Watching a video like this drives home the point of how different the Japanese and Western perceptions are. What you describe sound to my Western perception as something negative, you are basically describing going through bootcamp, where they need to break you from your individuality and make you a piece of the group. I find it fascinating how we can differ so much. And while I do not necessarily agree with such processes, I can definitely respect the effort, results, and the historical and cultural importance of it. Thank you for the different perspective.
Thank you for your comment ✨ "While I do not necessarily agree with such processes, I can respect the effort, results..." Yes! We don't have to agree with it. We just have to understand that it is different and that we can only understand it through a different cultural lens.
Our western societies (I am from Europe) really put a lot of emphasis on the value of the single person and their own desires and personality. This is also due to the influence of Christianity, which essentially created the concept of person as a human being with its features and desires and the right to express and obtain these things in life. It's really interesting to see how cultures with different religious/philosophical backgrounds have developed different "beliefs".
Thank you again for sharing your journey and insights into the foundation of becoming a maiko-san or geiko-san. It’s a unique mindset that blossoms through the arts and skills, leading to the beautiful transformation into a maiko or geiko.
This is truly living history, essentially to become geiko you had to have your identity stripped from you so you could be molded into what was expected. Permit me to make an analogy it sounds very much like the cultivation of competition roses. These aren't like regular roses that grow in gardens they're meticulously cared for from the time their small buds up until they bloom. Watched at every stage scrutinized and even discarded if they don't meet the standard. Much like the geiko people only see the final product (rose/ geiko) never the long restless nights, the emotional rollar coaster of ensuring the perfect bud to bloom (maiko -> geiko). Thank you for your videos please keep uploading they are very insightful.
Your analogy is very fitting. Especially since geiko/maiko are considered "flowers" in Kyoto, and the kanji characters for district literally means town of flowers. Thank you for your thoughts :)
@@geikohina That is very fascinating, thank you for sharing that with me. Again you have taught me something new. I am most appreciative for your wealth of knowledge!
"One grows younger in togetherness" I felt. Again your story telling style is part of the charm and evokes interest. I wonder what your elder community would says how it was before the internet and social media. Regardless, thank you very much :-). I actually got a bit inspired. Now some discipline
I love your Shikomi analogy. I just returned from Kyoto and had a wonderful Ozashiki and helped to celebrate the attending Maiko’s belated 19th birthday. Her actual birthday was the day before the start of her oneesan’s sakko and erikae and I got the feeling that her birthday wasn’t celebrated as well because of the hustle and bustle surrounded by her senior sister’s graduation events. The Maiko was so surprised and happy that her birthday was remembered by some of her fans, received gifts, etc. It was a very touching, memorable time for everyone. Your experience and story really helps to add more context and feelings of the process so that we (outside) guests can appreciate the beauty and professionalism of the Geimei. いつもありがとうございますfrom your forever fan. 😌🙏🏽🙏🏽🙇🏻🙇🏻
Hello Nelson :) This comment made me smile. "her onessan's sakko and erikae" "hustle and bustle surrounded by her senior sister's graduation events" 😅 I can imagine that must have been busy for her nesan and ochaya-san. Not everyone does, so she must have been very grateful to you for remembering and celebrating with her :)
@@geikohinaI am just happy to have brought a smile to that Maiko via some birthday gifts and flowers. I have so much respect for geimaiko. Each has sacrificed so much, trained so hard and even as you say “lose one’s identity” to obtain their new geimei (name and identity) to in turn entertain us (guests) at Ozashiki, Odori, etc. The Flower and Willow world is unlike no other. I think that it is definitely part of Japan’s cultural soul.
When I was a kid a BBC doc came out from 2005 about a young girl undergoing the Shiomi-san period to become a Maiko-san, it was the closest I think anyone at that time from across the world could come to understanding the intense experience of becoming Geiko-san. I always looked for more of those types of documentaries that did not sensationalize the process, just explained and showcased it but there was never anything good after that doc until you came along with this channel!
