Secret World of Geisha documentary

[Music] this is the book of modern Japan yet she wears another face in the byways of Japanese culture survives an ancient way of life rarely glimpsed by Western eyes a timeless Haven where tradition reigns [Music] visitors seek solace in a world where grace is the path to peace and ceremony is its own end in this fairytale setting the privilege to find comfort in Japan's ultimate symbol of perfection the Geisha [Music] [Music] she's a dancer a singer artist confidante but most of all magician she conjures a fantasy world as secretive as it is exclusive among the few Westerners to penetrate her mysterious facade is Leslie downer who lived among the geishas of Japan for 10 years it is very much a privilege for any Westerner it's a privilege for anybody who is able to go to a tea house party this is why it's so closed and secret the first geisha arose in the beginning of the 18th century and the very first geisha were men they took the job of entertaining the people who had come along to the pleasure quarters so they would entertain them with music and dancing and singing and then the customers would go on and spend time with the courtesans and prostitutes so it's very important that from the very very start geisha and prostitutes were completely separate there's no connection the geishas of the guild district in the city of Kyoto are known as gecko's young apprentices like Kauai are called mykos at 17 ko IDE departs from the path of the typical Japanese teenager she's chosen to undergo the five-year ordeal to become a gecko at 5 p.m. as other businesses wind down ko I goes to work at one of the local tea houses called poaches mr. Fuji the chairman of a large textile company is a regular at the Ochoa's in Japan no one blushes when married men enjoy the company of a gecko or chars are for men only men with the pool to get inside the case your world is very closed and very secret one reason is it's a little like a gentlemen's club if it was open to everybody it wouldn't have any value any longer it's very difficult for anybody to go inside a teahouse the only way that you can go into a teahouse is if you're invited they have a saying each against and culturally which means first-timers are always refused but if you are a very high-powered Western businessman or Western political figure like Tony Blair or George W Bush you can you may well be invited to a tea house party but even if you're a Tony Blair or George W Bush you could not go buy yourself a typical Ozaukee or gecko party last three hours the evening begins with sake a rice wine served with ceremonial grace then do the mykos and geckos join the customers for the next phase of the party would eerie party they'll make it an entertaining light cheerful party not a serious business discussion and at some point there may be food but that's not a crucial part and at some point the gecko will stand up and show off their Arts because the word gecko means somebody who is proficient at arts after years of education geckos can discuss everything from art to Zen yonko I simply listens and learns the most popular mykos and geckos spend the evening going from one teahouse to another they seldom get home before 2:00 a.m. their job is to create a fantasy a world where every man feels like a kingdom a world built on flattery and guarded by secrecy there is a rare glimpse inside their world for 11th centuries Kyoto was Japan's capital here cultural heritage is fiercely preserved a Maiko like kauai inherits of tradition 300 years old but for her is not only tradition it's a dream come true all mykos are monitored by big sister geckos who act as role models Quahog sister mama Hiro lends her wisdom to the problem of bed during their five-year apprenticeship mykos like coai are forbidden to wear wigs during the work week they must keep their sculpted hairstyle intact for coai the price of perfection is comfort when Co I finally becomes a gecko she'll sleep on a regular pillow for now she must settle for an omec ooh a wooden cube with a cushion on top the amaku keeps her hair from getting must decades ago mothers would spread rice husks under the block if a girl's had slipped for a second the incriminating flakes would stick to her hair grounds for a scolding [Applause] this is one of the most important rituals of mama hero's day makeup it is also the hardest the trick is getting exactly the same look every time the only colors acacia applies are black white and red the older she gets the less red she uses like an actress they put on the makeup which shows their profession and they put on very very thick white makeup which in the past used to used to make their face glow by candlelight in the days before electricity to have a white face you can imagine a white face glimmering in the dark room looked extremely beautiful and mysterious the nape of the neck is not painted either there's a certain shape of makeup painted on the back which leaves the nape of the neck bare and the part of the body which in Japanese tradition is the most seductive is the nape of the neck makeup was once white LED which caused yellow skin premature wrinkles and sometimes lead poisoning some geckos till swear by Nightingale droppings prized as a skin whitener [Music] mommy hero has disappeared in her place a doll that walks the simple act of walking is another lesson to relearn the narrow kimono can trip the legs while feet can easily slip from slippers with practice geckos learn to move with grace yet beneath the traditional garb is a thoroughly modern woman Danu used to work as a secretary for a kimono tradesman quitting her day job may seem like a step backward but in some ways geckos are more liberated than other japanese women they enjoy