanese women are not free and are submissive to their husbands?
According to Olympic Games organizing committee director Yoshiro Mori in early February 2021, women take too much time thinking and are late to meetings. Even though Mori lost his job because of what he said, the comments were a stark reminder of the difference between men and women in Japanese culture.
In the World Economic Forum’s Gender Equality Index for 2021, Japan placed 120 out of 156 countries. For a country with a mature economy and a lot of women in school, the gap between men and women is shockingly big.
It was found in August 2018 that Tokyo Medical University has been intentionally underrating female applicants’ admission exam results for several years. That’s because, according to their explanation, many women choose to put their medical careers on hold while raising families. The result might be a scarcity of doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers. Women not only have fewer employment and career options but also typically receive a lower income than males in the same position, and this is not exclusive to the medical industry.
Do Japanese women who are married always stay away from work after giving birth? 82% of Japanese young women continue to work after marriage, and 57% of those women want to resume their careers after delivering a child, according to a 2020 Social Survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. A separate study indicated that even though many women would want to stop working if their partners made more money, over half of those women still intended to do so. Women often hope that their spouses will pitch in with childcare duties. However, in practice, it is the woman who bears the brunt of responsibility for childcare and housework. As a result, this becomes the leading cause of women leaving the workforce.
Confucianism had a significant impact on how gender roles were divided in Japanese society. Although the Meiji reforms adopted Western liberal concepts and provided women with some rights, the ideal of the “Good Wife and Wise Mother” (ryosai kembo) remained the most important female virtue. One of the primary guides to the education of ladies up to World War II was The Great Learning for Women (“Onna Daigaku,” first published in 1716). It is commonly believed that the great Confucian scholar Kaibara Ekken (1630–1714) wrote this book. In this work, the Confucian scholar states that “a woman’s purpose is to serve people.” When she is living at home with her parents, she serves them; when she is married, she serves her husband and his parents. To be submissive and humble is the path of a lady. Additionally, the supreme deity of the Japanese pantheon, the “gracious sun goddess Amaterasu,” “woven her celestial robes.”
Patriarchal behaviors have not entirely vanished; women are still routinely discriminated against in the workplace and at home, even though Japanese women have the same rights as men and are not required to follow their husbands in everything.
Who is Geisha?
Kotoba no hana [Flower of Words]. Yanagawa Shigenobu II (active circa 1830–60). Image: Christie’s
A geisha, as opposed to a courtesan (yujo), is a “man of art.” The first geisha were mostly male actors who performed sexually explicit skits for the brothel patrons. By the middle of the 18th century, geisha had relocated from the pleasure districts to the flower districts (hanamati), and the geisha profession had emerged as a distinct occupation. Geishas were primarily responsible for entertaining visitors through the tea ceremony, chatting, singing, dancing, and playing the three-stringed samisen. Also, they were not allowed to profit from their bodies in any way.
Most people outside of Tokyo (formerly Edo) and the surrounding Kanto area don’t know what a “geisha” is. Their trainees are known as oshaku, or “pouring sake,” or as hanyoku, or “half-precious” (since their services cost half as much as a geisha’s). Geisha are known as geiko in the Kyoto-centric Kansai area, while their trainees are known as maiko (“dancers”).
Historically, girls from low-income backgrounds were offered employment in geisha houses (okiya); today, however, girls as young as 15 or 16 choose geisha work as a career path after graduating from high school. In the Hanamati, geisha and their trainees have their designated areas. Apprentices often train for two years before becoming maiko by giving their first public performance as dancers. She also gets a fancy new kimono and a custom-made tortoise comb from the geisha who trained her. Her new name is based in part on the name of her teacher (Kanzashi). The girl spends the last month leading up to her debut (misedashi) attending tea house banquets and learning from the other maiko and geiko there. Maiko gets compensated for signing up at a specific geisha office. Learning to be a geisha often takes between five and six years.
Maiko is easily distinguished from a geisha by her brighter ensembles and hairdos. The getta (platform sandals) are taller, the sleeve length of the kimono is longer, and the belt reaches nearly to the floor. In contrast to geishas, whose hair is usually a wig, students usually get their real hair done.
Geishas are becoming a dying breed as fewer and fewer young women choose to pursue the profession. In Kyoto, there are only 169 geiko and 68 maiko who are officially recognized.
Do modern Japanese people wear kimonos?