Hello Alisa :) Explaining things in simple terms is difficult when things come in the form of memories and personal experiences. Thank you for understanding and appreciating where I'm coming from.
Very interesting video. You mention many aspects of the initial training that have a lot of subtle connections with my personal experience in different fields. The concept of disciplined, methodic groundwork especially resonates with me. It reminds me of two things: my time in the military, and -- quite curiously -- one of my great passions: cooking. It may seem silly, but... in the French cuisine, there is a step called "la mise en place", which happens before anything is done. It is the careful preparation of tools, ingredients, and spaces. This preparation is mandatory, as it allows the execution of the recipe as it is supposed to happen, thereby making the process of preparing the dish as important as the final dish itself. I am not sure if I can make myself clear, though. It is subtle, and yet to me the connection is there.
"La mise en place" Very interesting. I heard French cuisine and Japanese traditional cuisine are very compatible. Maybe the delicacy and complex flavor of the dishes. This is possible because of the careful preparation including the "Tools, ingredients, and spaces." Your thoughts were very clear! Thank you for sharing :)
Thank you for continuing to share your story. You tell is beautifully and the music and video you choose also enlighten and entertain. I am an older American who has spent half his life (and nearly all his adult life) in Japan. Your insights and experiences help me to adjust to personal and professional changes I am currently meeting and looking forward to.
Thank you for sharing this part of your story and journey. This spoke to me in many ways. That the most meaningful part of the journey was the becoming. Very beautiful. 💗💗💗 Also very relatable as a writer not yet published, the journey of becoming an author is more meaningful to me than eventually being an author. It's very likely that I'd keep calling myself a writer instead of an author, even after being published at some point in time. To not end the journey of becoming. We are all a work in progress.
Hello Esther :) Your comment spoke to me. "Writer not yet published, the journey of becoming an author is more meaningful to me than eventually being an author." Thank you for sharing your thoughts ♡ and I wish you the best on your writing journey :)
Yes, trainee is the foundation. You learn the rules, manners, arts and discipline of the gei/Mai wold. It also shows weather your cut out for not just the art,not just the job for this unique community. ❤ Okinii hina-sama! Arigato gozimasu!! The beautiful art, community and disaplin?*don't know if it's the right word* is what drew me to it as well as the look.
@@geikohina arigato gozimasu!! I appreciate you being able to tell the truth about geiko and Maiko in English. I think it will help many people understand the truth about the geiko and world and why the tourist are getting out of hand and why kiyto has banned tourist from certain geiko and maiko areas unless they are to go to the ochya to go to a ozashiki.
Hello Jon :) hahah yes, we were in different districts and she left early on so I didn't see her after that but I always remember her cute Jurassic Park comment 😇
Mayuhina-san, Thank you for this amazing video. I can't imagine the intensity of such a dramatic change in lifestyle! Shikomi must be almost continually scolded to act and speak appropriately. I know I would have never completed such a rigorous and lengthy training period. Congratulations on your exceptional accomplishment! 💐❤🤍🙇🏻♂🙇🏻♂
@@geikohina Hello Mayuhina! I'm here watching and reading comments!☺️😅 interesting opinions. Every culture shapes and forms. You have a great personality! Take care! Luke
In a different manner, I can somehow relate to what you just said. It's sometimes hard to explain this phenomenon to other people who haven't been thru something you have. I do ❤ the 🇯🇵 culture in its entirety! 👍
👣I've always had a feeling that, in any stage of our lives, since we are little kids till becoming a phd, our first steps will always determine the way to follow, our choices, our perspectives, our reasons. The edition and the presentation of your videos are always very clear and sensitive. Congratulations to you and your crew, thank you.👏🏼
Yes...and there's another complex layer to my story because my first steps in life were not the kagai, though I grew an understanding and appreciation for it. Thank you for understanding✨
Very interesting, the video and the process. But I have a doubt: after the geisha’s “graduation”, are you stay a geisha for your life, or are there stages of promotion on the “geisha ladder”? Sorry for my english, I study the language everyday, and I'm still improving my language skills.
