GEISHA GIRLS OF JAPAN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12986, 29 November 1902, Page 4

GEISHA GIRLS OF JAPAN.

"Geisha,” the' profes-sionial girl entertainer of Japan, is by no means to be confounded with " Geipin ” (says a writer ini : “Japan and America”). The word Geisha really means actor, " gei ” meaning a play or entertainment of any sort-; and “sha”: means a person. The word really means what “ actor ” doe's- in English, but it has oome to mean' only those girds in Japan who-are trained -to entertain by dancing apd singing to the sbamisen and koto, thia usual musical instruments for light entertainments ; and) they are also trained to> cpn-Wt’sh agreeably on topics of the day. “ Grinin,” on the other hand, while it really me-ams the same tiling 'as Geisha, haa uqw come- to be applied to artists, in pi higher sense. The name thus given to a class of women, though it seems a perfectly retpebt--able one, does, in fact, sound otherwise in the ears of a Japanese. It is not in- their occupation, in a legitimate sense-, that / Geisha are undesirable to have in a welldisciplined home, but in a certain unpleasant reputation that is naturally due to the circumstance of their calling. The Geisha are trained to entertain men, anti not their own sex. They are the professional entertainers of the cities of the empire and are well paid for their services. The-women of Japan, unlike thoise of western countries, have little part in social functions, and the enjoyments of the mco are not shared by their wives and daughters. When a man OP a party of men wish to -arrange some social entertainment they expeo't the amusement of the occasion to be furnished by pretty and alto-gieltiher 1 charming Geisha. Generally these affairs are held in the houses, and it is customary to engage certain Geisha who are generally knipwn by what would be called in the . western world their stage names. These are names of. flowers, gems, seasons, or, indeed, .anything of great beauty and attractiveness,. and are generally kriown as “flower names,” 8«oh 'names are O Kiku San, which mean's the “ Honorable bliss Chrysanthemum ”; or 0 Tama San, which is the “ Honorable Miss Jewel” ; or Ham San, the “ Honorable Miss Spring.” The “0,” which means “honorable),” is used! only before'words of one or two syllables. “Miss Camelra,” for instance, would be Tsubald San, merely. These girls are possessed of wonderful oharni and play havoc with, the heart® of the young men of Tokio and the. otihier cities. Many of them marry distinguished) men, and the wives of some of tho most prominent men in Japan to-day were Geisha. They are especially luring ,to th-a young college man of Japan. Some of the universities have found it necessary, to make very strict, rules in regard to the) students consorting with the Geisha., and some forbid it entirely, The Geishas -make a very pretty show 1 in the gay life of the cities, as they are/ ■trained to bear’themselves well and be» vivacious at all times, and they dress luxuriously and in exquisite style. They have tho principal boxes at theatres arid at all public places. But they have no social rank. They do not form, as is too often! supposed by westerners, a class of demimoudaitves, as that class is known in London, Paris and New York; but they are considered ns entirely too free in their manners to be admitted into good society. It is probable that the Geisha will disappear before tho enfr,R)chiseraent of women in Japan. Formerly the Japanese J woman was not permitted to talk© part iri ' social entertainment, and tills function fell! to the professional entertainer. Men found the Geisha far more amusing . than the women of their own acquaintances in society, and this led to the creation of this peculiar class. Now that education is accomplishing for woman in- Japan what it has accomplished for woman in Prance, England and' America, it is evident that the day cf the Geisha is passing. It needs only an opportunity for development to show that the musutne, the Japanese girl, can be as entertaining and as interesting as the most charming Geisha or Kioto—which lias attained the bad eminence of producing the most beautiful and entertaining Geisha in the Japanese empire.