Japanese geisha performance and geisha introduction
Draw a picture on the floor with three strings in hand, bow your head and thank you in a low voice.
In the spring breeze of Korean song and dance, you only talk about pleasure, don't worry.
This is a poem in Japanese Miscellaneous Poems by Huang Zunxian (1848- 1905). As the counselor of China's Ambassador to Japan He, Huang Zunxian went to Japan on 1877 and wrote Japanese History and Japanese Miscellaneous Poems. He is called? China was the first person who really understood Japan in modern times, and his research and introduction to Japan had a real impact in China? (Zhong Shuhe). During his stay in Japan, Huang Zunxian made extensive research on Japanese politics and history, and also paid attention to Japanese geisha. In this poem entitled Geisha, Huang Zunxian vividly depicts the image of Japanese geisha with a few strokes. Huang Zunxian's poem notes the cloud:? Musicians are called geisha. The banquet was quite grand. The musical instrument was Ruan Xian, which sounded like Sanskrit, and the strings were plucked with teeth. There are also slender waist sticks and drums, which are patted by hand. When the drum is struck by two mallets, it is almost as deep as a gold ore. Dancers bend their backs and hang their hands with a fan as the festival. ? This kind? Drinking, singing and dancing? Japanese geisha, also known as artists, is a special occupation in Japan and a living carrier of Japanese traditional culture. After the founding of Japan, geisha attracted the attention of many foreigners who had just arrived in Japan. The novel Madame Agatha and the famous Italian opera Madame Butterfly adapted from the novel all feature geisha, and geisha is famous all over the world by virtue of Madame Agatha and Madame Butterfly, even? Artist? This Japanese word has also become a foreign word in English? Geisha? .
With what? Drinking, singing and dancing? Professional geisha is not unique to Japan. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, official prostitutes in China and prostitutes in North Korea were similar to Japanese geisha. However, in the history of most ethnic groups, the separation between song and dance performances and the sex industry was basically completed before modern times, and the sex industry withdrew from the mainstream culture of society. Japanese geisha, like a living ancient cultural relic, has continued to modern times. As a carrier of Japanese traditional culture, geisha itself has also become one of the symbols of Japanese traditional culture. This phenomenon is unique to Japan.
However, although it is? Drinking, singing and dancing? Geisha is different from ordinary occupations after all. From where? Industry song and dance? From a new perspective, geisha is different from professional artists. Generally, only some musical sketches are performed at banquets, mainly to serve the opposite sex. From where? Wine feast? From a new point of view, they are different from waiters, not only serving tea and pouring wine, but also chatting with guests, so that guests can get some satisfaction in chatting. On the other hand, geisha are also different from prostitutes. In principle, geisha will not betray themselves. Since the implementation of 1958 "Prostitution Prevention Law" in Japan, the publication of sensitive words has been prohibited by law, but geisha can start business without prohibition. However, principles are principles after all, but the reality is not necessarily the case. The professional nature of geisha is different in different historical stages. Before World War II, geisha gave people the impression that, as the name of geisha showed, it was a combination of art and prostitutes. The Japanese who studied geisha in the early days described the occupation of geisha like this: The first song and dance, playing and singing, is karma. The second course is to pour wine. Third, show beautiful temperament. Fourth, chat over wine. Fifth, selling color. ? What's Yano's explanation for selling himself? Contact more than two men at the same time, or change spouses in a very short time? And say:? According to this standard, less than one in twenty geisha do not sell themselves. ?
But geisha is different from ordinary prostitutes. The difference is not only that geisha is good at art, but if we want to point out the most basic characteristics of geisha, it is that the services provided by geisha are mainly to meet the spiritual desires of the opposite sex, rather than the simple sensual needs. Is that what Hiroshi Yano said? Show beautiful temperament? The reason is to show the guests the style that conforms to the ideal woman in imagination. In Yano's view, this kind of beauty requires not only the appropriate and exquisite costumes of geisha, but also the overall atmosphere, such as the spotless whole room, elegant hanging shafts on the walls, and unique flower arrangements inserted in quaint vases to create a kind of interest. In a web page introducing modern Japanese geisha, it is bluntly said that geisha is carried out with customers? Simulated love? . The so-called simulated love is also a kind of spiritual love and a kind of spiritual satisfaction between the opposite sex. This kind of spiritual love can go beyond the satisfaction of the body, but in the world of spiritual love, carnal desire is excluded, at least carnal desire is not the main thing.