Question that came to mind: do you know the reason for not being allowed private time while in training? From an outside perspective, it feels to me that that can only harm the trainee's psyche. So I am curious about the reasoning behind this part of the training. Anyways, a very calming and educational video, thank you very much for sharing your experience with us ❤
As always, thank you for the fascinating insights - it must have taken quite a while to get used to the dynamics in the Okiya and the constant feeling of being watched. Also, I was surprised you had to speak Kyoto dialect too! Where you taught by your Oneesan or did you have to study it all by yourself? How long did it take until you to study it?
Hello :) Yes........Kyoto dialect was so tough for me. No one really taught me, you just have to learn by listening. It's a long story, I will explain again ♡
@@geikohina Looking forward to your story time on that! I'm trying to learn dialects myself, but it certainly is difficult as a non native speaker (I'm not even that great at copying dialects in my native language), so it's really impressive that you learned Kyoto dialect all by yourself! ✨✨
Watching a video like this drives home the point of how different the Japanese and Western perceptions are. What you describe sound to my Western perception as something negative, you are basically describing going through bootcamp, where they need to break you from your individuality and make you a piece of the group.
I find it fascinating how we can differ so much. And while I do not necessarily agree with such processes, I can definitely respect the effort, results, and the historical and cultural importance of it. Thank you for the different perspective.
Thank you for your comment ✨
"While I do not necessarily agree with such processes, I can respect the effort, results..." Yes! We don't have to agree with it. We just have to understand that it is different and that we can only understand it through a different cultural lens.
Our western societies (I am from Europe) really put a lot of emphasis on the value of the single person and their own desires and personality. This is also due to the influence of Christianity, which essentially created the concept of person as a human being with its features and desires and the right to express and obtain these things in life. It's really interesting to see how cultures with different religious/philosophical backgrounds have developed different "beliefs".
Thank you again for sharing your journey and insights into the foundation of becoming a maiko-san or geiko-san. It’s a unique mindset that blossoms through the arts and skills, leading to the beautiful transformation into a maiko or geiko.
Thank you for your patience and understanding :)
This is truly living history, essentially to become geiko you had to have your identity stripped from you so you could be molded into what was expected. Permit me to make an analogy it sounds very much like the cultivation of competition roses. These aren't like regular roses that grow in gardens they're meticulously cared for from the time their small buds up until they bloom. Watched at every stage scrutinized and even discarded if they don't meet the standard. Much like the geiko people only see the final product (rose/ geiko) never the long restless nights, the emotional rollar coaster of ensuring the perfect bud to bloom (maiko -> geiko). Thank you for your videos please keep uploading they are very insightful.
Your analogy is very fitting. Especially since geiko/maiko are considered "flowers" in Kyoto, and the kanji characters for district literally means town of flowers. Thank you for your thoughts :)
@@geikohina That is very fascinating, thank you for sharing that with me. Again you have taught me something new. I am most appreciative for your wealth of knowledge!
"One grows younger in togetherness" I felt. Again your story telling style is part of the charm and evokes interest. I wonder what your elder community would says how it was before the internet and social media. Regardless, thank you very much :-). I actually got a bit inspired. Now some discipline
@@eroche12 Hello, Eric. “One grows younger in togetherness” These are nice words I will spend some time thinking about :) Thank you ✨
I love your Shikomi analogy. I just returned from Kyoto and had a wonderful Ozashiki and helped to celebrate the attending Maiko’s belated 19th birthday. Her actual birthday was the day before the start of her oneesan’s sakko and erikae and I got the feeling that her birthday wasn’t celebrated as well because of the hustle and bustle surrounded by her senior sister’s graduation events. The Maiko was so surprised and happy that her birthday was remembered by some of her fans, received gifts, etc. It was a very touching, memorable time for everyone. Your experience and story really helps to add more context and feelings of the process so that we (outside) guests can appreciate the beauty and professionalism of the Geimei. いつもありがとうございますfrom your forever fan. 😌🙏🏽🙏🏽🙇🏻🙇🏻
Hello Nelson :) This comment made me smile.
