traditional geisha playing shamisangeisha as docile bodies...
traditional geisha playing shamisan
traditional geisha dance
traditional geisha hair
early 20th century consisted of extreme changes for the culture of Japan. this was a time when it became extremely important to be up-to-date and desirable.
the model for this.....
Western civilization
"Western style" = modern
"Japanese style" = old fashioned/traditional
what did this mean for geisha?
previous to this time geisha were always know as fashion innovators, now they became more of curators of tradition. Many of these women decided to conform to the changing society and began to take on Western styles, while others found it necessary to keep the geisha lifestyle the same. these women became the curators of tradition.
geisha conforming to Western society with umbrella introduced by Westerners
"geisha are not companions of the mind, they are companions of the body"
~poet Hagiwara Sakutaro's essay Shin geisha ron(A discourse on the new geisha)
~geisha are no longer viewed as companions to share in great conversation, but as a companion to share their body
the future~
what will happen to these women that represent feminity in Japan?
will the Western way that seems to be infiltrating the world continue to push these women out of their own country?
these women are strong. they are independent. to withstand the force of changing society can prove to be next to impossible.
they can resist as long as their culture will allow them to.