Of course, in any society, true feelings cannot be traded as commodities, and Japan is no exception. Geisha only provides a virtual emotion, or an emotional game. The question is how to treat this kind of emotional game and whether you can get emotional satisfaction in this game. If you can't provide emotional satisfaction, the geisha profession will lose its foundation of existence. Generally speaking, feelings first require truth, and it is difficult for people to get satisfaction from false feelings. This is probably one of the reasons why geisha cannot survive in other countries. If we infer from this, it is too thick to think that the Japanese like hypocrisy. There is a profound historical and cultural background behind the career of geisha, which is closely related to Japanese culture. What is the geographical location of Japan? Civilization circle? The marginal zone has been under the shadow of strong culture for a long time in history, and has been constantly impacted by foreign culture, so it has to absorb foreign culture. In this process, I developed a thinking habit of paying attention to form, pursuing practical results and not requiring too much understanding. Not good at investigating the originality of things, content with external forms, and seeking the recognition of the inner circle of civilization with the similarity of forms. As an original culture, it has a profound historical and cultural accumulation. In order to absorb foreign original culture in a short time, we can only ignore this historical and cultural accumulation and start with the imitation of appearance. The Buddhist doctrine that life is like a dream and life and death are impermanent probably influenced the outlook on life in Japanese culture. Since this kind of life is an illusion, it is not surprising that the game feelings of the dance academy are satisfied in the form of games (hehe, it goes without saying that everyone must have a deep understanding of games). This virtual emotional world of geisha is recognized by Japanese society. Generally, wives don't take geisha as their husband's business, which leads to emotional crisis. This is a game world that does not affect the real society, and it is a kind of game satisfaction. Japanese men, on the other hand, have this demand for virtual feelings, and the feelings that cannot be satisfied in real society try to be satisfied in the virtual world. But in fact, the two sides of this emotional game are real people after all. From the spiritual world to the sensory world, there is no insurmountable gap between virtual feelings and real feelings. This ambiguity and virtuality may be the mystery of geisha. On the one hand, we should keep a distance from the real society, on the other hand, we should try our best to show the truth. Therefore, although geisha, as a profession, has a buying and selling relationship with guests, in the interaction with guests, geisha generally does not charge directly, but is charged by hotels. In this way, at least in form, there is no direct money transaction to reflect the simulation of feelings. The combination of the virtuality of the major premise and the authenticity of the form is allowed by Japanese culture, and it is also the social and cultural atmosphere formed by geisha.
Of course, not all geisha can provide this kind of spiritual love, but more as a professional concept. Most of them are nominal geisha, some just perform traditional songs and dances, some just chat with guests, and then become? Geisha in bed? The argument of Yano Hengtai quoted before is exactly the situation of geisha in the early 20th century. There are differences between concept and reality and geisha in different periods.
The professional characteristics of geisha determine that geisha must maintain a sense of mystery and a special temperament, so they stay away from the secular and live in seclusion, except for banquets, songs and dances. They are trained in classical art, singing, dancing, calligraphy and painting, flower patterns in tea ceremony and extremely complicated honorifics in upper class. Everything of them strictly abides by the ancient teachings, dressed in kimonos, with towering hair, white powder on their faces and silk umbrellas in their hands, just like coming out of ancient paintings, almost becoming the embodiment of Japanese traditional culture.
Geisha is such a mysterious profession.
Japanese Geisha
Japanese geisha was born in Tokyo and Osaka in the 7th century. The original geisha were all men. They make a living by performing dances and musical instruments in brothels and entertainment places. /kloc-In the middle of the 0/8th century, the geisha profession was gradually replaced by women, and this tradition has been passed down to this day.
