This is an interview conducted with the Tokyo Geisha Norie (No-re-ay) for the spanish magazine "Dia Siete". It was originally in Espanol, so I whipped out my spanish skills and translated it myself. Really. Please don't use my translation without my permission. Unfortunately, the original article has been removed from the website, so I can't provide a link.
A Geisha - ageless
By Juan Antonio Osegura
The first Geisha were men who were known as Honko. They danced for clients in tea-rooms, resturants, and bars. Geisha means person of the arts or artist. It was in the early Edo era when the onna geisha (lady geisha) arose, in Kyoto, the old imperial capital. The first geisha danced, sang, amused and played the koto (ancient Japanese harp), and so it is to this day. In Japan, women continue to aspire to be maiko or hangyoku, which means apprentice geisha. When they start their formal training, they take psuedonames like, Ochiyo or Umeka, which are taken from the most successful geisha of the past. Geisha are trained in anonimity, but once in a while they break their silence. That is so in the case of Norie, a geisha who was born in the United States, but came to Tokyo to learn the ancient arts. She overcam her silence and spoke with us...
TOKYO. - Norie is a typical geisha. She surfs the internet, uses a cell phone, and sees her fiance´, though so far, she hasn't much time to be with him. Norie was born in Los Angeles, California, and educated in Washington, D.C. until the age of 11 when she moved to Tokyo, where she now takes lessons to be a professional entertainer.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GEISHA? I'm a young Geisha. I started as few as 2 years ago.
WHY? It is my dream. It is a personal decision.
CAN I ASK HOW OLD YOU ARE? We geisha do not have age...
DO YOU HAVE MORE SISTERS? WHERE IS YOUR FAMILY? We are all independent. I live with my Okasan who teaches me to be a geisha. I call her mother because she is the owner of the Okiya.
HOW MANY SISTERS DO YOU HAVE? In the Okiya, there are three sisters and my Okasan.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO BE A GEISHA? My great-grandmother, grandmother, and my aunt were all geisha. I am the fourth generation. Ever since I was little, I saw geisha in the house, and in my grandmother's restaurant. Since then, I have been enchanted with the atmosphere of this place, this part of Tokyo. Asakusa is a special is a very special place.
YOU CHANGED YOUR NAME? Yes. Norie is my geisha name, although there are some who use their own names. Norie is the name of my grandmother, and my aunt, so I am the third to use it.
DOES IT HAVE SOME SPECIAL MEANING? It is a woman's name...
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A GEISHA? Although I am not yet a professional, it is my dream to become an authentic geisha quickly. I must practice very hard every day. Geisha mean people who entertain. I have older sisters who continue to practice and learn, and I respect them very much. I have a long ways to go .
HOW MUCH LONGER MUST YOU TRAIN? I do not know. I have asked my older sisters. They have been geisha for 50 years... I know that I still need much more training, but I do not know how much.
WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE BECOMING A GEISHA? I was a student.
OF WHAT SUBJECT? Student...
ARE YOU A GEISHA 24 HOURS A DAY? Yes. All day.
WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY? I took dance classes. Every day we have different classes. We train constantly.
WHAT TYPE OF DANCES DO YOU LEARN? Traditional Japanese dance.
DO YOU LEARN NOH THEATRE? No, no way. It is a very difficult traditional art. But we do learn to dance Kabuki, which is a traditional Japanese dramatic art.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU LEARN? I learn the fue (bamboo flute), taiko (drum) and Shamisen. There are days when I have 3 or 4 lessons.
YOU LIVE IN ASAKUSA? Yes, I belong to the association in this district of Tokyo.
YOUR OKASAN IS ALSO A GEISHA? She used to be.
YOUR OKASAN IS DISTANT? How do I explain this... She has a teahouse where we work. She is the proprietor of the Okiya and her position is higher that ours. She was a geisha for 30 years.
HOW IS THE OKIYA MAINTAINED? By myself.
HOW IS THAT? Work.
YOU WORK AS A GEISHA AND PAY TO THE OKASAN? Yes, they pay a little to me and the rest for kimono and maintenance.
