BBC Geisha Girl

I recently wrote a review about the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha” and I found this BBC documentary uploaded to Youtube.It’s one of Japan’s oldest profession..Yukina, 15-year-old girl is leaving a mainstream society to become Maiko. Yukina moved to Kyoto which is 350 miles away from his hometown. It is the first time she is away from home. She explains that this new life in the big city like Kyoto is a little overwhelming. Yukina lives in Geisha house but it isn’t glamorous for a newbie like Yukina. She has to stay home to clean and do duties for older “sisters” who are advanced entertainers.Yukina isn’t even allowed to speak to her parents and family for the next four months. She has to prove to Okasan (who runs the geisha house) that Yukina will be able to make it. I cannot imagine what’s like for a young girl like her to leave home and enter into a very strict traditional Japanese culture. She has to practice how to walk like a professional geisha.

Yukina misses her best friend..15-year-old is still a girl..well, I guess I can call her Yukina is a young woman but she is still a child. I am surprised that her parents actually agreed to let her move to Kyoto instead of going to high school. Her mother explains how stunned she felt when her daughter confessed that she was becoming Maiko instead of going to high school. Unfortunately Geisha world isn’t directly linked to prostitution nowadays but it used to be linked to prostitution. Yukina’s mother was concerned about this issue of prostitution but luckily Geisha house mother reassured Yukina’s mother that this was never the case.

I really don’t understand why some girls pursue this profession..it does appear glamorous but I guess my mindset is similar to those of modern Japanese youth in Japan..they are not willing to obey and obedience is one of the most important qualities in Japanese tradition. I really hope Yukina will continue to be passionate about her choice even ten years or two years later.