financial independence job security and more freedom than most Japanese wives [Music] what drew down you to her new profession was her passion for the shamisen the three stringed guitar that is Japan's most traditional musical instrument played with a large pick made of wood or ivory the melancholy shamisen is the perfect accompaniment to a wistful song it's been said that the sound can stir passion where none existed before away from work Dania slips into a whole other costume from her country club membership to her high-rise apartment she lives a Western life traditional gecko culture now accepts women like don you over the past decade fewer women have chosen to become geckos the only way to keep recruits coming was to relax the rules like other working women Danya sometimes takes work home she's always on call whenever her little sister Takako needs advice takaku was drawn to the life of the geisha through her passion for classical japanese theater especially the melodramatic spectacle of Kabuki as popular entertainers for nearly 150 years kabuki and Keiko had become enshrined as symbols of Japanese tradition Takako is only 19 still a Maiko next year shall become a gecko if all goes well and her memory improves tonight she forgot her fan an important part of a mykos outfit luckily she can borrow one from Daniel takechiyo is impressed by all the shots of actors athletes and politicians maybe even a little jealous celebrities are often gecko customers one day Takata hopes for her own chance to meet the rich and famous the fan is very important within Japanese culture whenever you dress formally you always have a fan so a gecko will always carry a fan and she'll use it in her dancing the fan will represent many different things like a sword or she could use it to cover her face when she smiles when she laughs or to look coy or to look shy but the fan is a crucial part of the geckos accessories several times a week like other mykos takasho goes to the central office for all caches in deal the ghio union the union manages the Maiko schools set schedules for the o childs and handles the accounting [Music] after checking her timetable for lessons Takako finds out when she's appearing in the nightly show that all mykos take turns performing in each year the Union Awards prizes to the mykos and geckos who've earned the most money this year Takako has come in second place a great honor tonight she'll perform the guild dance with her partner at the unions theater they share the common affliction of actresses before showtime stage fright for most in the audience Japanese and tourists alike the Union productions may be the only chance to see the Maiko show off their talents the performances are directly inspired by the know a classical Japanese art form that combines dance drama music and poetry [Applause] the shows are identical to those put on at the Ochoa's like everything else in a mykos life a perfect performance is expected [Applause] [Music] at the Ochoa's drinks and hors d'oeuvres are served before the entertainment begins mykos and geckos eat earlier in the day never with guests the Ochoa manager has carefully selected the evenings performers some to dance others to sing and shy pretty mykos to fill cups and fulfill dreams they are creating a fantasy world for men they're creating a dream world in which men can go and relax the the Japanese men that go to the dream world of the gecko know that it is a fantasy whereas I think some Western men who attend the tea parties that the gecko have don't realize that it's a fantasy they think maybe it's true though they don't need the women are expected to drink with the customers drink and be merry still in office koa remains a Wallflower [Music] although a young my co co i works at several parties a night then rises early for lessons the path from Maiko to gecko is paved with long hours and little sleep the students must get to school by 9:15 giving them 45 minutes to prepare before lessons begin today the mykos rehearsed the dance of the chrysanthemum they'll perform it at a party to celebrate the senior dance masters retirement and to show respect for his successor in Japan women are admired for their reserved true to form mykos convey feelings through small gestures the direction of their gaze or the lowering of an eyelid by hinting at their emotions mykos keep their fantasy world alive [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the word Maiko means dancing girl so the instructor will make them rehearse to their performance is flawless it's a professional art and you begin learning it when you're quite young traditionally geisha would learn dancing from the age of six years six months and six days it's a very rigorous training so it's yeah it's a it's a it's a professional art shamisen players are in great demand but Danu is among the few young women to show interest in an instrument that's hard to play and takes years to master she takes lessons from the most experienced giggles like everything about the geisha lifestyle the shamisen is expensive one can sell for over ten thousand dollars Danu has seven a delicate instrument that often needs repair it provides work to a small community that thrives on geisha culture after World War two there were more than 400 mykos and geckos in deal today only a hundred just enough to keep the geisha businesses alive the gecko and the Maiko still live in a small community where ordinary people very seldom go so ordinary people very seldom meet Michael gecko but the micro and the gecko are tied up very much with traditional culture the traditional culture of kimono the people who make the kimono their livelihood depends on the micro and the gecko for example for a gecko the art of choosing and wearing