Geisha are not prostitutes. Their deal is to satisfy men's dreams of pleasure, romance and possessiveness. Usually they deal with rich and powerful people in the upper class. In expensive restaurants and teahouses, business men like to invite a geisha to accompany them, pour wine and serve, and adjust the atmosphere of solar terms, which costs at least 1 10,000 dollars. Today, there are still a few women who join the geisha industry with romantic fantasies and love for traditional art, but before World War II, most geisha were forced to engage in this profession for a living.
Most female prostitutes engaged in geisha work are beautiful and delicate, with gorgeous costumes, knowing books and rituals, and are especially good at singing, dancing and playing the piano. Their main business is drinking and having fun with their guests. Geisha industry is a performing art, not to show off pornography, not to sell yourself. However, the bread here contains the ingredients of female music in male huan, so it is called a geisha. Geisha is elegant but not vulgar, not only because it is different from prostitutes, but also because it is not excessive. Strangers are difficult to get involved in, and most of them are introduced by acquaintances or celebrities. Most geisha entertain guests in art galleries, but sometimes they are invited to accompany guests in teahouses and restaurants. According to industry regulations, geisha are not allowed to get married during their employment, otherwise they must retire before they can keep geisha? Pure? The image of.
In Japanese history, the geisha industry was quite developed. As a concentrated area, Kyoto was once full of art galleries with tens of thousands of artists. However, the geisha industry suffered a great blow after World War II. Only after the economic recovery, with the warming of the company's public relations industry and the prosperity of tourism, geisha flourished for a period of time. From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, there were still hundreds of geisha. However, with the bursting of the bubble economy, the company's business has decreased, and the geisha industry has once again fallen into a trough. It is estimated that there are only about 200 geisha in Kyoto at present, and the opportunity to accompany guests has been greatly reduced. There are fewer and fewer cars and horses in front of the door? . Some art galleries are used for other purposes, clothes and musical instruments are sold or rented, and geisha are transferred to nightclubs as artists. The decline of geisha industry has become an indisputable fact.
Geisha in the traditional sense was not considered indecent in the past. On the contrary, many families are proud that their daughters can enter the art world. Because this not only shows that this family has a high cultural quality, but also has enough funds for her daughter to study art. Although this concept is not excessive today, geisha is still good in people's minds. In fact, being a geisha is really not easy. Generally speaking, it is very difficult to learn art from the age of 10 and complete the courses from culture, etiquette, language, decoration, poetry, piano and harp to bow and pour wine in five years. /kloc-from the age of 0/6, you can go to sea. What should I do first? Dancer? And then became a geisha, can work until the age of 30. No matter how old you are, you can continue to work, but if you want to be demoted, you can only serve as a foil for young and famous geisha. As for the way out of old age, most of them are not optimistic. It is ideal to marry a rich man and live a stable life, but this is rare. It is also good for some people to use their skills to set up art schools or classes. If there is an opportunity, I can join the company to be an image lady, although it is only a? Vase? You can still show your old style. Of course, many people degenerate into prostitution and even become prostitutes, which is unfortunate.
The decline of geisha also prompted some reforms to meet the requirements of the times, such as hiring women from places outside Kyoto, making a makeover, setting up bars in teahouses to attract late-night visitors, etc., and the improvement was not great. Because in the eyes of modern young men and women, geisha is out of date.
What makes Japanese men most satisfied is the conversation art of geisha. They know all about international news and gossip. They know how to cater to men's self-esteem, are good at observing words and feelings, and understand men's emotions. Their work is actually very tense, while men are completely relaxed.
Cultivating a geisha requires a lot of investment, but once it becomes famous, the asking price is also very high, especially the young and beautiful senior geisha is more valuable, and ordinary people are afraid to ask for it, but wealthy businessmen, rich people and poor people, large enterprises and large companies are willing to pay a lot of money. When the economy is booming, big companies always use geisha as a means of public relations to attract business.