Beauty in the Snow. Artist: Kikugawa Eizan
Geishas, noh performers, and kabuki actors all wear kimonos to work. The kimono is also traditionally worn at formal events like weddings, funerals, college commencements, and other such ceremonies. Kimonos are also commonly worn at formal events, including weddings, funerals, college commencements, and other ceremonies. Girls should wear the furisode, a colorful long-sleeved kimono, at their coming-of-age ceremony since it is customary to do so before marriage.
About 80% of Japanese women and 40% of men have tried on a kimono at some point in their lives. However, this traditional attire is costly, so most people only wear it on rare occasions or opt to rent it. Putting on a kimono correctly may be challenging, so much so that classes are offered to teach the proper way to do it. The yukata is yet another example. During summer festivals, women wear this style of kimono because of its lighter fabric. Yukatas are traditional bathrobes used by guests at hot springs and hotels.
Taking a stroll around Kyoto’s historic alleyways while dressed in a kimono or yukata has grown increasingly popular among both sexes in recent years.
Why do the Japanese always bow down?
Illustrations of Japanese Life, 1896, 1st Edition, K. Ogawa.
The act of bowing is not only essential to social interaction in Japan and East Asia but also serves as a valuable social marker that helps us gauge a person’s status and select an acceptable behavioral template. One common example is that the younger or lower-status person will bow first in a social situation. His bow will always be slightly lower.
In daily life, a bow can stand in for a variety of spoken expressions, including a request, a thank you, or an apology. A short, high nod means you’re glad to see someone, while a long, low nod means you’re sorry.
In the 12th century, the military elite refined the bowing ceremony into its present form. There were specialized academies for teaching this skill, as well as archery and horseback riding. One of the most well-known is the Ogasawara family’s etiquette academy. Business etiquette is still taught by the modern-day offspring of that ancient samurai family.
Since the bow always indicates social hierarchy, the handshake’s lack of popularity in Japan can be attributed to the fact that it represents equality. As long as traditional forms of power and government control are kept in place in Japan, the bow will continue to be used.
Don’t the Japanese use chairs and beds?
Traditional Japanese Edo Period house.
In Japan, chairs and beds are more like accessories than necessities. European-style furniture, including chairs and beds, began appearing in many aristocratic homes in the early Meiji era. Even though most modern Japanese homes are furnished in the European style, some still maintain rooms decorated in the traditional Japanese manner, complete with tatami mats and a tokonoma alcove adorned with ikebana and a scroll of paintings or calligraphy.
In contrast to detached homes, studio apartments have such little square footage that a standard bed won’t fit. A futon may be used as a mattress at night and folded up and stored during the day. The poll found that just 40% of Japanese respondents were interested in sleeping on a futon, while 60% preferred a bed or standard mattress. It is common to use a low table and zabuton cushions instead of a high table and chairs (sometimes with a wooden back). The kotatsu is a low table used in the wintertime that has a blanket draped over an electric (or less commonly, a charcoal) heating source and a tabletop put on top of it.
The traditional Japanese concept of space does not imply cumbersome and bulky objects. Wabi-sabi emphasizes refined minimalism and a sense of wholeness in a home, so extraneous pieces of furniture are out of place. To quote the great Tanizaki Junichiro, “When Europeans view a Japanese home space, they are stunned by its artless simplicity,” from his classic “Praise of the Shadow.” They find it peculiar because all they can see inside are blank gray walls.
Do the Japanese drink only sake or do they also drink other alcohols?
There is no alcoholic beverage more well-known in Japan than sake. Among Japanese people, it is known as nihonshu or washiu, while “isake” is a generic term for alcohol. Since sake is manufactured by pasteurization rather than distillation, the common translation of “rice vodka” is inaccurate. Sake, like wine, is produced by fermentation, specifically mold fermentation; however, in this case, the mold is naturally occurring. Originally made as an offering to the gods at Shinto temples, at the Tokyo shrine gate of Meiji Jingu, you may view rice wine gifts in the form of barrels braided with straw rope.
In addition to sake, the Japanese also consume shoyu, a stronger liquor distilled from rice, rye, and sweet potatoes (with an alcohol content of 20–25 degrees). Most of it comes from Kyushu, Japan. Awamori, distilled from raw rice, has an alcohol content of 30 to 60 degrees and is produced on Okinawa, a southern Japanese island.
