can non japanese become geisha?

Scroll back over the 5 pages od posts to read more about Liz Dalby and you will find that she was never a "real" geisha. She studied some of the geisha arts, dressed up and entertained her friends but wasn't considered an ordinary geisha in Kyoto- just a short-term novelty.

The short answer to the original question is pretty much "no".

How much strength, courage, and willingness do you have to follow your dream? As complex as it is, that's just what it comes down to.

To me...I believe that with enough work you can become what you so wish. You can achieve the status of Geisha...but by no means does that make everyone believe you yourself are Geisha. You see...as we have seen through time people do not care for change. And someone not of Japanese descent becoming a Geisha would be more than an uproar to thousands upholding that bit of culture.

If you wish to follow your dream...it will mean great suffering, humility and loneliness. Things which people falter to over time. But by no means should you quit if you really want to become a Geisha. In fact, for someone to do such a thing as overcoming the usual "rules" for becoming one...it would mean so much to so many just like yourself, just wishing to become one of those ethereal beings.

So as simple as that I shall say "Prove those thousands wrong". Become a Geisha, show your skills to the world and soon you yourself may become that which so many young women look up to for inspiration.

I only wish you the best, these words coming from one who does wish to learn the arts of a Geisha, but knowing she does not have the skin, heritage, and connections to. Believe in yourself, because in the end you only have yourself to press forward from. Anything can become a reality, but only if you have the willingness to make it so.

acually in in the geisha district kamishichiken they are looking for new maiko,two maiko just quit from the ichi teahouse so there is only 5 maiko left in the district. on the geisha naosuzu's website you can write to them, they are looking for new maiko to their okiya.here is her website
http://www.nakazato.net/

You can't be taller than 155cm (5'1")

You must be graduating middle-school (I presume they mean by April, 2008)

You have to be 16 or younger.

the requirements are hard, but in kamishichiken they are more easy going with those things such as height and age, because the are having a hard time getting new maiko. there is a maiko, called ichiteru( she had her debut this year) she is 18 years old( sinces you first become a geisha at 20-22, it is exceptable, but the best age is 15-16). but as a foreiger, the best age would probably be 15-16, sinces it would make a better chance of becoming one. but there is other okiya in kamishichiken there is searching for maiko, the ichi okiya. but you don't have to become a geisha in kyoto, there is also kanazawa and tokyo. for more info cantact me at milla_nusse_mus@hotmail.com ^^

I am 15 years old, and i've always wanted to be a geisha. I have dark dark rown hair and even though my last name sounds Spanish, i'm actually not Spanish at all. My family hates Geisha. My mother calls them prostitutes, but i know they aren't.I really want to be a geisha but i don't know how. Help me please!

P.S. I'm actually Hungarian and Romanian but i've always lived in the U.S.

Being a Scottish
girl, and wanting to be a geisha (no, i do not want to wear a tartan kimono), i would have to say yes, they should be able to.

there are many places (like ONSEN) who suffers the scarcity of Geiko.
where 60 yrs old lady appears as Geiko.

you can try place like Fukui Prefectures EchizenOono

but I must remind you one thing.
some drunken guests think you do prostitute too. so You must be busy for explaining what you can do and what you can not do.

good luck from Kyoto.

You will *most* likly not be able to become a geisha. I know geisha. I know the inside-and-outs of becoming a geisha.

i am really tired of people being so Pessimistic. if you want this so bad you can do anything. become one!!! prove that those Pessimistic people are wrong. i will do anything for my happiness, even if it is against all the odds. so do it!!!!!

What you may consider to be pessimism is actually realism. It's great to have dreams, but some things are just not possible, and we do have to accept that sometimes and look towards other things.

You can feel free to go to Kyoto and dress up in kimono and have geisha makeup and hair done, but otherwise, flat-out, no. I'm not trying to crush your dreams, but here are absolutely basic requirements for any geisha-hopefuls:

1) Speak NATIVE Japanese, and Kyoto dialect if you want to work in Kyoto
2) Be beautiful
3) Know some sort of traditional art form, ie. dance, shamisen, drums. Flower arrangement doesn't cut it.
4) Be willing to put up with criticism from older geisha and crap from customers
5) Be willing to work very, very, very hard
6) Have EXTREMELY good connections in a hanamachi.

And we're not even on to deportment and manners, immigration, visa, etc. And like what someone said a few posts ahead, no, Liza Dalby was foreign but she was not actually recognized by the Gion registry as being a geisha. She dressed up and received tips, that was it. I'm not sure what gives her the right to call herself the first western geisha.

For the first time in the 400 year history of the geisha, a Westerner has been accepted, and on December 19, will formally debut under the name Sayuki:
http://www.sayuki.net/

An Australian geisha! There you go, all you ladies who want to be geisha, it can be done after all. The site mentioned above even has a contact address, so you can email her and ask her how she did it.

It seems she is another Liz Dalby - just like Kate posted this thread before.

"Ms. Dalby didn't actually become a geisha. She went through some of the geisha experience as a sociologist and a writer, but she was not officially affiliated with a teahouse and only served at parties of friends. She made no secret of the fact that she was a sociologist, not a geisha

Very similar background, but this woman actually claims to be a geisha on her website. I wonder what her level of Japanese is- I have to think it's pretty high. She is also clearly a lot older than the usual Japanese girl following that path.

In any case, all the girls who post on this thread about wanting to be a geisha now have someone to ask about it, so we can just direct them to her website.

iwould advice anybody who is interest in sayuki to visit
http://www.immortalgeisha.com/ig_bb/viewtopic.php?t=10080, where there is a disscusion about sayuki, read it well. also read http://www.debito.org/index.php/?p=876. so hopes high now we know that it isn't impossibly

If you want to know how to become a Geisha, read up on Fiona Graham - aka SAYUKI.

Sayuki's name is FIONA GRAHAM, she is Australian, born in 1961 Fiona grew up in Melbourne, it was in high school at age of 15 when Fiona first travelled to Japan on a student exchange, where her love of Japanese culture was born. She is fluent in Japanese and spent half her life in Japan, this is the obvious difference between the two ladies. Fiona is an acomplished academic, though as she has stated wishes to keep her Geisha life and Academic/western life separate.

Though when she finishes 1 year in Asakusa (Tokyo), Fiona has an altruistic goal, 'She says she wants to explain the geisha world when she leaves, and will film her experiences over the next year.' That is something to look forward to. Fiona has developed a website for Sayuki - http://sayuki.net/

Her parents and family live in Australia.

Below are articles reported from some Australian newspapers (they are all saying the same thing)

Keira
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/entering-an-exclusive...
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23021465-401,00.html

Liz v's Fiona.

Understanding the difference.

The critical difference is that Liz Dalby only ever touched on the study of 'the art of Geisha' at high level for her purpose of going to Japan in the first place. Liz never actually studied to become a Geisha in reality, nor was accepted into Geisha world to then (graduate), come out as a practicing Gheisha, therefore Sayuki is first 'western woman' do do so.

http://sayuki.net/


Keira

Is she already thinking about "when she leaves,
and will film her experiences" ?
I suppose REAL GEISHA don't think about
something like that
as soon as they become geisha
because they have to strive for versatility for many years
by day-to-day effort.