Geisha: A Life

By Mineko Iwasaki

Book Overview

A powerful and intimate memoir of a real-life geisha, Geisha, A Life reveals the hidden world of Kyoto's traditional arts, Japanese tea ceremonies, and cultural secrets through the eyes of Japan's most renowned and pioneering geisha.

"No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition and by the sanctity of our exclusive calling...But I feel it is time to speak out."

Celebrated as the most successful geisha of her generation, Mineko Iwasaki was only five years old when she left her parents' home for the world of the geisha. For the next twenty-five years, she would live a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and rich rewards. She would learn the formal customs and language of the geisha, and study the ancient arts of Japanese dance and music. She would enchant kings and princes, captains of industry, and titans of the entertainment world, some of whom would become her dearest friends. Through great pride and determination, she would be hailed as one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, and one of the last great practitioners of this now-fading art form.

In Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki tells her story, from her warm early childhood, to her intense yet privileged upbringing in the Iwasaki okiya (household), to her years as a renowned geisha, and finally, to her decision at the age of twenty-nine to retire and marry, a move that would mirror the demise of geisha culture. Mineko brings to life the beauty and wonder of Gion Kobu, a place that "existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mission and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past." She illustrates how it coexisted within post-World War II Japan at a time when the country was undergoing its radical transformation from a post-feudal society to a modern one.

"There is much mystery and misunderstanding about what it means to be a geisha. I hope this story will help explain what it is really like and also serve as a record of this unique component of Japan's cultural history," writes Mineko Iwasaki. Geisha, a Life is the first of its kind, as it delicately unfolds the fabric of a geisha's development. Told with great wisdom and sensitivity, it is a true story of beauty and heroism, and of a time and culture rarely revealed to the Western world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743444299
• ISBN13: 9780743444293
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Captivating & Educational

I throughly enjoyed reading this book depicting Iwasaki's detailed journey of her life as a geisha, the little moments outside of being a geisha, and the education she provided about the occupation itself. The reason why I did not rate it higher is because I felt like there were times (especially towards the end) where her story skipped around quite a bit and disrupted the overall flow of her story. Regardless, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the life of a geisha from firsthand experience.

What a Life!

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I learned so much about the life of a geisha, the trials and tribulations they go through and the determination they must have as women. Mineko lived a crazy busy and demanding lifestyle and writes of it beautifully. So happy I read this book, really showed me a different culture and way of life. Recommended!!

A Delight to Read

This is easily one of my favorite books. I picked up this book wanting to learn more about geishas. I had a feeling that this book would be immensely interesting to me. It did not disappoint. In fact, it turned out to be much more interesting than I had anticipated. From the very beginning where Mineko describes her childhood, I could tell that she probably has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. As someone with Asperger's Syndrome (a ASD), I was struck by this every time Mineko spoke very bluntly or described the rigid routine of her walk to and from her dance classes (get a treat from a shop-keeper, pet a dog, feed the dog, etc. every single day). Often I would read something that she did, said, or thought and see myself (or someone very similar) staring back at me. It was fascinating to see someone like me flourish so well in such a aesthetic and social profession.

A Geisha's Life Revealed...

I'm half Japanese and grew up in Japan. In order to appreciate this book, you must have an understanding of the Japanese culture. It's not fair to compare this book to "Memoirs of a Geisha" which is completely fiction and written by an American. In the Japanese culture, a Geisha's life has always remained under a cloud of mystery and secrecy. For a Geisha to reveal any part of her life is strictly forbidden and considered taboo. Many Japanese still do not know much about a Geisha's life even though the tradtion has been around for centuries. What we know is based on assumptions or what our grandmothers have whispered to us. When Mineko Iwasaki wrote this, it became controversal in Japan and had many Kyoto Geisha houses angry with her. When the Japanese media contacted Geisha houses for interviews or comments, they were met with a wall of silence. If you decide to read this book, look at it like you're peeking into another country's culture. Remember the Geisha has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, since the samurai days. For a tradtion to survive this long must say something about how tradtions are kept for other generations to see and not just read about in a history book. I don't want to give out much about the book, but if you want a better understanding of a tradtion that has been kept alive for centuries and if you want a glimpse into the Japanese culture, give this book a read. The book flows and the author has a way of writing that draws the reader into her life.

This is the real deal folks.

To add to the previous review... Ms. Iwasaki just won litigation against Mr. Golden for slander and defamation. This book is her true autobiograghy, and while Mr. Golden's work is an entertaining story, it should be remembered that in the end it hurt this woman, who is a living, breathing work of art.

We sell art, not bodies

This autobiography gives us not only an insight into the education, the working conditions and the social status of a geisha, but also into the Japanese society as a whole.To give a few examples: selling children for sex slavery became forbidden only in the year 1959, or, the existing extreme differences in wealth (some people could pay nearly every day extremely expensive geisha parties, while poor people were forced to abandon their children).Besides more personal intimate confidences, the author sketches a good picture of the hardship (sometimes only one hour sleep per night) of the education and the working conditions, the extreme jealousy and fierce competition inside the geisha guild, the sexual morals (allowance of extramarital relationships) and the colossal sums involved in the geisha business.Not to be missed by the Japan aficionados.I should also recommend the works of Ian Buruma, Lisa Louis and Nicholas Bornoff for a broader perspective on the Japanese entertainment culture.

A very very nice book

Having had my first taste of the intriguing life of Geisha with Memiors of a Geisha, I didn't hesitate to read this book about the exquisite & foreign life. An added bonus, it's a true story with photographs. Mineka was born Masako & at the age of five was adopted by the house of Iwasaki to become the Atotori or heiress of the house, whose fortune was in its collection of expensive Kimono & accessories. The writer takes us through her journey from the first time she met with the owner of the Okiya or Geisha house till she stood in court & told the judge that she of her own free will wishes to be adopted by the Iwasaki family. She loved to dance & it was for dancing that she endured the strict life & rules of the Geisha world. A shy person by nature she marvels at the fate that brought her into a profession where her duty is to entertain people by witty conversation & try & bring them out & ensure they have a good time. She explains the misconceptions her world suffers, they are not prostitutes & they entertain women & men alike holding Ozashiki or banquets. Men aren't allowed in their houses & it is a strict society where reputation is everything. I found it wonderfully enchanting & couldn't put it down before the end, a really wonderful book.