JAPAN TRADICIONAL ARTS
Gueisha and Shamisen
Japanss Interactions with Other Cultures
Part Two Japanese Music and Music Culture in Transition from Bakumatsu to early Showa
July 31, 2015
Ndia Silva
Student number: p2015992001
Japan Tradicional Arts | Ndia Silva
INDEX
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 2
World of Geisha ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Musical Instruments ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Geisha in modern age ................................................................................................................................... 4
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................... 5
References .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Japan Tradicional Arts | Ndia Silva
INTRODUCTION
The main reason why the geisha has been chosen as the subject of this essay relies on the western
European stereotype, which often identifies them as the Japanese. Unknowingly, I thought of them only
as the Japanese prostitutes, which became internationally famous after the Second World War.
However, after some research I come to the conclusion that there is a whole universe surrounding this
subject. In fact, it came as a surprise to me how much prejudice there still exists from foreign people
towards geisha and their world. Nevertheless, many books and documentaries have been playing a
crucial role in spreading information on this issue and some famous books like Memoirs of a Geisha: A
Novel by Arthur Golden, are a great example of this.
Thus, with this essay, I hope not only to acquire more knowledge but to also increase my personal
interest on this subject so that I will continue reading about it.
I shall start this essay by making a brief reference to the historic context, which will be followed by a
description of the instruments they learn to play and a reference to the type of songs they sing. u
WORLD OF GEISHA
The history of geisha starts with the increasing popularity of pleasure quarters in the 18th century. As in
other countries, many of the women found in brothels were mostly part of the lower class, who were
sold by their family either due to the debts acquired or to the fact they were not able to raise more
children. However, in Japan there is an important difference that clearly separates prostitution from art.
While girls in other countries solely sell their bodies, in the world of geisha, they are expected to learn
their own skills in art as dancers, musicians, singers and other Japanese traditional arts.
Inside the pleasure quarters, there was a rank to classify the girls, which goes from Hashi, as the lowest
class to Tayu, the highest class. It is from Tayu that geisha were able to appear a woman who was not
a caged bird, who dressed with understated sophistication, not showy glitter, and who sold not her body,
but her arts. - Ibid., 53
If we notice the word geisha with the Japanese
characters, the character for gei means art and
the character for sha means person. Literally,
geisha are the people of arts and they devote their
entire lives to mastering Japanese traditional music
and dance.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Geisha learn several arts like conversation; dance,
tea ceremony (sado), calligraphy (shodo), flower
arrangement (ikebana) and can play several
instruments, although the Shamisen is seen as a
symbol of geisha.
IMAGE 1 - Geisha apprentice, Maiko, under maple tree,
Kyoto,
Japan
by
Frantisek
Staud
Photo Ref. No: geisha-p-020
Japan Tradicional Arts | Ndia Silva
Ookawa or Ootsuzami: it is a cherry wood hand drum played in No theatre and traditional
ballads. A very similar instrument is the kotsuzami, which is slightly smaller than ootsuzami.
The difference is how they are played. To play the ookawa, a geisha will sit on the floor with
the drum in her lap with her left hand. She will then strike the drum with her fingers on her right
hand, which have been covered with tips made of paper or deerskin. As she plays, the geisha
will make a rhythmic call. The kootsuzami, on the other hand, will be placed on the right
shoulder and held there with the left hand while the surface is struck with the fingers on the
right hand held flat.1
Taiko: the type of taiko, which is used by geisha, is shimedaiko. It is made of zelkova wood and
cow leather.
Fue: the Japanese flute made of bamboo.
Koto: the less common instrument that they learn.
Shamisen: it is the hardest instrument to master. There are three different types based on the
thickness of the neck: futozao, chuzao and hosozao. When playing the shamisen, geisha will
place it in her lap, hold the neck with the left hand, and strike the strings with the fingers or the
bachi. In the 16th century, the Shamisen came to Japan from China through Okinawa. This
instrument is a three-stringed lute, which name derived from the Chinese name sanxian ()
and was very popular in Edo period. The strings are from silk and they are played with a
plectrum, but there is an exception in Ko-uta, when geisha play the shamisen with their
fingernail. Before the Edo period, blind musicians who sang popular short songs played
shamisen. Afterwards, Shamisen was played in the dance music of Kabuki. Other new genres
are:
Naga-Uta developed in Edo and it is a long recitation story.
