Geisha. Post-WWII, geisha began to wear wigs (known as katsura) instead of styling their own hair, a trend which continues to this day. Geisha generally wear shimada-style wigs known as geigi shimada (芸妓島田), geiko shimada (芸子島田) or chū takashimada (中高島田).
After 2 to 3 years a maiko will then style her hair in the Ofuku (おふく) style, which is characterized by a triangular piece of cloth pinned into the back of their hair. The cloth called a Tegara (手柄), will start out as red and eventually move onto more muted colors like pink, or pastel blue.
Until an apprentice (called maiko) becomes a geisha, she has to visit a hair dresser each week. Hair styles vary based on the geisha's rank. Full geisha wear wigs for banquets and special appearances. The rest of the time she can wear hair hair in a chignon.
When seeing a geisha you might not even notice, but most of the time geisha wear special wigs called “katsura”. These are made by professional traditional wig makers. Except for special occasions, geisha will almost never use their own hair. Apprentice geisha in Tokyo will usually wear a wig as well.
Today there are only about 1,000 geisha in Japan. They can be found in several major cities including Tokyo, and Kanazawa but most of them work in Kyoto. They are often attending gatherings at tea houses and ryoutei —a kind of luxurious Japanese restaurant.
Geisha paint lines on the back of their necks to make it appear longer and slimmer. Such makeup is applied almost every day, as the long kimono for dance requires the face to be painted. For stage performances, even hands and calves are painted white. Usually, oshiroi takes 30-50 minutes to apply.
Can a foreigner become a maiko and later a geisha/geiko? No foreigner can work as a geisha without permanent residency or Japanese nationality. A few women married to Japanese have worked briefly as geisha in the countryside where standards are more lax.
Geisha cannot get married. The rule of this profession is “being married to the art, not a man”. If they want to get married, they have to quit the job. Once they quit, it's usually impossible to come back, however they can debut from the beginning in a different city, under a different name and rules.
In Japan, geisha are very highly respected because they spend years training to learn the traditional instruments and dances of Japan. Although some western media portray geisha as prostitutes, that's just a myth.
No, as prostitution is illegal in Japan and the geishas are cultural performers who are deeply respected. Geisha never sleep with their clients as it goes against the rules of the organizations they belong to.
Geiko are allowed to have children and Maiko aren't necessarily “forbidden” (you can't ever forbid people from getting pregnant in genereal) from having children, but it's very very rare today. Maiko are 15 to 21, sometimes 22, and the vast majority of them doesn't want to have children yet anyways.
Since candlelight was not bright enough, Geishas painted their faces white to enhance their skin tones and to contour their faces, making their faces more visible and recognizable. Other reason why they painted their faces white is to hide their true feelings and facial expressions.
Geisha Girl Plant – Duranta Repens Extra Tips
Because of the sprawling growth of the plant , constant trimming is essential to maintain its compact and bushy form. You can start training your flower as a stemmed shrub early in its development and simply prune to one central leader until it reaches the desired height.
At night, by candlelight, as in the case of geisha, a woman's face glimmered magically. Unpainted teeth would have looked unpleasantly yellow in contrast and the black lacquer helped hide the teeth, which may not have been in the best of shape. Black teeth were simply the norm.
"She doesn't use an ordinary pillow any longer, but a taka-makura." A taka-makura (translation: tall pillow) is essentially a small support stand for the neck designed to keep hair perfectly in tact as you sleep.
The okiya is a big part of a geisha's life -- the women in the okiya are her geisha family, and the okasan manages her career. A geisha pays a percentage of her earnings to maintain the house and support the people living there who are not working geisha, including apprentice geisha, retired geisha and house maids.
The first geisha were actually male, appearing around the year 1730. It was only about 20 years later that female geisha began to appear in the forms of odoriko (踊り子, meaning dancers) and shamisen players, and they quickly took over the profession, dominating it by 1780.
Fiona Graham is the first Caucasian woman to be accepted into the ancient Japanese geisha tradition. Now known only as Sayuki, she tells Anna Seaman about her new life.
For most, the journey starts from around the age of 14 or 15, when young girls enter schools that specialize in training geisha.
She no longer entertains at parties, and she may discontinue her studies. At this point, a former geisha might become the head of an okiya or teahouse, or she may leave the geisha life entirely.
Beni – Crimson The Lips & Cheeks
Beni is not used all over the lips by geisha, but rather to create a flower bud effect. Maiko, on the other hand, simply colors their lower lip. The red Beni is also used to sculpt the outside corner of the eye. It is also used to create a subtle pink contour on the cheeks and nose.
The beautiful red lips and eyes of geisha and maiko makeup are made from Beni “紅” which is an extract of the Japanese Safflower. It is also called “Kyoto Red” and the mix contains crystallized sugar.
Traditionally, a female Geisha was known as a Geiko and this term continues to be used in Kyoto today. Maiko (Geisha in training) are identified by their bright, long sleeved kimonos and extravagant hair pieces whilst Geiko wear short sleeved kimonos and have a more subtle appearance.