a kimono is as important as dance or the shamisen Takako a former gecko often takes her daughter Kanako to see the kimono craftsman mr. Ichiro saga is 76 years old he's been painting kimonos 10 hours a day every day for 56 years a Maiko kimono requires up to 40 feet of hand-painted fabric and costs between 10 and 50 thousand dollars like the tea ceremony kimonos are an artform in their own right woven of the finest silk kimonos are painted in designs that scroll across the fabric in lavish detail and brilliant color a gecko needs at least 10 kimonos one for each season and type of ceremony between them Takako and koneko own nearly 200 kimonos to play her part a gecko must be a walking work of art in the 17th century the gion district was one of the most sophisticated pleasure quarters in Kyoto where men could go to enjoy an evening of carefree party gecko culture was born here developing around the district shrine the yasaka temple like their predecessors Daniel mama hero Takako and Takako purify their hands before entering the temple [Music] [Applause] a place of worship the temple is also a setting to celebrate marriage birth and the new year when the first pilgrims came to the Asaka district local women catered to them with tea and dumplings over time they began to sing and dance for the customers out of simple necessity arose a modern luxury the teahouse in yasaka hope springs eternal people come here not only to pray but to buy a fortune or make a wish Takako makes her wish directly to God while Dan you and Mama Hiro draw numbers that tell their fortunes mama hero's fortune is discouraging but da news is awful they decide to get rid of them immediately the better to ward off bad luck [Applause] like tea and dumplings bad fortunes are plentiful in yasaka takasho posts her wish to God to become the best answer India in a career that sometimes hangs by a thread it may help to have a higher power on her side [Music] as a former gecko Takako must shooter her daughter in all aspects of gecko life including play today Takako teaches Kanako to toss the fan a game all my cows are expected to master just one more skill to dazzle the [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] customer to go but current Technic all mama come my favor I'm like good night doc no I'm gonna yet being or resembling a Maiko has its advantages unlike geckos young mykos are free to live a more colorful lifestyle they've even made their way into advertising Kanako who recently took over as manager of the and oh oh Chaya a position of great respect and even greater responsibility [Music] Kanako is still expected to continue her training which includes learning the art of ikebana flower arranging at kuala sang-kyu they've been teaching ikebana for hundreds of years [Music] in the West flower arranging is just another decorative art but in Japan ikebana is a complex blend of science and emotion at its best it conveys the sensations of the changing seasons [Music] geckos spend their lives trying to perfect ways to pay respect to others caracal boughs to a teacher before starting class all part of the gecko etiquette the teacher helps his students create harmony between the simplicity of the va's and the position of the flowers evoking the power of life the length and type of the flowers represents different things sky earth and mankind the success of the arrangement depends upon subtle proportion to be Annie Cabana artist takes a soft touch and thick-skinned the teacher mrs. like delicate blossoms the mykos are constantly looked after by their mother their sister or the manager of a know Chaya when you go to Gyan the whole of Gyan is centered around the gecko world everybody is there for the gecko so there are lots of shopkeepers whose jobs depend on the gecko there are also several hairdressers who are very busy every day dealing with the mykos hair which is a great big job Michael's where different hairstyles for every stage of their career it can take an hour of teasing straightening and sculpting to achieve a sleek shiny coiffure the hairdresser gets paid by the okiya the mykos boarding house which also covers the mykos other expenses like food kimonos and accessories the Michel pays back the okiya from her wages keeping only a small allowance to spend as she likes mykos live in the okiya for five or six years after that as independent geckos they're responsible for all their expenses the result of Tkach obsession is a masterpiece of art and function firm enough to survive a week of work and sleep it looks so incredibly beautiful to wear the Michaels kimono to where the the hairstyle young girls want to look like that it's like it's like dressing up in in louis xiv costume it's a very beautiful thing to do because they had to wear so many different looks geckos in the 1960s began to buy their hairstyles although wigs are more practical they still must be combed out and reset every month by one of gills to surviving wigmaker's mr. Iman Ichi has been making wigs for 34 years it will take him several hours and cost Takako and mama Hiro more than two hundred dollars to repair each of their wigs when a gecko once a wig mr. Iman Ichi decides what shape will flatter her face he can make a round face look thinner and a thin face fuller part of his job is to make her as beautiful as he can years ago Japanese girls would sell their hair to earn money now wigmaker's use Chinese hair plus yaks hammer for volume when mr. Iman Ichi presents a new wig to customers he uses his daughter as a model wigs are easier to maintain than ornate hairstyles and they're gentler on the geckos in the old days the constant tugging sometimes made their hair fall out wigs also give the women more freedom they can switch between the gecko