Nothing is more symbolic of traditional Japan than Geisha. Yet, only a small number of young women opt to enter the lifestyle in a typical year.
And of them, quite a few quit amidst the strict training. Those who do make it through celebrate with a debut.
Reibi Takahashi is soon to become a full-fledged geisha. She’ll make her debut in March.
“In general, I don’t like to quit once I’ve set my mind on something,” she says. “I’m prepared to push myself to the limit.”
Higashi Chaya Street needs her. The entertainment district in the city of Kanazawa maintains an Edo-era atmosphere. In the 1980s, it had about 30 geisha. Now, the number is fewer than half that.
Kanazawa draws aspiring geisha, but not all of them make it through the training. As a result, successors are in short supply.
After graduating from junior-high school in the far west of the country, Takahashi made her way to Kyoto. There, she studied basic geisha skills for a year and a half. Since then, she’s been continuing her training in Kanazawa, thanks to introductions by her mother.
Takahashi’s first glimpse of geisha came through a TV program. She found herself entranced by their elaborate kimono and elegant dancing.
“I was already interested in aspects of traditional Japanese culture, like kimono and shamisen,” Takahashi says. “The more I learned about geisha, the more interested I became. Finally, I realized I wanted to be one myself.”
That’s much easier said than done. Becoming a geisha requires learning how to sing, play traditional instruments and perform traditional dances.
The proprietor of a geisha house is one of her teachers. Any clumsiness in hand or foot movements gets immediate attention.
“You don’t seem inviting,” Yaeko Yoshikawa says after observing Takahashi perform a traditional dance. “You just look awkward, like a toy doll.”
Repetition of the right way is the path to proficiency. Eventually, the movements should become instinctive.
“My goal is to show the audience what I’m seeing inside my head,” Takahashi says.
After the dance lesson comes a session with her shamisen teacher. If she skips practice even for a day, it’s apparent.
“My teacher can tell immediately if I haven’t practiced enough,” Takahashi says. “So, it’s really important that I do. I need to be careful. If I don’t take lessons, I sometimes forget things I used to be able to do.”
Seventeen-year-old girls do not live by shamisen alone. Reibi also likes to listen to Western pop music.
“When I’m at home, I can think and do whatever I like,” she says.
The interlude helps her unwind in preparation for the next day’s lessons.
“I want to give all I can,” Takahashi says. “I hope to continue to work hard and remind myself not to do anything halfheartedly.”
In about a month, Reibi will make her debut, stepping into her new status as a geisha of Kanazawa.
Source and image: NHK
Join the Conversation