Memories of Geisha Me(ez).

Memories of Geisha Me(ez).

I already mentioned in the beginning the Japan trip posts that I am dreaming of Japan since almost 20 years now. To be correct about Kyoto and its Gion district namely because of the famous book Memoirs of a Geisha (in German only Die Geisha), a novel about the Geisha culture written by the American author Arthur Golden. This book is so lovely and I remember me reading it during my horrible internship in Belgium where I stayed in a nasty hostel and the only food I could afford these times was white toast with “La vache qui rit” cream cheese every day. But the book about this Geisha story somehow took me away and since that time I was fascinated by Japan, Kyoto and all of this Geisha culture. You need to know that nowadays there are not so much real Geishas anymore, maybe only 3000 left all-over Japan, I read. In former times there had been 10-times as much. Today Geishas still show their art performances at premium business events for example or are privately booked for high-society events. They act as a kind of hostess or as female entertainers. This is why they have to be able to play various arts such as Japanese classic music or traditional dances, run conversations and witty games, mostly for male customers, but nowadays also for female ones. To book a Geisha has always been a kind of status-symbol. In Tokyo I saw a real Geisha on duty on her way to a Michelin star restaurant wearing The Birkin Hermes Bag. This is actually a good picture of what it maybe also means nowadays. Anyway, the culture behind it is fascinating and Kyoto is very much known for its Geisha district Gion – right where I stay! I really remembered the lines of the book describing the tea houses and all the small little house entrances (why there are small I explained yesterday…). So after I decided to go to Japan for my trip, I knew that I would have to do a special Geisha day to take another deep-dive into this amazing culture. Thanks to Pinterest again I found a great opportunity to get the idea behind all the clothing and dressing of it in combination with exploring the most traditional streets of Gion. AYA Geisha and Maiko Makeover. You book an appointment (in advance) and spend half a day (depends on the package you book) with a Make-up Artist and Kimono dresser (a real job!) to become a Geisha or a Maiko (Geisha apprentice). So after my breakfast in the hotel (Japanese of coz) I first had the luxury of getting lost in Gion a little bit. I strolled around, found Maiko theaters, super cute houses where locals live and nice pottery shops again. I walked around Gion for 2 hours and well, getting lost is a real luxury, don’t you think? No stress, just walking, not exactly knowing where you are, just follow yourself because it doesn’t matter. I met a nice French girl and she was also obsessed with pottery so we shared our recommendations where to go to see the painters (Kyoto pottery is hand-made and hand-painted, just as Meissen!). She was the first one that I met also travelling alone and she was exactly doing the same like me, just walking around. In Kyoto you also could go easily by bike – I saw many people who rented a bike. Well, if my beloved one (KJILY) would be with me, I definitely would have loved to rent a bike but as I am not that good in it when traffic is involved I better don’t try alone. So after walking and trying to buy a Yukata without success as for Japanese it is still winter season now and Yukata are summer season clothes (when the hell are summer delivery drops entering the stores??? Who defines the delivery times??? Needs to be improved!!!! ) I went back to the hotel to get ready for my big Geisha experience. I took a taxi although it was not far away but I was so excited and did not want to be late. So being very much on time I entered the AYA studio and a smiling young lady warmly welcomed me. Her name was Jukiko, a professional Kimono dresser and she would be my HMU artist and attendant for the day. I had booked the package where I also would have time to stroll around as a Geisha in the famous streets of Gion, so we would have 4 hours together. And guys, I will not describe it that much in words anymore but please see the pictures. I chose to look like a Maiko – Jukiko recommended that style – as it is the younger, more colorful style of the young wannbe Geishas (Geisha would be more sexy Make-up but Kimono less colors). I needed to undress and then she started her magic work. We had so much fun when she did the make-up and we really laughed a lot. Oh my god – what a transformation!!!! After each step, she said “Oh. Oh.”