Realistic "Memoirs Of Geisha"

　　 The first foreign face in the Japanese geisha industry in 400 years, an Australian female doctor's three-year experience

The geisha industry, like Bushido, sushi and cherry blossoms in Japan, is regarded as a symbol of Japanese culture. The geisha industry, which has a history of 400 years, has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery, and for foreigners, it has always been a face of "foreign countries cannot enter". However, an Australian female doctor has stepped into this mysterious field, and has made great achievements in it. Her name is Fiona Graham. She has been a geisha in Japan for three years and will continue to do so

Having stayed in Japan for 10 years, Oxford PhD graduates are interested in film《 Geisha Memoirs "dissatisfied

Fiona Graham, born and raised in Melbourne, was lucky to study in Japan for a year as an exchange student when she was 15 years old. Like most teenagers, she has a keen desire for the unknown world. She decided to seize this opportunity to embark on the learning journey in Japan. "At that time, I was just excited about stepping on the unknown land, not really interested in Japanese culture!" she recalled with a smile.

With such a beautiful first impression, Graham became very interested in Japan and its culture. After graduating from high school, she became the first Western female student accepted by Keio University in Japan, where she studied psychology. She spent a total of 10 years in Japan, and then she was admitted to Oxford University to study for a doctorate in social anthropology, but her research direction is still Japanese culture.

In 2005, the film Memoirs of a Geisha was released worldwide, which brought the western world's interest in geisha to a new height. But Graham, who loves Japanese culture, found it hard to accept the movie after watching it. She found that the film portrayed a lot of sex related content. But with Graham's experience of living in Japan for ten years, she knows that geisha's life is not like this. "Westerners have a big misunderstanding of the image of geisha. They regard it as such a woman: completely succumb to the will of men, have no thoughts of their own, and follow orders wholeheartedly. But in fact, it is the opposite. geisha are women who work independently. They seek to survive by performing arts rather than their own bodies."

In order to let more Westerners understand this fact, she had a bold idea: try to be a geisha herself, and then shoot her own experience into a documentary. After graduating from Oxford, Graham came to Asakusa Temple in Tokyo, Japan, where she decided to start her geisha career.

The negotiation was approved in June Blond geisha

After graduation, we should pay tribute to more than 100 seniors

In the 400 year history, the geisha industry in Japan has never accepted foreign faces. So it's not easy for Graham to be accepted. Graham negotiated with local officials in Asakusa for 6 months. Fortunately, she finally got the support of an authoritative "mother" in the geisha circle ("geisha mother" is usually an older retired geisha, opening her own geisha hall and recruiting students).

The "geisha mother" gave Graham a stage name of "Shako", which means "transparent happiness" in Japanese. Geisha learning is a long-term and strict process. A geisha apprentice between the ages of 13 and 19 has to go through four to five years of apprenticeship, while a geisha joining after the age of 20 must complete all basic courses within 12 months. Shaxing has received systematic geisha training since April 2007, including training in culture, etiquette, language, decoration, poetry, music, zither and other aspects. An excellent geisha should show elegant and noble demeanor in every move. Bowing and wine pouring should be specially trained. There is even a special training for eating "hot tofu", which must be passed without making any sound and the tofu cannot touch the lip gloss.

For Shaxing, the most difficult part of the training is to learn the kneeling posture. "A banquet should last at least two hours, and you have to sit for such a long time, even if your legs are numb, you can only get used to it as soon as possible. An older sister told me that even one kilogram would make the sitting posture more uncomfortable, so I tried to lose weight, and then I became more comfortable."

Every geisha must have his own skill. Shaxing chose to study playing bamboo flute. What makes her feel a little helpless is that "geisha mom" doesn't seem to like any modern invention, such as the photocopier. She won't give you a printed music score. All rhythms must be carefully listened to with her own ears, and then memorized.

One year is longer than Shaxing imagined. Fortunately, Shaxing graduated three weeks ahead of schedule. On December 19, 2007, Graham made his first public appearance. She painted her face and neck white, put on a high wig bun, and wore a gray blue kimono and a wide belt loaned to her by "geisha mother", worth more than 20000 dollars. Then I took a rickshaw and walked around the geisha district, paying homage to more than 100 seniors as a new professional geisha. So far, the first foreign geisha in Japanese history was officially born.

　　“ Sayuki ”Correction of the world's vision: geisha are freelancers and artists

Displaying body curves is vulgar

After the first performance of geisha, they became independent freelancers, earning 20000 dollars a month, eight times the average monthly salary of ordinary female white-collar workers in Japan. Shaxing didn't tell reporters how much money she can earn in a month. But we know that she has more than 20 kimonos, each worth no less than 5000 dollars.

Although it is a westerner's face, fortunately, Shaxing's westerner characteristics are not so obvious. Her 168cm height is not the highest in the whole geisha district. The color of her eyes is really special, but she can wear black contact lenses to cover them.

Near the magnificent red gate of Asakusa Temple, groups of Japanese female tourists are wearing fancy kimonos, which is a new trend. They will add lace and ruffles, and wear gorgeous jewelry. "They don't wear underwear, and older geishas will feel that this is an affront to tradition." Shaxing's gentle voice has a slight Australian accent: "I wear four layers of underwear under my kimono. Displaying the body curve of women is considered vulgar in the elegant geisha world. Multiple layers of underwear and silk bandages can ensure that the body shape is solemn and straight."

Sha Xing doesn't like the discussion about whether she is an "outsider". "My western background has nothing to do with my daily work and life, and I will, like others, associate my every move with customs." For example, during a meeting, as Asakusa's second most junior geisha, Sakine must kneel down to salute her 44 geisha sisters, although most of them are younger than her. "I can't mess up the order, or I will be severely reprimanded." {page_break}

To a great extent, Shaxing realized her original wish: to let more Westerners understand geisha culture through her own experience. She has registered a Twitter account and has her own personal website, which is used as a platform to share her experience with many people. Many western girls wrote emails to her expressing their wish to become a geisha. And she will tell these girls that becoming a geisha is not as simple as they think. "Wearing dance clothes doesn't mean you can dance. So do geishas. We are artists."

Sha Xing also corrected the misunderstanding of geisha in western society to a large extent: geisha are not prostitutes. "The question about the relationship between geisha and sex emerged in the 19th century. At that time, the most senior geisha generally had a rich male provider, named danna. Usually he was married and could afford the kimono, wig and other expenses of his favorite geisha. The provider still exists today, but I don't have a danna myself. Even if I did, I'm not obligated to have sex with him," "It is true that geisha and guests have had a romantic history, but this is a case, just like other jobs," said Sha Xing

Sakuni has been a geisha for three years and will continue to do so

What a geisha should know:

■ Eat "hot tofu" without making any sound or touching lip gloss

■ Be able to sit on your knees for more than two hours, and try to lose weight in order to make yourself feel better

■ Learn music by ear without music score

　　……

How much can geisha earn:

It can earn 20000 dollars a month, 8 times the average monthly salary of ordinary female white-collar workers in Japan

Thought it was just a moving disaster

When Shaxing walked through the narrow and crowded street leading to Asakusa Temple in Tokyo, she attracted the attention of businessmen and elderly Japanese women in the street. From her round hair bun to the Japanese style thick bottom socks with her feet turned inward, Shako - or the anthropologist Fiona Graham, shows the pure geisha style. Whenever she walks by, her admirers will give the same praise: Kirei desu ne - she is beautiful. But Sha Xing said, "Geisha needs a lifetime to become perfect. I have just started. Compared with other talented Geisha sisters, I am still a moving scourge."