Although geisha is still in decline, the scenery is no longer there. Decline is a trend, and extinction is only a matter of time. It is worth noting that geisha who are still engaged in this industry have not lost confidence. They think geisha belong to Kyoto and Japan? Face? , should be retained. They even travel around to improve their social status. Some people say more clearly that geisha is the symbol of Kyoto, and the traditional ancient culture must be protected. In recent years, there is still a tit-for-tat struggle for the decline and prosperity, preservation and abandonment of geisha.
The mysterious world of Japanese geisha
In the highly developed Japanese society, there is still a special and mysterious group of geisha. It is easy to be understood as a prostitute with a certain talent. Actually this is a misunderstanding. Geisha are really good at singing and dancing. They also laugh with wine, but they don't sell themselves. If there is a geisha who sells herself, it is entirely her personal behavior.
It is said that Japanese geisha first appeared in Lu Yuan, Japan (1688-1704), and it has a history of more than 300 years. At that time, due to the shortage of prostitutes, some men had to be recruited from the folk to dress up as women among prostitutes and sing and dance for entertainment; Or recruit some social women to act as drum girls in the soundtrack. Later, I gradually transitioned to a female geisha.
Geisha, from the day of its birth, has served the dignitaries and wealthy businessmen of the upper class in Japan. People can only see them in luxurious tea shops and restaurants and hidden Japanese kiosks. Geisha are mostly luxurious in costumes and elegant in manners, and a set of bright silk kimono is often between hundreds of thousands and even millions of yen. Because of the identity of the prostitute, geisha rarely appear in public. They live in seclusion on weekdays, go out by rickshaw, pull down the curtains or walk slowly. When walking, you should also buckle a wide bamboo straw hat on your head to cover your whole face tightly. For the above reasons, geisha has been shrouded in a mysterious atmosphere. People can only know a little about the life of geisha in movies or TV.
1986, a delegation of higher education from China was invited to visit Japan. The inviter is Mori Yoshiro, a former Japanese minister and then secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party. Out of respect for China guests, Mori Yoshiro specially hosted a banquet for the delegation in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, his hometown. In order to promote Japanese traditional culture, he specially invited two geisha from Tokyo to accompany him. The banquet hall is Japanese style. All the guests sit on tatami, with two rows of low tables on both sides, leaving enough space in the middle. On one side of the hall, there is a platform covered with red cloth. On the platform, two geisha with a bun and gorgeous kimono are kneeling. They will pick up the lyre and sing while playing, and then pick up the folding fan and dance. Then they went to the guest table and knelt down to propose a toast. Only then did I see their true colors. Despite the heavy make-up, they can't hide the rings carved on their faces by the years.
It seems that they are at least 50 years old. However, whether singing, dancing or toasting, they all behave gracefully and talk appropriately. Ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, they know almost everything. In short, persuasion can always find the right topic. If you give her a glass of wine in return, she will not hesitate to pick up your glass, gulp it down, and then bow deeply to you, exposing her neck coated with a thick layer of white powder. This is the biggest difference between geisha and ordinary Japanese women wearing kimonos. Ordinary women's kimono collars are very high and tightly cover their necks, while geisha's kimono collars are wide open and deliberately tilted backwards, so their necks are exposed. It is said that the neck of geisha is the most attractive place for Japanese men. In those private places or high-end restaurants, geisha may have other actions, but according to my observation, in the whole process of this banquet I attended, geisha showed enthusiasm and restraint, elegance and generosity. During the dinner, I tried to inquire about their income. My Japanese friends who took the tour told me that apart from paying them round-trip air tickets and taxi tickets from Tokyo to Kanazawa, they should also pay them an appearance fee of100000 yen each.
Like sumo, geisha, a group with strong Japanese cultural traditions, is quite closed. Geisha are not allowed to get married and live together under the control of old geisha. Although they earn a lot of money, their spiritual world is extremely empty, so the prevalence of homosexuality in this group has long been an open secret. Most of the original geisha came from women who were interested in this romantic industry. After World War II, they came from orphans or geisha illegitimate daughters forced by life. Because the internal management of geisha is extremely strict and the dance training is extremely rigid, not to mention that young people are discouraged, even geisha who have stepped into this field have many thoughts of moving. The strike of geisha in Kyoto a few years ago fully showed the crisis faced by geisha.