"her onessan's sakko and erikae" "hustle and bustle surrounded by her senior sister's graduation events"
😅 I can imagine that must have been busy for her nesan and ochaya-san.
Not everyone does, so she must have been very grateful to you for remembering and celebrating with her :)
@@geikohinaI am just happy to have brought a smile to that Maiko via some birthday gifts and flowers. I have so much respect for geimaiko. Each has sacrificed so much, trained so hard and even as you say “lose one’s identity” to obtain their new geimei (name and identity) to in turn entertain us (guests) at Ozashiki, Odori, etc. The Flower and Willow world is unlike no other. I think that it is definitely part of Japan’s cultural soul.
When I was a kid a BBC doc came out from 2005 about a young girl undergoing the Shiomi-san period to become a Maiko-san, it was the closest I think anyone at that time from across the world could come to understanding the intense experience of becoming Geiko-san. I always looked for more of those types of documentaries that did not sensationalize the process, just explained and showcased it but there was never anything good after that doc until you came along with this channel!
Hello Alisa :) Explaining things in simple terms is difficult when things come in the form of memories and personal experiences. Thank you for understanding and appreciating where I'm coming from.
Very interesting video. You mention many aspects of the initial training that have a lot of subtle connections with my personal experience in different fields. The concept of disciplined, methodic groundwork especially resonates with me. It reminds me of two things: my time in the military, and -- quite curiously -- one of my great passions: cooking.
It may seem silly, but... in the French cuisine, there is a step called "la mise en place", which happens before anything is done. It is the careful preparation of tools, ingredients, and spaces. This preparation is mandatory, as it allows the execution of the recipe as it is supposed to happen, thereby making the process of preparing the dish as important as the final dish itself.
I am not sure if I can make myself clear, though. It is subtle, and yet to me the connection is there.
"La mise en place" Very interesting. I heard French cuisine and Japanese traditional cuisine are very compatible. Maybe the delicacy and complex flavor of the dishes. This is possible because of the careful preparation including the "Tools, ingredients, and spaces." Your thoughts were very clear! Thank you for sharing :)
Thank you for continuing to share your story. You tell is beautifully and the music and video you choose also enlighten and entertain. I am an older American who has spent half his life (and nearly all his adult life) in Japan. Your insights and experiences help me to adjust to personal and professional changes I am currently meeting and looking forward to.
Hello :) I'm glad there was something in the video that was useful.
Thank you for understanding and I wish you the best :)
Great job again proud of you and you sharing your story❤
Thank you to you and Sir Humphrey 😺
Thank you for sharing this part of your story and journey. This spoke to me in many ways. That the most meaningful part of the journey was the becoming. Very beautiful. 💗💗💗 Also very relatable as a writer not yet published, the journey of becoming an author is more meaningful to me than eventually being an author. It's very likely that I'd keep calling myself a writer instead of an author, even after being published at some point in time. To not end the journey of becoming. We are all a work in progress.
Hello Esther :) Your comment spoke to me.
"Writer not yet published, the journey of becoming an author is more meaningful to me than eventually being an author."
Thank you for sharing your thoughts ♡ and I wish you the best on your writing journey :)
Yes, trainee is the foundation. You learn the rules, manners, arts and discipline of the gei/Mai wold. It also shows weather your cut out for not just the art,not just the job for this unique community. ❤
Okinii hina-sama! Arigato gozimasu!! The beautiful art, community and disaplin?*don't know if it's the right word* is what drew me to it as well as the look.
