What is Geisha?
“Gei” means accomplishment or performance and “sha” means person.
This word coined in the “Edo” period. “Edo” is the former name of Tokyo. This period started about 400 years ago and ended around 1860.
Geisha were the people who displayed their accomplishments. For example, they played Shamisen (Japanese guitar) or Tuzumi (small drum). Or they gave dance performances and sang songs.
In this period, only men joined formal parties, commercial dining establishments or banquets. Men needed someone to make them feel relaxed. At first, Geisha were men and after a while, female Geisha come info being. They were called “On-na-geisha.” “On-na” means woman.
Today, at Japanese banquets in hotels or commercial dining establishments, Geisha chat with guests, perform classical Japanese dance, and sing songs (with Karaoke Have you heard of this?) or play games.
Sometime Geisha are confused with the “Yu-u-jyo” of old times. It is necessary to explain about Yu-u jyo and some Japanese traditions.
“Yu-u” means play and “jyo” means girl.
In Japan, there use to be entertainment areas for "men only.. In the Edo period, these area were called "Yu-u-kaku." These area are tended to be separated from other areas of the town.
Many girls worked and lived in this area. They were known as "Yu-u-jyo." They each had their own room in the inns (They are also restaurants) that they worked. Men could have dinner or hold parties in these inns and afterwards, men could spend the night with the girl of their choice in the girl's room.
The Edo period was a very peaceful era. For 300 years, Japan did not engage in any wars with foreign countries or experience any domestic disputes. Thus, the very special culture or lifestyle knows as “Edo culture” was developed by the civilians of Edo city. They also refined the system of “Yu-u-jyo.”
Most high class “Yu-u-jyo” were called "Oiran". Having a highly developed sense of culture and refined manner were prerequisites for the Oiran. To spending the night with an Oiran was a proof of a man's success. This is not only reason why they were so expensive. Oiran had the right to refuse a man’s request. When an Oiran thought the man who wanted to have dinner with her was not refine enough or lacked cultural aoareness not have culture enough, she could refuse to have dinner with him.
In such times, Geisha were also brought into being in order to refine parties or dining ever further.
Yu-u-jo could not venture the outside the “Yu-u-kaku” area. This is because most Yu-u-jyo were bought by agents from poor local villages and were then in debt to their agents. Therefore they had to work at Yu-u-kaku until all their debts had been paid off.
However Geisha did not live in these area and were free to go as they pleased. They were in the business of entertainment. If a rich merchant wanted to have dinner in a commercial restaurant, he could call a Geisha to provide a reception for the guest.
At the end of the Edo period, Japan began opening it's ports to foreign trading ships, and many foreign people came to Japan. They were invited out to due by Japanese traders. They met Geisha and Yu-u-jyo. Thus “Geisha girl” became one of the keyword of Japanese culture for foreign countries along the name of the beautiful mountain, “Fuji yama.” This is because their very refined manners for reception and their culture had a very strong impact on foreign guests.
Some foreign people (and some Japanese) still think (mistakenly) that the services of today's Geisha are the same as those of the Yu-u-jyo of old times. However, it must be stressed that this is a misundrestanding.
Geisha Dance
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The Geisha, Nijiko danc the "Chou-no-michiyuki".
This dance is based on “Gidayu-u” of the same name.
Gidayu-u was an entertainment from the "Edo period". Which had it's own unique style.
The title “Chou-no-michiyuki” means “Journey of the butterflies”.
This story is a tragic love story, a Japanese “Romeo and Juliet.”
A young couple was not to marry by their parents. |
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So, they both committed suicide.
The following spring, they were reborn as two butterflies, left to flutter happily amongst the ripe blossom in the spring fields.
Nijiko wears a kimono for this dance. This Kimoto is decorated with butterflies.
In the following a picture, she in handing over a bundle of ripe blossom.
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In Buddhism, death does not mean the end of the life. After death, we will be born again. But not necessarily as human being. Sometimes we will be reborn as a butterflies or .....
Nijiko's face is painted white. This type of make up only used when dancing on stage.
Usually, Geishas do not paint their faces white.
The butterflies displayed on the background of this page are from an old kimono pattern.
Do-do-i-tsu
Do-do-i-tsu is a very short song and a ward game.
Guests make up a short song at the party. And he (she) sings it by himself (herself) to the Shamisen (Japanese guitar) accompaniment of a Geisha.
Or, he (she) can sing do-do-i-tsus that were made by other people and those he (she) particularly like.
Usually Do-do-i-tsu is composed of a sentence in two parts.
It must follows the syllable rule of as 7,7,7 and 5.
Japanese : “Koi ni kogarete naku semi yori mo, nakanu hotaru ga mi o kogasu”
ko i ni ko ga re te = 7 syllables
na ku se mi yo ri mo = 7 syllables
na ka nu ho ta ru ga = 7 syllables
mi o ko ga su = 5 syllables
“The cicada is singing his love song very loudly. The firefly's body is silently being consumed by the fire of love.”
A rival in love will always whisper that he (she) loves you. But I love you more than him (her). My heart is burning with silence like a firefly.
Japanese : “Yume ni miru yojya, omoi wa asai. Hon ni fukakerya, nemurarenu.”
“You say that you love me and dream of me. THEN I can not believe your love. How can you sleep? I cann`t sleep because I am always thinking about you.”
Would you make up and sing a do-do-i-tsu in your mother tongue at Geisha a party?
Or listen to Japanese do-do-i-tsus recited by Geisha?
The do-do-i-tsu contain the Japanese spirit.
| Forrás:http://www.geisha.co.jp/eg-01.htm | 
AJÁNLOM AZ OLDALT