There are only a few hundred geisha in Japan at present, and there are different opinions about this typical sunset industry in Japan. Critics say that the appearance and existence of geisha is an anachronism, a product of the patriarchal era and a great satire on the feminist movement. Supporters say geisha, as a traditional Japanese culture, should be preserved.
Geisha? Oriental flower of evil
In the eyes of foreigners, geisha is a mysterious existence. Together with Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, sumo and kabuki, it has become a symbol of Japan. However, I'm afraid most people don't know what a geisha is. Times have changed, and geisha in the traditional sense no longer exists. On the streets of Kyoto, geisha can be seen occasionally. In fact, this is just an ornament of modern nostalgia. As for the female hosts in high-end bars who wear geisha costumes and make-up, they are only superficial, graceful and temperamental, and everything is modern and commercial.
I remember when I first arrived in Tokyo, I was invited to a reception held by a company in a senior club in Ginza. I didn't expect a beautiful young geisha among the hostess. I was a little excited. Perhaps because I am a foreigner, as a special courtesy, I was assigned to the seat opposite to Miss Geisha, and my excitement quickly turned into nervousness. When I first arrived in Japan, I didn't know the language and customs, and I didn't know what to do with this white face. Unexpectedly, a friendly voice? How are you? This relieves my nervousness. Although my pronunciation is not authentic, it is not bad. Miss geisha looks very young, like a middle school student, so I ask? How old are you? She blinked for a long time and said already? Seventeen (17 years old)? Yes In hindsight, it is extremely impolite to ask such a question to Miss Geisha. Fortunately, she doesn't care at all, perhaps because we speak English and are not controlled by Japanese etiquette. Chatting and chatting, the mighty March of the volunteers suddenly exploded, and I was shocked. At this time, I noticed a small five-star red flag flying in front of my eyes. Miss Geisha smiled, holding a kimono cuff in one hand and a small fan in the other, waving our national flag gracefully. I can't help sighing that the Japanese really know how to do business!
The modern fake geisha in Ginza nightclub is very different from the traditional Japanese geisha. Nowadays, we can only appreciate the elegance of Japanese geisha in the past in novels and movies. For example, Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country and Akira Tokuda's Miniature are masterpieces describing geisha. But frankly speaking, when reading this kind of novels, there is always a specious feeling, and I still can't figure out the ins and outs of geisha. This is probably because Japanese writers are too closed-minded, but instead? I don't know the true face of Lushan Mountain? Is related. Until recently, I read the American writer Arthur? Gao Dun wrote Memories of a Geisha, and I was suddenly enlightened.
The memoirs of a famous Japanese geisha tell the world about his legendary life and bumpy emotional journey from a little girl in a remote fishing village to a famous geisha at dusk, exposing all kinds of little-known decadent life in Kyoto geisha circle, which is touching. This is the synopsis of the story of Memories of Geisha. After the novel was published, it caused a great sensation. It topped the best-selling list of The New York Times's book review column novels for 14 months in a row, and was ranked in the best-selling lists of British Booksellers magazine, German Der Spiegel and Australian Book News Weekly. After reading this novel, the famous director Spielberg immediately bought the film adaptation right and will personally direct the film of the same name adapted from this novel. The success of Memories of a Geisha can be seen from this.
It should be said that the narrative strategy of recalling the past by the elderly is brilliant, which adds a real atmosphere and vicissitudes to the works. Whether in the East or in the West, people believe that when people are dying, their words are good. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the memoirs of geisha have been far away from Japan and lived in the United States on the other side of the Pacific for 40 years when telling all this. It goes without saying that western democratic thoughts have exerted a subtle influence on her. And the parties passed away one after another, making it possible for her to get rid of the shackles of the geisha world and jump out? Being in Lushan Mountain? This paper examines the Japanese geisha with a more detached human scale and shows its true colors.