world and the modern world just by doffing their hair geckos need at least three wigs each costs $5,000 while the modern world has cracked the door to gecko culture the lifestyle remains a mystery to most of us the women still live in secluded places known only to a handful of outsiders even the Japanese don't know what goes on behind closed doors the geckos like it that way they zealously guard their privacy and never advertise their services theirs is a secret world with strict rules and taboos mummy Hiro has dedicated her life to the gecko culture one day she'd like to be the manager of a Nokia her dream is to train a young Maiko and make her the star of deal she'd also like to have a daughter to take over the business when mama hero retires for now she remains marriage to the Achaia the life of the gecko permits few rivals for a woman's devotion in the quest for perfection nothing is used up faster than time [Music] in Japanese culture the smaller the mouse the prettier mama Hiro achieves this illusion by applying dark red lipstick to the inside edges of her mouth like the world of the gecko her perfectly painted face becomes a mask a barrier between fantasy and reality [Music] applying their makeup and fixing their hair requires so much time the geckos turned to specialists to help them dress and they're also the auto casue whose job it is to dress the different gecko in Gion there are four auto costs in now and it's like two fathers and two sons and this is a very important job because it's very difficult to put on a kimono by oneself particularly to put it on in the correct way for a gay cop when they dress they put on the kimono which covers covers the body from top to bottom basically it's a little bit looser than than the way that a married woman would wear a kimono it's it's the it's the reverse of the the western way of revealing your body on an average night mr. Kojima and the other Otto Costa who dress about 20 geckos spending less than five minutes with each every fold and every bow must be placed exactly the kimono itself must hang just so only the otaku suit know how to fit a kimono to give each woman the perfect silhouette according to formal Japanese tradition female curves mustn't be seen so they're hidden under the kimonos folds and pads these make a woman's figure look absolutely straight the kimono special belt the Obi is distinct on mykos the wide silk sash almost falls to the floor on geckos it's tied in a bow me femininity is expressed by the gentle fold revealing the nape of the neck the word geisha comes from GAE meaning art and shop meaning person the geckos are expected to live up to the name they're not just charming hostesses they are talented singers dancers and musicians since patrons are connoisseurs of the arts dancing is a highlight of the evening tonight mama Hiro is performing a dance that conjures up the sound of a night snow falling and lovers murmuring a romantic setting lit by lanterns that mirrors Geco culture itself both mysterious and elegant the Ozaukee ritual is always the same after the meal and the dance it's time for games the key thing which Japanese men realize when they go to a gay Kapaa tea is that everything that goes on there is a game it's not real life it's not serious it's a kind of dream world in which you can go to relax it's an escape from real life but when the gecko flirts with you she is wearing her white makeup so you know very well that it is not that she as a person fancies you as a person she is an actress and you're playing a very very fun game this is great fun but it's a game and when you leave the gecko world it's finished and as it happens the gecko parties usually involves some games there are all kinds of games often to do with alcohol many games which the penalty is to have to finish your glass of sake [Applause] and as the evening progresses and as everybody drinks sake people get more and more relaxed and nobody expects the gecko to be demure and ladylike that their job is to make sure everybody has fun one game is to fill a glass of sake to the brim then pass it from one person to the next the first to spill a drop must drink the whole thing [Applause] mummy hero has warned her younger sister koi that if she wants to be a gecko she has to learn to hold her liquor customers never drink alone geckos and mykos are expected to join the fun [Applause] [Music] occasionally high-powered negotiations take place in Oh China's more often men come here just to unwind [Music] an hour's fun at a no chaya costs about $150 per person $600 per person for an average evening a gallon nights can run a thousand dollars a head the bill is never discussed it's sent to the patrons after the event and the amount is never questioned the mykos and geckos of Gyo are in constant demand they have the schedule of a pop singer and the glamour of a movie star and they still are like movie stars quite a lot so of course just as ordinary people in the West can't mix with movie stars similarly ordinary people in Japan cannot mix with gecoo or geisha but they're very famous and people know their names so I think one could think of them actually as being like movie stars or like ballerinas or like opera singers they're that kind of profession they are so popular the geckos of do are requested for parties outside Kyoto today Takako is going to Tokyo with Dan you and Tkach Oh for a big banquet at times customers asked mykos and caicos to accompany them to a restaurant or theater such outside income is symbolically called flower money mykos and Gekko is generally bill by the hour flat rates for long-distance jobs when they go to functions outside geo they always travel first class in a separate car from other passengers my dad talked about