HOW MUCH DO YOU MAKE A MONTH? Not much...
HOW MUCH...APPROXIMATELY? Not much... (laughs). It is sufficient to pay for food, clothes and a few luxuries for myself.
HOW IS A NORMAL DAY FOR YOU? I rise at 7 or 8 in the morning, and eat breakfast. I wash (laughs) and I go away to my classes. Later, lunch, and at four in the afternoon I begin to get ready, because at 5:30 I begin to work, I begin my makeup.
DO YOU USE A WIG? Yes. Before, I didn't, but now I do, and it is much more comfortable.
HOW DO YOU PUT ON MAKEUP? WHAT GOES ON FIRST? The wig goes on last. First, I put on makeup. And I paint my back.
BY YOURSELF? Yes, all by myself.
ALL OF IT? My sisters help me put on my kimono.
SO WHAT IS THE ORDER? First, makeup, then the kimono, and the wig in the end.
IS YOUR WHOLE BACK COVERED? UNTIL WHERE? Most of the back. I'll leave it to your imagination... (laughs).
YOU DO NOT PAINT YOUR HANDS? No, because we also serve food to our clients. When we dance, yes, we paint our hands.
THIS ALL TAKES YOU TWO HOURS? Yes, from before dressing to combing the wig.
HOW MANY PIECES COMPOSE A KIMONO? Three pieces.
YOU HAVE MANY KIMONO? We have several, and every month we change them. Each season changes the fabric and print. All the kimono are of silk, no matter the time of year, only that they are heavier in the cold, and lighter in the heat.
THE KIMONO ARE HANDMADE? Yes, in fact all of ours are specially made for us.
HOW MUCH DO KIMONO COST? They are very expensive, but are given to us at a special price. You can find standard kimono for 500 - 3000 dollars, or you can find some for 10,000 dollars if embroidered with gold thread.
WHEN WE ARRIVED YOU WERE SURFING THE INTERNET? (laughs) Yes, in fact I was looking for some information on Mexico.
DID YOU FIND SOMETHING INTERESTING? I did not find much. I am interested in this country and would like to visit someday. Is the weather warm in Mexico City, now?
NOT REALLY. IT IS NEVER VERY WARM. The only thing I know about Mexico is the tequila... (Laughs)
HAVE YOU TRIED IT? Yes, and it was enchanting. (laughs)
WHEN YOU ARE WITH A CLIENT, WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN YOU? I don't just dance for them. Before becoming a geisha I thought all I had to do was act and dance, but nevertheless, it is not so. We must create a pleasant atmosphere and make our clients feel well. This is a part of our work.
THERE ARE FOREIGN CLIENTS, HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THEM? All geisha do not speak English. THey learn to make do with sign language. They manage to communicate. (laughs)
YOU WORK IN YOUR HOME TEAHOUSE? Not only there. Geisha of this association work at 14 different teahouses in Asakusa.
CAN YOU WORK OUTSIDE OF ASAKUSA? Yes, but I must ask for permission.
OUTSIDE TOKYO? I must learn where, before I will go. Sometimes we are invited to parties and return to the house late.
IS A YOUNG GEISHA A MAIKO? No, that is only said in Kyoto. In Tokyo, we do not call them maiko. An adolescent becoming a geisha is a hangyoku, here. They wear longer kimono, more flowery and fashionable.
AS A YOUNG GEISHA, WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU HAVE WITH YOUR OLDER SISTERS? When we enter, the one that comes first is the young geisha, so the clients know she is a novice. In addition we dance simpler dances. Also special places at the table are assigned to us.
WHAT DO YOU CARRY IN YOUR PURSE? Special slipper to dance (tabi), two dancing fans, makeup and a cell phone. They are useful when we must call the office.
WHAT COLORS OF MAKEUP DO YOU USE? We use 3 basic colors: white, red and black.
YOU CAN CHANGE THE LINES OF YOUR EYES OR MOUTH? Yes, sure. It depends on me or the advice of my sisters.
DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE? Yes, letters.
YOU USE THE INTERNET? Every day.
DO YOU CHAT? No. I only surf a little and send email.