Product Description

Ever since westerners arrived in Japan, we have been intrigued by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of fictional creations, from Madame Butterfly to Arthur Golden's MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. The reality of the geisha's existence has, however, rarely been described. Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, 'arts people'. Their accomplishments might include singing or dancing but, above all, they are masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries of the highly paid businessmen who can afford their attentions. The real secret history of the geisha is for the first time fully and brilliantly explored here by an award-winning writer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #117614 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Independent
'...the accretion of detail in Downer's book gives it the edge on Arthur Golden's Memoirs Of A Geisha'

Sunday Telegraph
'Lesley Downer... has succeeded in penetrating this intensely secret and rapidly vanishing world and describing it brilliantly'

Observer
'intriguing, well structured....richly rewarding study'

Customer Reviews

An enlightening report on geishas in the modern world
I enjoyed this book while travelling on a European holiday.

It examines many aspects of the geisha world, both past and present. There are discourses covering the development of the geisha from their roots as courtesans and artistes several centuries ago, through to their heyday in the mid 19th to mid 20th century as the players of games to the politicians and company chairmen, right up to their present declining and redefining state at the turn of the new century. Lesley Downer also covers famous geisha and their tales, the diverse geisha communities both old and new, Japanese sexual attitudes, the role of the wife versus (or complementary to) the geisha, how Western influences changed geishas, how the West misrepresented them, the traditional development and training of a maid girl to maiko to geisha, the traditions that evolved including those of the 'danna' - a keeper of a geisha - and 'mizuage' - maiko deflowering for which vast sums of money could change hands, descriptions of geisha paraphernalia (wigs, fans, kimonos, makeup) and descriptions of visits to current geisha and so-called geisha areas. On the whole, it makes for an enlightening read with good photographic plates. The tone of the book is quite passive, leaving the reader to make their own judgements.

A worthy examination of the geisha culture and a good introduction - I am now interested enough to know more.

An instant classic on the world of the geisha
Lesley Downer has written an instant classic on the world of the geisha. Downer's thoroughly researched work is a masterful blend of the autobiographical novel, history, social analysis and sheer entertainment. This is a book to be savoured and appreciated by academics and the general reading public alike. I work and live in Kyoto, a city where I have spent a total of eleven years teaching in various universities. More to the point, I live in an apartment building in Gion, the heart of Kyoto's geisha district--a building where geisha and maiko (trainee geisha) live. When, like only this evening, I come across one of these mysterious creatures as they leave the building to get into a waiting taxi and head off to a local tea house to delight some lucky clients with their beauty and artistry, I feel elated because there is something magical about a geisha's appearence. Such a chance encounter, I may add, is an event that 99% of the Japanese population will never experience. Now, thanks to Lesley Downer's wonderful book, I, the native inhabitants of this land (this work, I am sure, will be translated into Japanese very soon), and readers all around the world can view and admire a very detailed picture which shows us where geisha originate, what place they occupy in contemporary Japanese society, and where their collective destiny may take them as Japan enters an uncertain economic future and an era of rapid social change.

A fascinating study of geisha life both modern and past.
Interest in the lives of geisha probably started with the publication of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Since then many similar books have been released but this is by far the best in the non-fiction genre. Lesley Downer studied geisha first hand by gaining their confidence and trust and then being able to enter what has always been a very secret world. She writes a history of the geisha and also looks at how their way of life in Japan is dying out due to Westernisation. The lives of geisha are hard and the study to become one requires much discipline. I found her book fascinating and it gave me a wonderful insight into a culture often misunderstood by those of us in the west. I have gained tremendous respect for the women who become geisha.