marinara tender skin dole dole cactus and oh yes and the stuff you can do commemorated [ __ ] tonight okay Val Venis yes hmm Stockton Omaha no John I can you Anna Osaka Maldonado sarong [Laughter] [Laughter] the gecko a part of the entertainment world in Japan and everybody there knows everybody else you have the know theater and you have children which are according the gecko are friends with kabuki actors they know the kurrgan actors they may marry kurrgan actors so they're all part of the same world [Music] a life in the limelight pays well but costs time geckos get only two days off a month back in Kyoto dunya trades in her shamisen for golf clubs even in her free time she aims for perfection though guardians of the past geckos enjoy modern life as much as any women [Music] mmm the more you know more HP the thorny a tongue game it's a she you know young can tell this I go can I talk oh no miss any an exact that their God Hyundai it does she body knee is over seen in her office job Dern you punched a clock from 9:00 to 5:00 she traded predictability for satisfaction Oh see this is she kreega Ichiban a teratoma the mono your home or service God so you caught on adidas is she here to Tortuga Pentagon mascara Tomas Kaka maka maka I'm insane Kayla go mo mo ah hi no a pre-owned a salmon gotta focus on token eaten so anathema sushi a paracord enter Punk out skirt a coup de cámara Thomas [Music] [Applause] across the changing face of Japan the Gecko pursues her timeless quest for perfection it begins with learning and becomes a way of life you are usually a Maiko for about five years and then you graduate it's like finishing University you graduate when you're about 20 and there are some exams about your dancing skills and your music skills and your singing skills and then you become a gecko and probably you will move out of the house of your mother your gecko mother and eventually have your own house no money gotta get out okay yeah see but Aisha oh my god honey I can see mom emo almost always to hunt tiny yeah once you go to let it all go so linearity I assume you got so now so good to you Tim assume nanny my cosign jakotsu mother she is a crying no I'm still moto Giga machine listening mr. dance is just one part of Kai's role as a Maiko her success depends on skills much harder to master speaking wisely listening closely and knowing how to keep a secret it's a very closed exclusive and secret world one reason is that the customers are very high-powered very famous often famous businessmen and politicians and they like to relax at a Geisha party and they like to be able to talk about all kinds of things and they need to feel that the geisha will not reveal anything of what is said at that geisha party so it needs to be secret for that reason that they have to preserve the confidentiality of their customers tonight our famous theatrical company the Shi g'yahhhh family has chosen to spend the evening at an O child though geckos cling to tradition they know when to bend tonight they eat steak not sushi and drink French wine instead of sake yet their role remains unchanged [Music] outside the Achaia geckos have learned to negotiate the modern world yet that world can be uncompromising Japan's ancient traditions are as bound up with the Geisha as the kimono with the Obi it's difficult to predict the future of the gecko if the gecko disappear the kimono industry might also disappear and the traditional music the shamisen the dancing might all disappear one problem is that in the past there were many men who could appreciate and could also practice singing and dancing themselves so when they went to gecko parties they too would be able to sing and dance but modern men can't appreciate or understand the Gecko singing and dancing like a row of dominoes Japan's fragile traditions are protected by a devout guardian of customer the Geisha [Music] [Applause] in the world where the past is revered the Geisha will never be outdated in her illusory haven beauty and innocence play happily together and perfection is achieved by grace and respect so long as pleasure is sought in fantasy the Geisha will survive at seventeen ko I has just started life as a gecko if age is any measure she has a long career to look forward to the oldest working gecko is 94 over the centuries the costumes of the patrons have changed but the fairy tale world still works its magic and casts its spell like the Geisha herself [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Dan Carrick

Views: 1,446,845

Rating: 4.8122988 out of 5

Keywords: geiko, maiko, Gion Kobu, hanamachi, ozashiki, Takacho

Id: YFhNH2KdG9k

Length: 50min 2sec (3002 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 12 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/squealor]

This was almost 2 decades ago... Is it outdated by now?

[u/stefandy31]

if you're interested with maiko stuff, there is an manga about maiko's life, its called Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san

[u/cat_crackers]

Iirc, three of the four geiko & maiko featured in this documentary are still working in Gion! Mamehiro, Danyu, and Koai are still around. Takachou retired in Kyoto and later debuted as a geisha in Tokyo, under a different name.

[u/gunsandposies]

I don't know why she pulls the lashes when curling them. That is not how you use that thing!

[u/MaximumCameage]

This is what maiko do now:

https://youtu.be/NNHGABwme50

https://youtu.be/umSt7oMUMcs

[u/[deleted]]

Robert California aka Bob Kazamakis aka The Fucking Lizard King; future Sabre CEO.

[u/jaegerhardt]

i watched this in an anthropology class once, fantastic documentary

[u/Audio1337]

Hey bim!

[u/isaidnofuckingducks]

I literally watched this last night and now it’s on reddit - small world!