When does it ever become okay to butcher a culture? Taking into account the Geiko culture most of the world outside of the actual maiko and geiko themselves -- get it wrong. This is a brilliant example in fail geisha-henshin. These images are from Finland's Next Top Model where the girls pose for Fazer brand "Geisha Chocolates". Right away we can tell of some of the odd features of these photographs. Who knew anyone with an edo-esque hairstyle and jumble of a mess tied kimono could be called a geisha? Good thing they were smart in the kimono department and didn't settled for the bathrobe-geesha-girl look. Also looks like these geisha are zombies, especially the top ad which has her eri folded right over left, signifying a dead person.
What is most disturbing about these photographs, besides the fact that they look confused and uncomfortable, is their anorexic bodies and photoshopping to the end of time. Nothing makes an image worse than excessive photoshopping to the point it looks unreal. Their lack of padding emphasizes the fact that they are very thin when they should have a square shape. The way the kimono lays on the frame is sloppy, obis are held down awkwardly and look like pillows tied down with curtain cording.
Hair is also a huge issue. This is probably my biggest peeve. A Geiko katsura looks nothing like this. These are probably the geisha wigs sold at party city for cheap. You can even see how bad the synthetic fibers are. The style looks like a smash between maiko ofuku (senior maiko hairstyle) and geiko katsura (wig). If the sides went down passed the ears instead of being above, it wouldn't look like a buzzcut of the sideburns. It would change the image slightly for the better. There is nohing more to say but; do your research. Even if this was a beauty shot it is offensive in the small details you get wrong (collar, obi) to Japanese who do practice kitsuke (kimono dressing). If a culture is too difficult to interpret, don't attempt it!

Oh, the Party City wig is close enough in resemblance to the above crap.
You can watch them in action starting at 4:50
Virtual Geisha will be making an appearance at one of the largest Anime Conventions in the US. Anime Expo or AX will be held July 1-4th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We will be tracking down any form of traditional styled cosplay regarding geiko and speaking to fans on their thoughts and interests in Geiko culture!
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Drumming up business: A geisha teaches a tourist how to beat a "taiko" drum in the hot-spring resort city of Arawa, Fukui Prefecture, on Jan. 30. KYODO PHOTO |
Geisha offer vacationers lessons to keep age-old profession alive
FUKUI — Thirty years ago, the hot-spring resort city of Awara in Fukui Prefecture, along the Sea of Japan coast, prided itself on having about 250 geisha entertainers.
Now there are only 15. So the 130-year-old spa city is offering vacationers the chance at a hands-on geisha experience, to help keep alive the world of the traditional entertainers.
In Kyoto's popular Gion entertainment district, as well, geisha hold mock tea ceremonies for ¥500 per person, while those in other parts of the country have organized events to attract visitors hoping to receive a firsthand look at the geisha system, which some say dates back to the second half of the 1600s.
Geisha have traditionally been regarded as entertainers skilled in singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and conversation, and patronized by wealthy people and politicians.
But the number of geisha has been on the decline due to deterioration of the economy and reduced opportunities for them to demonstrate their talents. Traditional inns are also steadily disappearing.
The geisha in Awara give guests a chance to meet them for ¥3,000 in a season-limited program. The meeting includes "janken" rock-paper-scissors play equivalent to tossing a coin to decide the winner in a game held in a dance training room of the "kemban," or control office.
Men take off their jackets behind a folding screen set up as a partition and step into the room to the accompaniment of a shamisen played by geisha. Geisha and guests then play the roles of a mother, a tiger or other characters as part of the program.
The low fee compares with the going rate of ¥60,000 clients pay for service provided by a group of four geisha over a two-hour period.
The visitors get a rare opportunity to look at the backstage of the kemban, which also sends geisha to teahouses and restaurants. Normally, the place is off-limits to visitors.
The Gion district, where the program of pseudo tea ceremonies debuted, is known as an area that shuns first-time visitors without a letter of introduction.
During one visit, geisha appeared in kimono and heavy white makeup. One gracefully wiped tea utensils with a square "fukusa" silk cloth. A "maiko" apprentice geisha brought a cup of tea and placed it in front of a guest.
Tea ceremonies were held three times a day attracting 2,000 people in three months and tickets sold out within 20 minutes.
Shamisen-playing geisha in the Arima hot-spring area in Kobe teach visitors the traditional song "Sakura, Sakura" ("Cherry Blossoms,
Cherry Blossoms") for ¥4,000 an hour.
The tradition-bound mansion Enkikan of the Meiji Era in Niigata has a plan for visitors to take in a geisha dance for ¥1,000. Visitors can also tour the geisha quarter in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture,
and the hot-spring city of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Osamu Ito, a counselor at the Kyoto Traditional Musical Art Foundation called Ookini Zaidan, terms it "necessary" to create places that "protect our culture."
Please join at 1pm SLT for our monthly tree viewing. This month of June we will be viewing the Willow tree. Enjoy an outdoor tea ceremony, dancing, and a reading of the tale "Under the Peony Lantern" on voice. Hope to see our patrons there!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bangu/17/75/24
Pontocho has made it to SLs Destination Guide, a place for the coolest and best places to visit!
http://secondlife.com/destinations/real/2
Visit Pontocho for an in-depth look at Japanese geisha culture. Set in an attractive build modeled after modern day Kyoto, the staff holds classes on how to conduct your own tea ceremony, as well as staging traditional performances of the classic geisha arts like singing, dancing, and shamisen music in the theater.
Yoshiwara's last geisha dies at 90

Minako, renowned as the last geisha of the Yoshiwara district of Tokyo, died Monday of cancer. She was 90 years old.
A Hokkaido native whose real name was Mitsu Nagao, Minako started to work as an apprentice at a geisha dwelling in Yoshiwara at the age of 11. After Yoshiwara went defunct as a red-light district following the enforcement of the Anti-Prostitution Act in 1958, Minako continued to entertain customers mainly at teahouses in Asakusa as the last Yoshiwara geisha, playing traditional games with them, playing the samisen instrument, and dancing and singing.
Minako also lived a life dedicated to handing down the traditional Yoshiwara art of entertainment, focusing on teaching younger geishas and filming performances in her later years. Last year she published her autobiography "Hana yori Hana."
Minako's funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Chokoku-ji Temple in Tokyo's Taito Ward.
Yukata season has fallen upon us again, time to whip out those fresh cotton kimono for the upcoming summer months! Below are video tutorials from Ichiroya on how to properly dress a Yukata, enjoy!