liza dalby ~ first western geisha

geisha are a complicated phenomenon, and making an easy general statement about them would be misleading. that is why Liza Dalby's research has been so important getting an inside view to these fascinating women.

transforming from a woman to a geisha is an extravagant process for Japanese women...imagine what it was like for a Western woman.

liza dalby in Japan as geisha Ichigiku

Liza transformed herself from an American woman to a Japanese work of art. Many of her clients in Japan did not believe Liza was an American because she was fluent in Japanese and actually looked Japanese when she was in full kimono and makeup

The training and rituals were the same for Liza as they would be for any other geisha, she just did it in a shortened time frame