The story of memoirs of a geisha begins with a sudden change of fate at the age of nine. Chiyo (as it was called at that time) spent a miserable childhood in a poor fishing village called Laoyangmachi near the Sea of Japan. Her old father and dying mother foretold her hopeless future. At this time, a local businessman who has seen the world discovered her extraordinary talent because she has beautiful gray eyes. Through his middleman, Dai was sold to a famous geisha house in Kyoto. Because of her outstanding talent, she immediately aroused the jealousy of Chu Tao, a famous geisha in the museum. Hatsumomo tried every means to frame her, and she was determined to kill her. Hanazono Sakura couldn't bear it, and escaped from the roof. Not only did he fail, but he also broke his arm. The road to success was blocked because of breaking the rules. Once, she was sent to the street to do business. In despair, a person is crying in the corner of gion street, and a person is calling? Chairman? The tycoon found her by accident, which saved her from danger. Soon, Zhen Yu May, a famous geisha in Gion, accepted her as her sister. With Zhen Yumei's careful training and training, memoirs of a geisha have finally become the new favorite of a successful geisha and dignitaries. At the same time, Mayumi and Hatsumomo fought fiercely. Finally, Hatsumomo was eliminated and became an inferior prostitute. After all kinds of twists and turns, the memoirs of a geisha finally got what they wanted. Chairman? Lover?
Through the eloquent narration of geisha memoirs, people can learn all the details of life and the secrets of geisha career. In fact, we might as well read this novel as a comprehensive knowledge of geisha. ? When a woman walks, she should give people a feeling of crossing a beach in a small romantic way? Similar descriptions, such as the exquisite pearls scattered in the novel, give people great enjoyment and appreciate the unique beauty of Japanese culture. However, what this novel really wants to tell people is how the cruelty of human nature and the desire for survival are attached to this beauty, and beauty and evil are inextricably intertwined; The beautiful flower of geisha comes from the evil of human nature.
In the eyes of Japanese men, geisha undoubtedly represents the highest charm of women, so they pursue it at all costs, thus creating the flashy and decadent world of Gion. In this world? Beautiful? First of all, it is the only living capital of geisha. Only by fully owning and effectively using these capitals can we hope to climb to the top of the pyramid of Gion and enjoy prosperity. In order to achieve this goal, geisha must mobilize all their wisdom, and a slight negligence may give up all their efforts. Beautiful looks and appropriate bare jade arms may have an impact on later life. The amazing wisdom of geisha in this respect is amazing. Seduce the big one? Eel? Become? Hole? , true feather beauty even to take risks. In order to get close to the lecherous rich doctor, she stabbed the thigh of a geisha memoir with a knife? Crab? Opportunity. This method really worked. Crab? Finally stand out from the sky-high competition. Memoirs of a geisha? First night? .
Geisha? Beautiful? There is no doubt that it first existed as bait, but this kind? Beautiful? It is also quite self-sufficient and independent, which is not only manifested in geisha's considerable attainments in singing, dancing and music, but also in their high artistic dress, clothing and posture, and also in their compliance with the rules and regulations of geisha. There is such a detail in the novel: the baron was attracted by the beauty of the memoirs of a geisha and set a trap to leave her in his manor and approach her alone. However, the baron's last behavior was limited to unbuttoning her kimono and peeking at her body. Why did the baron get cold feet is, of course, due to the inviolability of geisha rules. And this obedience to rules and regulations clearly has the rights of the Japanese? Beautiful? Deep-rooted awe. At this time? Beautiful? , is it? First night? Appear on the road. Did the baron really join the memoirs of a geisha in accordance with the rules? First night? Competition. The Japanese love beauty so much that they refuse to give in to everything. Comparing China's novels with similar themes, such as "Selling Oil Lang monopolizes the flower base", the result is clear. Of course people in China love it? Beautiful? , but not completely, beautiful? Often with. Okay？ Collect and sort out. Japan is not. Beautiful? Always keep an independent position and refuse? Okay？ Conquer. This may be the real reason why Japanese works of art are so touching to read. Because both beauty and evil have been pushed to the extreme, it has produced great artistic tension. Memories of a Geisha proves this point again.
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