Geisha of Gion [Paperback]

Mineko Iwasaki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2003

'I can identify the exact moment when things began to change. It was a cold winter afternoon. I had just turned three.' Emerging shyly from her hiding place, Mineko encounters Madam Oima, the formidable proprietress of a prolific geisha house in Gion. Madam Oima is mesmerized by the child's black hair and black eyes: she has found her successor. And so Mineko is gently, but firmly, prised away from her parents to embark on an extraordinary career, of which she will become the best. But even if you are exquisitely beautiful and the darling of the okiya, the life of a geisha is one of gruelling professional demands. And Mineko must first contend with her bitterly jealous sister who is determined to sabotage her success ...Captivating and poignant, GEISHA OF GION tells of Mineko's ascendancy to fame and her ultimate decision to leave the profession she found so constricting.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MINEKO reached the peak of her career as a geisha in the 70s and 80s, performing for the likes of the Queen and Prince Charles. Now fifty-two years old (and still stunningly beautiful), she is the mother of one daughter and lives with her husband in a suburb of Kyoto, Japan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Sixth Printing edition (May 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074343059X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743430593
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We sell art, not bodies, January 14, 2004

By 

Luc REYNAERT (Beernem, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Geisha of Gion (Paperback)

This autobiography gives us not only an insight into the education, the working conditions and the social status of a geisha, but also into the Japanese society as a whole.
To give a few examples: selling children for sex slavery became forbidden only in the year 1959, or, the existing extreme differences in wealth (some people could pay nearly every day extremely expensive geisha parties, while poor people were forced to abandon their children).

Besides more personal intimate confidences, the author sketches a good picture of the hardship (sometimes only one hour sleep per night) of the education and the working conditions, the extreme jealousy and fierce competition inside the geisha guild, the sexual morals (allowance of extramarital relationships) and the colossal sums involved in the geisha business.

Not to be missed by the Japan aficionados.

I should also recommend the works of Ian Buruma, Lisa Louis and Nicholas Bornoff for a broader perspective on the Japanese entertainment culture.

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and insightful, August 17, 2004

By 

lanewburn "lanewburn" (Portsmouth, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geisha of Gion (Hardcover)

I attempted to look at this literary journey for the very intimate chronicle that it was...a beautiful story of a young woman whose early life was dedicated to art and culture. Geisha of Gion provides a picture window into the details of existence in the okiya - the day to day schedule (that we see by following Mineko in her routine) and the prestige of the geiko community and how it is fostered. While the style of this book was narrative, and thus did not allow for a lot of metaphor or poetic descriptions, it nonetheless breathed with richness. My only complaint (such as it is) is that after 30+ chapters with Mineko Iwasaki, there seemed to be a great rush through the years following her retirement to the present day. And while yes, this memoir is mainly about Mineko's time as a geiko, it was a bit disappointing to glaze over this strong and vibrant woman's later years when I had grown so attached to reading her tales.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very very nice book, May 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Geisha of Gion (Hardcover)

Having had my first taste of the intriguing life of Geisha with Memiors of a Geisha, I didn't hesitate to read this book about the exquisite & foreign life. An added bonus, it's a true story with photographs.

Mineka was born Masako & at the age of five was adopted by the house of Iwasaki to become the Atotori or heiress of the house, whose fortune was in its collection of expensive Kimono & accessories. The writer takes us through her journey from the first time she met with the owner of the Okiya or Geisha house till she stood in court & told the judge that she of her own free will wishes to be adopted by the Iwasaki family.

She loved to dance & it was for dancing that she endured the strict life & rules of the Geisha world. A shy person by nature she marvels at the fate that brought her into a profession where her duty is to entertain people by witty conversation & try & bring them out & ensure they have a good time. She explains the misconceptions her world suffers, they are not prostitutes & they entertain women & men alike holding Ozashiki or banquets. Men aren't allowed in their houses & it is a strict society where reputation is everything.

I found it wonderfully enchanting & couldn't put it down before the end, a really wonderful book.