World Today

July 14: Geisha Yordie

 

Retired Geisha Yordie visits the home of her heart,
the docks of Miyagawacho Hanamachi on Japan Kansai.

Photo: Geisha Yordie
Location: Japan Kansai, Second Life

As an apprentice geisha, I received my training at the Yoshiwara Okiya @ Little Yoshiwara. But when my onesan moved to Hosoi Mura and became geisha at Miyagawacho Hanamachi Okiya, I followed her here. Over the years I’ve participated in geisha stage shows and other events, but I never joined the okiya. This is a photo of me today, returning to the home of my heart and the sea I love so dearly. It has been over a year since the tragedy of The Samurai & the Geisha, someday I will tell the full tale.

11 thoughts on “July 14: Geisha Yordie”

  1. The Tragedy of The Samurai & The Geisha??

    Me thinks this Geish’s name must be Scheherazade, for she no sooner reveals one mystery than she begins another and leaves us begging for more!

    Oh… and ADORABLE photo!! 😀

  2. ((Yordie in character))
    oh, this humble person led a magical life as the wife of her honorable husband. The story was told long ago but many things were not known. As I recovered from the partially deflected blow on my shoulder inflicted by a viscious yakuza, I learned many things. Some day the whole story will be told of the things I never knew and of my recovery from that wound. And some day I shall return to this place and find old friends, but for now I must remain on my new journey. /me smiles
    ((OOC))

      1. Oh yes, this movie was a great influance in my desire to become geisha. I’ve seen it over a dozen times and i think it is why i fell so easily into geisha role play. My former husband (SL) said I seemed to be a natural but perhaps because I could feel the characters in that movie so deeply.

        1. By the time I read the book it was already a huge fuss… and I recall being surprised that she wasn’t the model Geisha, but the misfit (sort of makes sense for a story, but surprised me)

          Anakin had all the midichlorons… turned out to be Darth Vader…

          She had all the wrong background… turned out to be legendary Geisha…

          1. Yes, the movie and the book are so different, and there was such a fuss because the stars were Chinese and all that. And I’ve been taught so many things about being a real (albiet virtual) geisha, it can irk me. But the world would have just let the movie tell the tale of a complicated love story with a happy ending… well, I’m a dreamer I guess.

            1. as I recall the film was more “hot”… but the book, of course, had a million more details.

              I also recall it Golden did tons of research on the book… and Liza Dalby “The American Geisha” (Anthropologist) consulted on the film and book both I think.

              Yes, the Chinese actors was weird. They were great – but you’ve gotta know that’s gonna upset peeps. Probably more than Americans doing fake British accents upsets peeps…

              Anyway… did I mention how smashing Yordi San appears in this image!? 🙂

              1. Yes, all of which is true. But it was hard for me because I’ve been a fan of all those actresses for so long, especially Gong Li (GIGANTIC international star). Ken Watanabe was magnificent. What a heart throb he is (be still my heart).

                I do understand the cultural upset though. Not as bad as Brits doing Southern accents though. Or American’s doing Russian accents. It goes on. I do understand it.

                1. I think Japanese X Chinese is begging for a fuss… but yes… also true… that if you are an “ACTOR” then it’s your job to “PLAY” people who aren’t you. That’s a pretty hard job and it’s easy to do a poor job of it, but when you see people like Meryl Streep or Sean Penn “be” people they aren’t / haven’t been… it’s an incredible experience…

                  1. The cultural issues are huge though. I can’t deny it. I’m surprised that the producers (like Spielberg) didn’t quite get this distinction.

                    Geez, they must have had advisors. Not one of the lead female roles was played by a japanese woman. Sure, okassan, Kaori Momoi was great, others too, but this inexplicable misunderstanding of Japanese culture was an insult to a very proud people.

                    I’ll never understand the miscalculation except considering the box office. No other Asian actress on Earth at the time could come near Gong Li for box office.

                    And still… the film was a thing of beauty. It took my heart in from the very first moment. Twelve sitting later, I can watch it again and again.

Comments are closed.