Gidayu-bushi, a narrative genre, is connected to puppet theatre Bunraku and it
was developed in Osaka and Kyoto.
Entertainment music also appeared, becoming very popular in Edo, Osaka and Kyoto.
In this category, there are ji-uta, which is a combination of shamisen and Koto music.
Ha-uta, Utazawa and Ko-uta are short songs.
The last one, Ko-uta short songs are closely connected to geisha culture. It originates from ha-uta and it
became very popular in the Meiji period. The songs usually last about one to three minutes with one or
two verses written in 5-7-7 syllables. Even nowadays, this musical genre continues to be performed in
the exclusive private guest rooms found in high-class restaurants.
Ko-uta can be accompanied by kouta-buri (kouta dancing), which is a set of movements that implicates a
combination of expressions of human emotion and the natural world through subtle gestures and
movements. This dance came from Kabuki dance, but it has its own characteristics: each movement has
its own meaning. Ozashiki, where this dance is performed, is a smaller and more private setting.
Because of the small room and the tight kimono, the movements resulted to be small and restrict, as the
dancers cannot move at all. The movements are highly polished and stylized to express the refined
versions of reality.
Lockard, Lauren. Geisha behind the Painted Smile page 24
3
Japan Tradicional Arts | Ndia Silva
IMAGE 2 - Maiko girls (Geisha apprentice) dancing with fan in
Kyoto,
Japan
by
Frantisek
Staud
Photo Ref. No: geisha-n-040
IMAGE 3 - Maiko (Geisha apprentice) dances with
fan during Setsubun festival, Kyoto, Japan by
Frantisek
Staud
Photo Ref. No: geisha-n-008
GEISHA IN MODERN AGE
Although the last topic is not related particularly to music, I found interesting to know how geisha who
master traditional arts are being able to endure on modern times. It seems blatantly obvious that they
need to obtain recruits, customers and preserve their tradition. If in the 1920s, we could count around
80,000 geisha, currently there is only about 1,000 geisha.
One of the methods that has been use to prevent the decrease on the number of geisha consists on
establishing partnerships with travel agencies to invite tourists groups to geishas establishments. The
Internet is a resource commonly used to recruit new young women through online applications and
some geisha even have their own blog, where they write about their daily life and training as a geisha.
The interest in the world of geisha has been increasing a lot due to that. Therefore, many bestsellers,
dramas and documentaries are being produced, which contributes to make geisha internationally
known.
Japan Tradicional Arts | Ndia Silva
CONCLUSION
In the West, there are many stereotypes about geisha and one of the most known is the sexuality icon
that they represent. Although, that is a part of their world, e cannot simply reduce it to that component.
As I was able to find, the geishas life is about training and learning traditional arts, always mind at
improving themselves. The training is long and hard, which leads many of them to give up. However, the
ones who resist the strict training discover passion for their career and are able to become true geisha.
IMAGE 4 - Two Geisha apprentice (Maiko) performing tea
ceremony in Kitano Shrine, Kyoto, Japan by Frantisek
Staud
Photo Ref. No: geisha-p-032
Japan Tradicional Arts | Ndia Silva
REFERENCES
Lockard, Lauren. Geisha behind the Painted Smile, Honours Research Advisory Seminar, February 2009
July 22
<https://www.jwu.edu/uploadedFiles/Documents/Academics/GeishaFin.pdf>
The True Meaning of Geisha July 22
<http://www.jpf.org.au/onlinearticles/hitokuchimemo/issue13.html>
Stanford, SPICE Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education July 22
<http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/geisha>
Dalby, Liza. Little Songs of the Geisha: Traditional Japanese Ko-Uta. Tuttle. Boston, 2000
<https://books.google.pt/books?id=JCnRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT7&lpg=PT7&dq=Little+Songs+of
+the+Geisha.+Traditional+Japanese+Ko-Uta.&source=bl&ots=zNzHjQm45&sig=i_umxMR3M7wvHT-69kuqhVMNueE&hl=ja&sa=X&ved=0CEcQ6AEwCWoVChMIiOZsf3txgIVxRuUCh287gT5#v=onepage&q&f=false>
Japan, Photo Gallery by Frantisek Staud July 22
<http://phototravels.net/japan/photo-gallery/index.html>
