was a ceremony undergone by apprentice () and some (apprentice
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
) as part of their
coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
ceremony and graduation.
For , who had often already lost their
virginity
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
, a patron would pay for the exclusive privilege of being a new 's first customer;
for who underwent , it formed part of a number of ceremonies and occasions used to mark graduation into geishahood, including symbolic changes in hairstyle and official visits to benefactors. Before the outlawing of
prostitution in Japan
Prostitution in Japan has existed throughout the country's history. While the Prostitution Prevention Law of 1956 states that "No person may either do prostitution or become the customer of it", loopholes, liberal interpretations and a loose ...
, who underwent would see patrons and benefactors bid large sums of money for the privilege of taking their virginity, a sum of money the (the geisha house an apprentice was affiliated to) would take entirely.
In the present day, a 's graduation is known as , and is entirely non-sexual, though some older sources – such as the autobiography of
Mineko Iwasaki
, birthname , is a Japanese businesswoman, author and former geisha. Iwasaki was the most famous geisha in Japan until her sudden retirement at the age of 29. Known for her performances for celebrity and royalty during her geisha life, Iwasaki wa ...
, the geisha that author
Arthur Golden
Arthur Sulzberger Golden (born December 6, 1956) is an American writer. He is the author of the bestselling novel ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (1997).
Early life
Golden was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the son of Ruth (née Sulzberger) and Ben ...
used as inspiration for his character of Sayuri in the novel ''
Memoirs of a Geisha
''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the story of Nitta Sayuri and the many trials she faces on the path to becoming and wo ...
'' – refer to the non-sexual graduation of to geishahood as .
, and as an extension, exist in the modern day only through
re-enactment parades, and do not include sex work as part of their re-enactment.
History
has been long connected with the loss of virginity of a ,
owing to the fact that some did undergo ceremonies to lose their virginity.
for a would also include monetary sponsorship by the patron, intended to support and promote the 's debut to geisha status. Through this sponsorship of the apprentice, a patron would essentially purchase the right to take the 's virginity.
The patron would often have no further relations with the young woman in question.
In the modern day, is a contentious issue, both within the
geisha communities of Japan and elsewhere. The practice was outlawed following the introduction of the
Anti-Prostitution Law
The (Law no. 118, May 24, 1956) is a law in Japan that aims to prevent prostitution, punish third parties involved in the trade and to protect and rehabilitate women involved in prostitution. It is also known as the 'Anti-Prostitution Law'. The l ...
in 1956, categorised under the "traffic in human flesh". Many geisha who came of age before the passing of the law went through the experience of , and though most geisha had no choice in the patron who took their virginity, with some instances of geisha being sold more than once,
the practice of formed an important initiation into womanhood and the role of an independent geisha; according to the research of anthropologist
Liza Dalby Liza may refer to
* Liza (name), including a list of people named Liza
* ''Liza'' (fish), a genus of mullets
* ''Liza'' (1972 film), a 1972 Italian film
* ''Liza'' (1978 film), a 1978 Malayalam horror film
* Hurricane Liza (disambiguation), the ...
, though this process was generally not pleasant, for many, it was perceived as a natural stage in growing up, with trainees in the same age cohort who had not graduated viewed by their peers as having been somewhat left behind.
Post-1956 to present day
Mineko Iwasaki, former high-ranking
Gion
is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...
geisha, detailed her experience of in her autobiography, ''Geisha, a Life''. Describing her experience of graduation to geishahood with the term , Iwasaki described her experience as a round of formal visits to announce her graduation, including the presentation of gifts to related geisha houses and important patrons, and a cycle through five
different hairstyles before graduating.
This set of graduation experiences is generally referred to as in the modern day.
Dalby relays the change between pre- and post-1956 attitudes to within the geisha community through her first-hand accounts with the geisha mothers of
Ponto-chō
is a district in Kyoto, Japan, known for its geisha and , and is home to many of the city's and traditional tea houses. Like Gion, Ponto-chō is famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.
Etymology
T ...
:
Today, all and geisha have full say over their personal choices regarding sex, and most begin training, attending banquets, and interacting with customers aged 18 – though they may start living at the as a (maids) for a few years before graduation to and then status.
Though customers attending geisha parties and banquets generally expect some level of convivial and low-key flirtation, a is likely to be considered off-limits as a younger and more vulnerable participant to such gatherings. are instead treated with generosity by guests cognisant of their relative inexperience at geisha parties.
In literature
Arthur Golden's novel ''
Memoirs of a Geisha
''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the story of Nitta Sayuri and the many trials she faces on the path to becoming and wo ...
'' portrays as a financial arrangement in which a girl's virginity is sold to a " patron", generally someone who particularly enjoys sex with virgin girls, or merely enjoys the charms of an individual .
Former geisha Sayo Masuda describes in her 1956 autobiography ''
Autobiography of a Geisha
is a book by . It was first published in Japan in 1957, and the English translation by G. G. Rowley was published in 2003. Masuda wrote her autobiography between the years of 1956 and 1957 in response to a magazine ad for a non-fiction women's w ...
'' as sexual exploitation. Masuda describes being sold multiple times by her to men, ostensibly for the purposes of taking her virginity, under the pretence that she had not yet lost it. The transaction was explicitly a sexual arrangement, far removed from the ceremony of graduating into geishahood, netting the a large profit. Despite her personal experiences, Masuda argued against the outlawing of sex work in Japan, explaining that it provided a way for women to make an independent living when chosen as a profession, and through criminalisation, would merely be driven underground.
See also
*
Virginity auction
A virginity auction is an auction, often publicized online, where a person seeks to sell their virginity. The winning bidder will win the right to be the first to have intercourse with the person.
Often the authenticity of such auctions is subjec ...
References
External links
{{Portal, Japan
Remaking a memoir – A new autobiography, former geisha Mineko Iwasaki
Geisha
Japanese culture
Rites of passage
Sexual abstinence
Japanese words and phrases