Maiko Future geisha and a symbol of Kyoto
Maiko Future geisha and a symbol of Kyoto
Translated from Japanese as “dancing baby”, Maiko, in fact, is a pupil of a Geisha. And her mission is to delight the eyes and ears of guests by singing, dancing and playing the shamisen (a Japanese instrument). Meanwhile, Maiko Age ranges from 15 – 20 years old and a girl can become a geisha after studying Japanese traditional dances and songs. In addition, mastering the art of conversation, tea ceremony, painting and making flower arrangements. And the list is still not complete. She must learn to play the shamisen, and speak a dialect of Kyoto, regardless of where she has come from. Noteworthy, one hour of contact with a maiko or geiko (geisha) in Kyoto costs about $ 500 per person.
In particular, the cost includes drinks and delicious light snacks. Time estimated by a number of burnt aroma sticks (one stick burns for an hour). Geisha receives money for her work on “zaschiki” (party), “fragrant money”, “flower” or “diamond.”
If to take into account how many guests come to the geisha and the time the company sit (not less than two hours), you can imagine how much the party costs. At least three or four thousand dollars a night.
Mom (the hostess) of the tea-houses delicately send cheque to the client the next day. And the price is never specified in advance, the client is put before the fact. Bargaining in these cases is misplaced.
But geisha has a lot of expenses. This kimono is handmade (or she is not a geisha at all) the start price is from 15 000 dollars, and the rent for two hours – from one hundred dollars. Every self-respecting Geisha’s wardrobe consists of at least ten kimonos. Except clothes you should add the cost of a barber.
Maiko wears the classic monumental hairdos – ingenious complex web of hair that requires an incredible amount of studs, oil, wax and time. It is worth $ 300 haircut. To avoid spending money, maiko carefully protects this ‘hair building’ from damage and sleeps on special supports for the neck, hard as a rock. The head is as if suspended in air. During sleep, she can not move. She can wash her hair once a week, and after a short time, dirty hair starts to whiff.
Between the geisha and the material problems always stands someone. First, it is teahouse’s mother, taking care about the education and training the seventeen-, eighteen-year-old girls.
They give them a kimono rental and pay all expenses. Girls just send bills to their tea house. This is done partly by purpose. Maiko should look effeminate and delicate flower of the old culture, far from real life, a charming doll, who has no idea how money look like.
If a girl is beautiful and smart, it is a good investment. Becoming a successful geisha, she quickly pays expenses back and brings a good profit. There is still hope for a danna – a sponsor, patron. This is usually no longer young, and very rich man, ready to take on the costs of the geisha, to pay part of debts, capable of generous gifts. Of course, with other personal property …
Maiko Future geisha and a symbol of Kyoto
sources:
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