Title: Geisha Author: Liza Dalby Publisher: University of California Press Publish Date: 1998 Pages: 347 Genres:: Non-Fiction, History Reviewer: J. Henry

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Before Arthur Golden wrote Memoirs of a Geisha, there was an anthropology student and Japanese aficionado Liza Dalby living as one. Geisha is a non-fiction account of her life as an adopted apprentice (maiko) to an established geisha in Japan. Dalby was the first American woman allowed to live the life of a geisha for several months in 1974. She went on to write this detailed book on not only her experiences, but those of other geishas she met, the history of geisha versus the assumed notion that they are prostitutes, and the traditions of this life for males and females alike in relation to geisha in Japan. This version is an update to the original, the preface relays Dalby’s amazement almost a quarter of a century later at the friends she made and the opportunities that arose from her further understanding of this particular aspect of Japanese culture.

As the book begins, Dalby returns to Japan in 1978 due to unfortunate circumstances. Her elder sister, Ichiume, was killed in a fire that not only took her life, but destroyed the home of her okasan (owner of geisha establishment/”mother”). Upon seeing the wreckage, Dalby reflects on her life as a geisha and into the history that goes as far back as the 17th century.

Split into three parts: Relations which reveals the relationships of geisha to others that help them advance in their employment, geisha generations, and some of their traditions; Variations which details more of the geisha’s role in contrast to the yujo (women of pleasure) or wife; and, Sensibilities which explains more of their education in terms of the arts and their kimonos. Dalby is also kind enough to include a detailed glossary of terms at the end of the book.

One of the most interesting sections is the differentiation of the geisha to the yujo of the same areas in Japan. When trying to define a geisha it is emphasized that they are considered entertainers to men, not just sexual beings. They are admired as dolls and their training extends a bit of themselves to their male company. Yujos are strictly seen for pleasure. “Sex with wives is for procreation, sex with yujos is for recreation.” And while some may not fully understand the difference between the geisha and yujo specifically, one can easily differentiate between the two when viewing the black-and-white photos of each. The outfit of the yujo give way to a more curvaceous shape in the woman’s hips, the ornaments they wear in their hair extend farther than a geisha’s and seem quite loud in comparison. Overall, the appearance of the Yujo draws attention to them, but they are not as urbane as the geisha and do not serve high profile clients on a regular basis in public arenas.

Dalby presents the world of the geisha not only from first person POV, but also as a historian of their culture presenting the upstart of the geisha life and how the popularity tended to dwindle in comparison to other female roles as “entertainers” to the prestigious male customers they entertained. Dalby’s language presents that of someone not necessarily infatuated with this lifestyle, but someone who appreciates and admires it from a foreign perspective. She incorporates Japanese history with poetic observations that draw attention the type of servitude being a geisha can be to a woman, “She [bar hostess] is a commodity in the bar, like the liquor; but, alas she will not age nearly so well.”

Where Arthur Golden made the life of a geisha intriguing from one perspective, Dalby supplies a hefty amount of facts within the lives of these women. It is not unusual to find that where one geisha got married and had a family a year within her apprenticeship, others would have to remain geisha for years before being able to retire or find themselves indebted to patrons who help finance their dreams. Outside of the geisha perspective she witnesses their roles when meeting with a recent widow coming face to face with her husband’s former geisha as they help her plan his funeral.

The reporter-style dictation of this life coupled with her actual understanding of Japanese etiquette make Geisha all the more captivating to feel you are learning about a world that is and has been speculated about. Golden had his protagonist want more in terms of life, but the life of a geisha is a lonely one, while some may go on to marry and have children others will become okasans themselves and look after burgeoning geisha. Peppered with black-and-white photos of yujos, geisha, and even Dalby as she prepares for her first outing as a maiko engage the reader in a life that may seem anachronistic when reading about it in the 21st century, yet will always be an interesting aspect of Japanese life.