What are your opinions on Geisha?

I think that the culture that holds becoming a Geisha as one of the only things a woman can do to achieve good status is in need of coming up with more options

None, whatsoever.

It’s a part of their heritage, and definitely needs to stay, if only with some changes to reflect the modern society we live in. Besides—there are those that actually enjoy it, I’m sure. No, I don’t know any personally, but I know other people who are thrilled to work at jobs I’d hate, so I have to imagine that some do like this job, as well.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir – Agreed. While I don’t see any problem with it as a means to achieve some sort of status or social standing, the problem lies in it being the only means. Fortunately, I believe this is becoming less and less the case, even if just gradually.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir: Actually, the Japanese government is pushing a new “work-life balance” program. The geisha that exist now are honestly more so preserving the tradition and don’t do it specifically for the financial independence, like they used to in the future.

@Hatsumiko then more power to them – there are a lot of layers to the work, yet, just like sex work (which I know it isn’t), there is always a question of who really holds the power – the mostly men for which they exist and show their craft or the the Geishas that do the work

I don’t know anything about the custom. At least nothing I haven’t seen on movies. So I’ll withhold any judgment.

I’ve always been fascinated by it, but in all honesty, Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty much the sum total of my actual exposure to the customs. In today’s world, I’d hope that any women working in this tradition are doing so by choice.

I’ll second what @ShanEnri said

I can’t get enough Geisha!!!

I have a copy of Memoirs of a Geisha but I have never managed to read it. From what I understand from my husband who is of Japanese descent but who also lived in Japan, nowadays being a geisha is more of a choice than it was in the past. It is one heck of a lot of work to learn all of the skills needed in dance, music, conversation, poetry, demeanor, clothing, money management, and so on.

Modern Japanese women have a number of career choices available to them these days, so any that choose to become geishas must be very dedicated. Legitimate geisha are not sex workers. They are single and may choose to have a relationship with a client, but they are not required to do anything more than flirt. In Japan, men are amused by the illusion of that which is never to be, and the geisha is skilled in the art of making men feel desirable and witty without ever having to even touch the client.

From what I understand, there aren’t very many geisha anymore, only a few thousand. OTOH, there have always been and still are prostitutes in Japan, ranging from street walkers and bar girls on up to elegant escorts. But these women are not geisha.

What confuses most people is that at one point in history geisha and prostitutes were working in the same red-light districs, and many high-class brothels would actually hire geisha in order to entertain their male guests with shamisen-playing and dancing (non-erotically).

For more information of the close proximity of courtesans and geisha, pick up a copy of The Nightless City by de Becker. Very interesting book, first published in 1899. It is a primary source.