Geisha: A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance and Art

by John Gallagher

Book Overview

"Rises above many of its competitors, thanks to its ambitious scope...The book's photos and illustrations are frequently stunning....Gallagher's writing style is straightforward and articulate, with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1856486974
• ISBN13: 9781856486972
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: PRC Publishing
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 9.2" x 11.7"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful book (and very inexpensive, too)

In 1997, Arthur Golden's best-selling _Memoirs of a Geisha_ caused a minor boom in interest about the "world of flowers and willows." Gallagher is a professional translator living in Tokyo and his obvious knowledge both of Japanese political and social history and of the geisha tradition itself make him an excellent go-between in explaining it all to western readers. He goes to considerable lengths to disabuse the ignorant of the assumption that geisha are courtesans, or that there is any serious comparison between the entertainments of bar hostesses and of geisha. (The former, he says, are like renting a cheap compact car to take a weekend jaunt to an amusement park; the latter are like journeying in a hand-gilded coach with footmen to a grand banquet.) What tourists used to see, until very recently, was laid on specially for them, since the network of geisha houses, teahouses, fabric-sellers, kimono-makers, and other associated craftsmen and service-providers that make up the hanamachi district in any city -- and every town and city has one, or did have -- is basically closed to outsiders. "No new faces" is the rule. The geisha themselves and their clients are two halves of the same culture, and very few modern Japanese have any knowledge or even any interest in the old ways. So the geisha tradition is dying. In the mid-1950s, some 40,000 geisha were active in Japan; by the mid-1970s, that was down to about 17,000. At the turn of the new century, there are fewer than 5,000 in the whole country, and fewer than 200 in Kyoto itself, where the whole thing began. It's a shame to think the whole geisha world will probably, inevitably, soon be extinct. This is a beautiful as well as very informative volume, with detailed color photos depicting the differences between the gorgeously colorful maiko (trainees) and the more sedate senior geisha, and with numerous historical paintings and engravings showing the development of geisha costume and relating geisha to a number of key events in the past several centuries of Japanese history. Anyone with an interest in Japanese life and culture definitely should find a copy.

Buy along with Geisha by Liza Dalby

History of male Taikomochi and female Geisha artists, Kabuki actors of the Japanese Pleasure Quarters or Flower and Willow World explain why Geisha speak, dress, live a 16th century existence in Hanamachi districts , their secretive sheltered world financially sustained for 3 centuries by Danna patron Buddhist monks, Yakusa gangsters, politicians and expense account businessmen. Geisha Geisha of Gion: The Memoir of Mineko Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki's life story informed the popular fiction Memoirs of a Geisha (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) which debuts as a movie December 2005 but Gallagher's book Geisha provides colorful (at times inaccurate) photos and paintings to augment a historical perspective of these living works of art. An excellent literary companion to Gallagher is the 18 month journal also named Geisha by anthropologist, writer and first American Geisha Liza Dalby (consultant on the movie Memoirs of Geisha) Geisha Young Maiko historically began training at 6 years 6 months and 6 days to be discriminating readers of current events, politics, business as intellectually stimulating conversationalists with charisma as intelligent well informed listeners who never repeat what they hear. Gei means art, sha means person, geisha arts are lifelong studies: dance, singing, 3 stringed shamisen, conversation which provides the patron with relaxation and laughter. The goal is harmony, consistency in dress, makeup, performance and comportment which can only be sustained by constant practice. Geisha entertainment is costly, commensurate with the effort required to maintain the art. Very few aficionados, like ballet or opera devotees, have the education, wit and artistic bent to appreciate geisha allure. Geisha numbers are declining, and these icons may not survive into the next century. Geisha require support of traditional occupations such as tea ceremony assistants, kimono silk painters, wig makers, otokosu (dressers), ikebana flower arranging teachers, dance, singing, shamisen professions which also may disappear if the geisha cease to exist. Fascinating look at what may be extinct cultural human artefacts within a few decades. Highly recommended along with Liza Dalby's Geisha.

Great book

This book was a wealth of information and is one of my most treasured geisha books. It's full of great pictures too. Every aspect of geisha life is touched on. Definitely worth buying.

Amazing resource

I had never seen this book physically when I ordered it and was very pleased when it arrived on my doorstep. This hefty volume is a wealth of information, even for those who have already studied geisha culture and know a good deal of the terminology, ceremonies and details of the unique way of life and its related artistic and historical implications. I can't imagine a more detailed factual research source on the subject; this book really has it all. There is also an array of photographs of maiko and geiko in their respective regalia partaking in the business, artistic as well as personal aspects of their lives. One of the most unique elements of the book is the inclusion of the sections of translucent vellum paper, which reveal the layers of a kimono ensemble and the progressive steps involved in the making-up of a geisha's face. This creative idea made for an interesting addition to an already fine book.If I had to choose two resources on geisha culture to introduce an unfamiliar party with the subject, I would select _Geisha_ by Liza Dalby for her thoughtful, personal story told through a discerning anthropologist's eye, and _Geisha: a Unique World of Tradition, Elegance and Art_ for its comprehensive, detailed but more objective view of the subject. The information they encompass brings a mysterious, insular world into clear focus for the curious and eager-to-learn outsider.

A great resource

This was a great read and it's an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in learning a lot about geisha. It covered everything from the details of their lives, their history and even down to their wigs and kimono. There are even layered examples of how their worn.This is now one of my most treasured books about Geisha and I own a lot.