THE FIRST GEISHA OF JAPAN

By MASHA VAN DER HEIJDE

beautiful women, and it is no surprise he fell in love with this different way of life. But as the son of a barber he was also well aware that he could not afford much time here. Therefore he decided to become a male geisha, though it wasn't until he was in his 40s that he was able to make a full living in his chosen profession. So who are these mysterious male geisha? Mr. Arai takes a deep breath. You know, he says, the first geisha were men. Sadly this fact is not known by many people. Even a lot of Japanese have forgotten about the male part of this tradition. Similar to the jongleurs, minstrels and jesters in 13th century Europe, Japan had attendants to feudal lords who advised and entertained their lord. By the 1500s their skills focused on their storytelling, humor and conversations and they became known as storytellers. But humor was not a virtue on its own. Often it was used to give advice on military strategies, and these men even battled next to their lord. When in the 1600s peace came over Japan, the military advice of these storytellers was no longer needed. Therefore they became pure entertainers and looking for other occupations some started to work in the pleasure quarters. Here they became known as Art Persons, in Japanese gei-sha.

The images that spring to mind when I think about geisha? Exotic women, bright kimonos, mystery, male geisha... Wait, you might think, Male geisha? Fact is men were the first geisha of Japan. In a small Japanese coffee shop I meet Taikomochi Arai, one of the last male geisha. He is a charming man who puts all his efforts in preserving this dying tradition. For there are only five practitioners left in Japan. Meeting Taikomochi Arai it is hard not to notice his brightness and humor. A broad smile never departs his face. Somehow meeting a man who is preserving an ancient tradition on the verge of becoming extinct I had expected to meet a somber person. I am pleasantly surprised with this brisk modern guy. Everything about him makes it clear he is living his dream, which makes it a refreshing treat to meet him. Taikomochi Arais smile becomes a loud laugh when he remembers how it all started. In junior high school his uncle took him to his first traditional geisha party in Kyotos Gion entertainment district. This opened a magical world for him. A mysterious world filled with all the things he loved most; history, antiques, money and

Together with top-end courtesans male geisha entertained wealthy patrons with their arts and stories and it didnt take long for them to become extremely popular. In 1751 the first woman started to call herself gei-sha and began a new rave of popularity. Eventually geisha took over from the courtesans with their artistic skills, contemporary outlook and sophistication. By the end of the 1700s female geisha outnumbered the males, though male geisha continued to assist the females in the field of entertainment. During the peak of their popularity there were five or six hundred male geisha in Japan, but since the 1920s the amount of both female and male geisha started to decline. Whereas there are still small communities of female geisha in Kyoto and Tokyo, there are only five male geisha left. Four in Tokyo and one in the Kyoto area. Fact is that nowadays few people can afford to be entertained in the expensive way of the geisha world and the tradition of the male geisha is on the verge of extinction. Because of this Taikomochi Arai sees it as his mission to let people know about his profession. Attending traditional parties with geisha and maiko, he also performs at untraditional parties like weddings, feasts and home parties organized by women. These give me the opportunity to teach about the

history and culture of geisha parties and to give a glimpse of what the floating world is like. Next to that, he gives lectures at the Asahi Culture Centers in Osaka and Kobe, published two books, hosts a weekly radio program about Japans traditional entertainment culture, writes newspaper columns for Asahi Shimbun and Chui Nichi and gave advice for the male geisha character in the movie Nagasaki Burabura Bushi. For more information see the website of the male geisha Taikomochi Arai: http://www.mitene.or.jp/~houkan/2002/ e00.html. Though his English doesnt go much further then I am a very handsome boy, westerners are most welcome to his performances and may still understand jokes through his gestures. Enquiries for parties should be sent in Japanese to Taikomochi Arais personal email address: houkan@mitene.or.jp.