No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story—until now.
"Many say I was the best geisha of my generation," writes Mineko Iwasaki. "And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave." Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other "women of art" in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning.
Geisha, a Life is her story -- at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.
"Many say I was the best geisha of my generation," writes Mineko Iwasaki. "And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave." Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other "women of art" in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning.
Geisha, a Life is her story -- at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.
Before I get into the actual review, I'll begin with a bit of backstory. Before "Geisha, A Life" was written, a man named Arthur Golden wrote a historical fiction book titled "Memoirs of a Geisha" that was later adapted into a Hollywood movie. Mineko was one of the women interviewed for the book, but her involvement had to be anonymous because of the unspoken code of silence among geisha regarding the inner workings of the profession. Well, the book and movie ended up presenting geisha as a westernized, inaccurate stereotype. On top of that, Golden broke their confidentiality agreement, revealing Mineko's name in the acknowledgements and in several interviews. He even modeled aspects of his character after Mineko and her career. His irresponsible, exploitative behavior caused Mineko to receive death threats and lose many relationships. This is all to say that Mineko's story deserves to be heard, from herself.
I absolutely loved this book! Mineko takes you from her family history (ministers to emperors and even a princess), through every year of her childhood, and all the way to her early retirement. Her life and career are unique even among other geisha, and it was a privilege to learn about. The love she has for artistry and traditional Japanese culture is beautiful and infectious Also, the retrospect with which she looks back on everything adds another rich layer to book for the reader's consideration. And she, of course, takes the time to correct all the misconceptions about geisha. If you don't often reach for autobiographies, this is the one to get you started. I only wish it had been longer.
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