In contrast, beer is a popular drink among Japanese people. It’s far superior to wine and umeshu plum liqueur. Whiskey is the drink of choice for those who appreciate superior beverages. It is estimated that Japan produces 5% of the world’s total supply of this beverage. As an illustration, Suntory’s 17-year-old whiskey, promoted by Bill Murray’s character in “Lost in Translation,” became so famous that the business ceased making it due to overwhelming demand.
Do the Japanese eat sushi and rolls?
Two Young Men and Several Women Dining at a Tea-house on the Bank of the Sumida River, Kubo Shunman. Image: ukiyo-e.org
Nigiri-zushi is the most common sushi style in Japan, while the Japanese more commonly refer to sushi as sashimi (a piece of fresh fish on a ball of cooked rice). Until the 19th century, sushi fish was fermented rather than uncooked.
Both high-end sushi restaurants, where the customer often leaves the decision up to the chef (with phrases like “At your discretion” or “Omakase”), and low-end sushi kaiten-zushi restaurants, where customers select their sushi from plates on a moving conveyor belt, serve the Japanese delicacy. The supermarket sells sushi kits, and customers eagerly await the nightly price decrease and the arrival of the desired sticker proclaiming the discount. Even though sushi might be pricey, it’s still more like quick food than fine dining.
Why do the Japanese go to see trees in bloom?
Cherry-blossom Time at Naka-no-chô in the New Yoshiwara, Utagawa Hiroshige. Image: ukiyo-e.org
This custom goes back centuries. During the Heian period (794–1185), the plum gave way to the decorative cherry, the sakura, a habit that had been imported from China in the 8th century. While there are 110 poems about plum trees in the 8th century’s “A Collection of Myriads of Leaves” (“Manyoshu”) but only 43 about cherries, there are 70 songs about cherries but only 18 about plums in the early 10th century’s “Collection of Old and New Songs of Japan” (“Kokinwakashu”). The simultaneous blooming of cherry trees inspired the term “hanami” (meaning “flower appreciation”).
According to legend, King Saga ordered the first hanami celebration to be staged in 812 at the Shinsen-en garden of the Kyoto Imperial Palace to celebrate the blossoming of a cherry tree. The aristocracy’s appreciation for the sakura’s ephemeral beauty stems from the Buddhist concept of the impermanence of all things and the aesthetic category of mono no aware, “the melancholy attraction of things” in a constantly shifting world.
As early as the 8th century, the Japanese noticed that epidemics often broke out in the spring when the cherry blossoms were ending. Because of this, a myth developed suggesting that the waning flowers’ disembodied spirits were to blame for the epidemic. Due to this, ceremonies called “flower soothing” (tinkasai) were performed by the Imperial Court’s Office of Temples and Sanctuaries (Jinggikan). A visit to Imamiya Shrine in northern Kyoto on the second Sunday of April will allow you to witness this rite as it is practiced now.
For the affluent, the transient beauty and ephemeral nature of life reflected in the cherry blossoms were a sobering reminder, while for the common folk, the flowering trees had a more celebratory significance. They thought that the gods of plenty would come down from the hills to the rice paddies in the spring. They made their temporary home in the sakura (from the words sa, meaning “deity of fertility,” and kura, meaning “dwelling place”). The gods were welcomed with offerings of food and music left at the base of flowering trees. As long as the sakura were in bloom, the god would stay, which would lead to a good harvest.
During the Edo era, cherry picking was practiced by people from all walks of life (1603–1867). To share his enthusiasm for cherry blossoms with the people of Edo, the monk Tenkai (1536–1643) transplanted trees from Mount Yoshino (Nara Prefecture) to the grounds of Kan’eiji Temple in Ueno Park. During cherry blossom season, the shrine quickly became a popular gathering spot for locals. The monks at the monastery where raucous cherry blossom walks were held complained to Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune in 1720, prompting the Shogun to order cherry trees to be planted across Edo to inspire widespread celebration. Ueno Park in Tokyo is one of the most popular urban parks in Japan and was recommended as one of a hundred great places to see cherry blossoms in 1990 by the Japanese Cherry Blossom Association.
![Kotoba no hana [Flower of Words]. Yanagawa Shigenobu II (active circa 1830–60)](https://malevus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2015_CSK_10430_0087_000yanagawa_shigenobu_ii_kotoba_no_hana_flower_of_words081124-transformed.jpeg "10 Questions About Japanese Culture and Their Answers 12")
