Geisha: The Life, the Voices by Jodi Cobb
“Geisha: The Life, the Voices” is an icon of Japanese culture and custom- the geisha in her role as human work of art and perfect woman.
A hundred years ago geisha numbered eighty thousand; today there is a thousand at most. Luckily, Jodi Cobb can show us- before they disappear- both the ceremonial world of the geisha in Tokyo and Kyoto and their private world as few outsiders have ever seen it.
Many of the older women we meet here were forced into this world by difficulty; the young women were drawn to it by their dream of a romantic life or their love of traditional arts. We see geisha in their daytime routines: fine-tuning their breathtakingly lavish wardrobes; perfecting the art of makeup; training maikos (apprentices); and preparing for annual dance performances.
However, as we watch the geisha at night, as they entertain (for huge sums) at private parties, their art takes a different form. Their purpose is to provide a dream–of luxury, romance and exclusivity. As the men sit at dinner, geisha position themselves at their elbows to serve them a sake and delicacies and practice a brilliantly honed art of conversation. As the alcohol flows and the guests relax, geisha play party tricks and sing songs. Geisha have for centuries studied the male ego. They tend it like a garden, and we watch men bloom.
This long-hidden world is revealed here both in superlative photographs and in a fascinating text that includes the voices of the geisha themselves. These women have created a life of beauty, making themselves an embodiment of Japanese culture, tradition and refinement–a life that is captured exquisitely in this amazing book.
This book is full of masterpieces that show everyone what Geisha life is like. Along with the pictures are some short, interesting stories from some of the Geisha along with Geisha songs and poetry. The art is truly exhilarating, a must SEE for everyone!

The word geisha means "artist." A geisha is not a prostitute, but an entertainer for the richest and most powerful men of Japan. She entertains at parties, excelling in the arts of song, dance, and music, but mostly in the art of pampering the male ego. The average age of most geisha today is over 40, and there is always a place for the older women in the geisha world. Some still dance in the yearly geisha dance festivals even at age 80, as this geisha is.

Geisha are a living anachronism, rarely seen on the streets of Japan. In fact, most Japanese have never even seen a geisha. There are only 700 true geisha left today, down from 800,000 a century ago.

Backstage at the yearly dance performance of a geisha district of Tokyo. Geisha are considered the living guardians of the highest of Japanese cultural traditions.

A professional makeup artist applies the distinctive makeup to a young geisha. The white makeup used to be lead-based, and caused the early death of many young geisha.

Waiting in the dressing area of a theater in Kyoto, two young geisha read an astrology chart in a magazine while waiting to perform.

A young geisha-in-training in Tokyo, with her makeup partly applied.

A beautiful young geisha in her prime, in full makeup and costume. A geisha carefully shows a trace of red under-kimono which is considered subtly erotic.

A pause for a cigarette in her bedroom in Kyoto, while dressing for an evening's work entertaining men at parties.

The number of geisha is dwindling fast, and this will probably be the last generation of true geisha. Japanese women today have far more options available to them, and geisha say that Japanese men no longer appreciate the fine points of their art form. Their role as a status symbol for the men has been replaced by fast cars and expensive golf memberships.