Yes! The foundation is very important :) thank you ♡
@@geikohina arigato gozimasu!! I appreciate you being able to tell the truth about geiko and Maiko in English. I think it will help many people understand the truth about the geiko and world and why the tourist are getting out of hand and why kiyto has banned tourist from certain geiko and maiko areas unless they are to go to the ochya to go to a ozashiki.
This is very insightful! 💜
Thank you for sharing. Loved that you found a connection with your sister.
Hello Jon :) hahah yes, we were in different districts and she left early on so I didn't see her after that but I always remember her cute Jurassic Park comment 😇
@@geikohina Sorry you didn't get to see her again, but it's a lasting memory.
聞かれても全く説明出来ないし勉強になりました！わからない部分が沢山あったのでもっと英語の勉強します(^_^;)
英語で説明できるんですけど抽象的なことが多くて日本語に翻訳するのに時間かかります、、日本の方に申し訳ないんですけれども、ごめんなさい😭
観ていただいてありがとうございます✨
Mayuhina-san, Thank you for this amazing video. I can't imagine the intensity of such a dramatic change in lifestyle! Shikomi must be almost continually scolded to act and speak appropriately. I know I would have never completed such a rigorous and lengthy training period. Congratulations on your exceptional accomplishment! 💐❤🤍🙇🏻♂🙇🏻♂
Hello Bruce :) Thank you for understanding the process :)
Wow, thanks for sharing those experiences those deep insight ! Very impressive 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😍
Hello Luke :) Thank you for being here ✨
@@geikohina Hello Mayuhina! I'm here watching and reading comments!☺️😅 interesting opinions. Every culture shapes and forms. You have a great personality! Take care!
Luke
In a different manner, I can somehow relate to what you just said. It's sometimes hard to explain this phenomenon to other people who haven't been thru something you have.
I do ❤ the 🇯🇵 culture in its entirety! 👍
Hello Ian :) Thank you for understanding ✨
👣I've always had a feeling that, in any stage of our lives, since we are little kids till becoming a phd, our first steps will always determine the way to follow, our choices, our perspectives, our reasons. The edition and the presentation of your videos are always very clear and sensitive. Congratulations to you and your crew, thank you.👏🏼
Yes...and there's another complex layer to my story because my first steps in life were not the kagai, though I grew an understanding and appreciation for it.
Thank you for understanding✨
@@geikohina Thank you very much for your time.
Your voice is profoundly soothing for my heart ❤️. Stay blessed 🙏🏼🇮🇳❤️🇯🇵
Please take care! ✨
Very interesting, the video and the process. But I have a doubt: after the geisha’s “graduation”, are you stay a geisha for your life, or are there stages of promotion on the “geisha ladder”?
Sorry for my english, I study the language everyday, and I'm still improving my language skills.
Question that came to mind: do you know the reason for not being allowed private time while in training? From an outside perspective, it feels to me that that can only harm the trainee's psyche. So I am curious about the reasoning behind this part of the training.
Anyways, a very calming and educational video, thank you very much for sharing your experience with us ❤
It shows your dedication to want to progress ☺️
If I have heard this right and I hope I did, you must create your foudation first to be Maiko-san and then further into Geiko - san.
That is correct 🙇♀
As always, thank you for the fascinating insights - it must have taken quite a while to get used to the dynamics in the Okiya and the constant feeling of being watched.
Also, I was surprised you had to speak Kyoto dialect too! Where you taught by your Oneesan or did you have to study it all by yourself? How long did it take until you to study it?
Hello :) Yes........Kyoto dialect was so tough for me.
No one really taught me, you just have to learn by listening.
It's a long story, I will explain again ♡
@@geikohina Looking forward to your story time on that! I'm trying to learn dialects myself, but it certainly is difficult as a non native speaker (I'm not even that great at copying dialects in my native language), so it's really impressive that you learned Kyoto dialect all by yourself! ✨✨
video makeup full please i want see whem you putting oshiroi in your face😍⭐⭐⭐
Question to everyone: where else in the world is this much care taken preparing for a role/position/career/lifestyle? Wow.