Pop Culture and Japan

Understanding The World Of The Geisha And Their Place In Japanese Culture

A geisha walking in Kyoto.

In Japanese culture, few images are more enduring than the geisha. A romantic symbol of classical Japan, geisha are traditionally shown as enigmatic, elegant, powerful, sexual and even lonely figures who have become a shadow of their former selves in the modern day. 

Literature and popular culture has over romanticised geisha, though it’s also made it harder to determine what is fact and what is fiction. So, who are the geisha truly? What makes them stand apart in Japanese culture? What were their duties and how did they function in daily society?

Continue reading “Understanding The World Of The Geisha And Their Place In Japanese Culture”

Book Reviews

Geishas And The Floating World Review: A Fascinating Read That Separates Myth From Reality

 

Geisha And The Floating World review.

The geisha is one of the most famous images of Japanese culture. Elegant, mysterious and graceful, geisha have connotations with a romantic side of Japan that’s been perpetuated by myths and legends. The truth is a lot more complicated.

Stephen and Ethel Longstreet’s Geishas and The Floating World delves into the myths surrounding geisha and separate fact from fiction. The book charts the rise and fall of the infamous Yoshiwara districts that became a part of The Floating World and women’s roles within it. Continue reading “Geishas And The Floating World Review: A Fascinating Read That Separates Myth From Reality”