A geisha at the "Festival of the Ages" in Kyoto.
This book would be a nice gift for your friends or family!
Enjoy!
Related Posts -
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F.Scott Fitzgerald I wanted to write an article about Short Stories by F.Scott Fitzegerald, but yesterday I watched a movie “The Curous Case of Benjamin Button” and.. It was so awe-inspiring, so greatfull… I don’t like films by classical faction, but this one amazed me. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” which...... -
GONE TOMORROW by Lee Child Reacher is on a underground with a woman who looks like she is about to perform a suicide bombing. She does something unpredictable, and Reacher needs to find out what is going on. There's a junction to occurrences in Afghanistan and the Ukraine, and interactions with the NYPD, FBI and...... -
Dangerous and Beautiful Women- Patricia Highsmith Greatest Crime Authors Patricia Highsmith, author of famous Talented Mr.Ripley, was hard drinker, lesbian, defied social taboos in the 1950's by flaunting her affair with another woman, her own life was full of dark secrets. “… She was more beautiful than most other female socialites at the London party, and...... -
Kurt Vonnegut “I do believe evolution is being controlled by some sort of divine engineer. I can’t help thinking that.. and this engineer knows exactly what he or she is doing and why and where evolution is headed and thats why we’ve got Giraffe’s and Hippopotami and the clap.”- Kurt Vonnegut...... -
House of Cards By William D. Cohan A firm that was established on May 1, 1923, and stayed through the 1929 crash and the Great Depression, had been ruined by bad management and the crisis of 2008. In famous March 2008 when the 85-year-old firm Bear Stearns crashed and burned in little over a week, it became...... -
Through the Lens: National Geographic Greatest Photographs Amazing Gift Book! National Geographic's most expansive and sumptuous photography book ever — a celebration of more than a century of collecting and publishing photographs, with remarkable images from around the world. For more than 100 years, National Geographic has set the standard for nature, culture, and wildlife photography. Now,...... -
Geisha by Liza Dalby In the mid-1970s, an American graduate student in anthropology joined the ranks of white-powdered geisha in Kyoto, Japan. Liza Dalby took the name Ichigiku and apprenticed in the famed Pontocho district, trailing behind "older sisters" bemused by this long-legged Westerner intent on learning their arts and customs. Some time ago...... -
Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Swimsuit is James Patterson and Maxine Paetro's latest book. When a supermodel disappears in Hawaii, her parents travel to the island to investigate. So does Ben Hawkins, a journalist who is hoping to get an idea for his next book. All parties find more difficulty than they bargained for...... -
The Associate by John Grisham If you like Grisham's earliest works (the Firm, the Pelican Brief, etc.) you'll almost certainly like this one too. Similarities between John Grisham's latest book, The Associate, and his previous best seller, The Firm, are unavoidable. With 20 novels and one work of non-fiction, Grisham has returned to trademark territory...... -
Francis Scott Fitzgerald Writers aren't exactly people, they're a whole lot of people trying to be one person.- F. Scott Fitzgerald The outstanding dominations on F. Scott Fitzgerald were ambition, literature, Princeton, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, and alcohol. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 24, 1896. During 1911-1913......
Related Websites -
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to...... -
Book Review & Giveaway: Nobody Wants A Million Dollars. This giveaway has ended. Quite a long time ago I was sent this book titled "Nobody Wants a Million Dollars: How to View Money as a Personal Finance Tool Instead of a Life Goal" and I somehow lost track of it. I only just discovered the book again a few...... -
Getting A Discount At Barnes And Nobles I recently bought a book for a friend's birthday at Barnes and Nobles Book Store. Since my friend is an investor in one of my private placement funds, I considered this a business expense[and the book was below $25 as allowed by the IRS for Business gifts]. When I forked...... -
Top 10 Places You Can’t Go [/caption] The world is full of secret and exclusive places that we either don’t know about, or simply couldn’t visit if we wanted to. This list takes a look at ten of the most significant places around the world that are closed to the general public or are virtually impossible...... -
Book Review: The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich By David Bach David Bach is well known for his books, Smart Women Finish Rich and Smart Couples Finish Rich and in this latest effort, he goes into more detail on the techniques he discussed in these books. While the title would make you think it’s yet another get rich quick scheme, it...... -
Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want by James Arthur Ray There are dozens of books, if not hundreds, on the market to help you achieve success and make all of your goals obtainable. However, most are pretty much claptrap that you've already heard before and few offer any real advice that you couldn't get for free. Let's see if Harmonic...... -
Visit Italy - The UN Official Guide [/caption] Italy is perhaps Europe’s most illustrious country with a rich history and culture that is so irresistibly enticing to travelers. Between 40 and 50 million foreigners visit Italy each year. Their numbers have increased so dramatically since World War Two that tourism is now Italy's number one industry. Why......
-
10 Best Places to Read a Book by First Mate Keira, guest blogger Here are the top ten kid friendly places to sit and read a book. In bed. Morning or night, one of the best places to read is in your bed! You are your most relaxed and it’s extremely comfortable. Stack up those pillows...... -
Best posts on Squirrelman's Nutzy World from Nov 2009 Too many posts to handle? If you missed out on a great post from last month, here's a quick digest of the top posts that you may want to check out:Giving ThanksPosted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 in Food - Views: (76)Thank you for... my son who means the world...... -
An Open Letter to President Obama WedNEWSday - June 17th, 2009 by Lou Pritchett Dear President Obama: You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you. You scare me because I do......














March, Monday 2009 at 1:25 am
i like it very much its so cool.
March, Monday 2009 at 2:24 am
They look beautiful
March, Monday 2009 at 2:32 am
Beautiful pictures and a fascinating look at the world of the geisha. Thank you. I enjoyed this very much!
March, Monday 2009 at 5:57 am
Watch the latest geisha movie “Maiko Haan!!!” it is a japanese classic movie looking closely behind the scenes of geisha and their personal lives. It is a romantic comedy as well.
March, Monday 2009 at 8:10 am
i had a different opinion about geisha girls. this post has removed all misgivings i had.
thanks.
March, Monday 2009 at 1:13 pm
i like it very much its so cool..
March, Monday 2009 at 1:33 pm
nice post…
…have fun
March, Monday 2009 at 7:16 pm
This was great information. Wish I had the money to buy the book. Maybe some day.
http://www.margsanimals.com/blogs/index.php/reviews/