. I did not know what she meant but I felt very comfortable with her. She even sprayed my hair with (very) black (!!!) hairspray to really give it the typical color. I shortly was afraid of how I would look afterwards, but no worries she said with a big giggle again. So I was worrying. After approximately one hour she smiled and screamed “Oh, oh, oh little Geisha princess” and was obviously ready. We went to the next room, the Kimono room, where all the beautiful Kimonos and accessories where displayed – reminded me on my dancing years where we also had huge rooms where all the costumes were. As a very young ballerina we always tried to get in these rooms, looking at the beautiful costumes that were far too big for us. I had a little wonderful flashback. Together with Jukikos consultancy I chose the color and all details for the Kimono outfit and Jukiko dressed me – and well it is a profession! Really complicated, you could never ever do it alone. All the real Geishas have a dresser, always men who dress them, I also remembered from the book again, when Jukiko explained it to me. And now wearing 1kg on my head (!) with the big black thing covered with my own hair tinted with black hairspray and 5 kg (!!!) of Kimono on my shoulders (Kimono underwear and outerwear is a layered story that they are stripping over your body), I was ready for the streets of Gion. You need to know that a lot of people do this Geisha Makeovers (so I am not having a special fetish like for Japanese paper and I am not totally crazy)– but most are Japanese as this is still such an important cultural thing. Japanese don’t see an European creature in Geisha look that often, I suppose. Because, well, I was not prepared for this at all. Jukiko took me by hand (walking in the Geisha shoes on the old cobblestone of Gion was not that easy) and then we walked around. Guys, you do not believe how embarrassing this suddenly was. Ahs and Ohs. And Ahs and Ohs. All the Japanese people wanted to have a picture!!!! And as it was Sunday – very sunny with 20 degrees – and we were right in the middle of the most famous street of Gion – there were a lot of people! And as you ALL know, Japanese people always have their camera with them. Jukiko was totally freaking out about her makeover and me in Geisha look with all the people coming and asking. It was ways too much for me, especially because I couldn’t smile. So funny. Because if you smile you would show really, really yellow teeth because your face is whitened. Very ugly. And Jukiko told me NOT to smile with teeth all the time. But as this story was so f*** funny I always wanted to laugh, showing teeth which simply does not work as a Geisha. Jukiko and myself almost cried for laughing because this whole scenery was so unreal. She was the one who finally rescued me and brought me to a much quitter area then. So grateful! Took a deep breath and stumbled further. We took tons of pictures, she also professional ones. And then I could really enjoy. She explained the old stores and streets and well, this area is really traditional and so beautiful. After one hour we went back and did the same procedure the other way around which also took around one hour. I had to wash my hair about 10 times, still found it somehow gray afterwards, but who cares. This had been a life-time experience, really. When hugging (!) good-bye Jukiko gave me a lovely card – we really had so much fun and I was happy that she obviously also enjoyed her job that much. Look for yourself – it is so cute. I went off the studio and did the history Gion tour by my own again – looked at the beautiful temple area, spoiled myself with a Matcha Latte in a lovely café (after all this stress), had a first Matcha soft ice-cream on top and looked at several Kimono stores to find an affordable nice Yukata for taking home (without success – this time much too expensive). I decided not to go back to the hotel but to stay also for dinner in that lovely area and had a very good and simple UDON noodle menu. Another Japanese specialty that I wanted to try. I could even choose the brow – they offered vegan brow as well (for Heidi and Gerdschi). I am a soup lover and enjoyed this delicious one inhaling the moment and the memories that just had been created for life-time. Very, very grateful again I walked back to the hotel and while arranging for my next days trip (you will know where in the next post), the Manager of the hotel offered me to buy their Yukata for a small money (because I had asked the day before where to buy it and they wanted to know if I had been successful…). I took the opportunity and was lucky to own a summer Yukata to bring home now! Although it is Japanese winter season. These people are so lovely, another proof every day! Don’t you think? Oh, I do love it over here. Big hug to you!

PS: Thanks to my favorite Social Media Agency Loop and its owner Mike – you are now able to swipe or click through the pictures – much more easier for you. Thanks so much, Mike, for this overnight help!!!