Another Myth Making of Geisha?
"Another book about geisha? Hasn't the craze sparked by 'Memoirs of a Geisha' finally faded? Who is this Lesley Downer, and what more could she possibly have to tell us?": Janice P. Nimura asks in her review of "WOMEN OF THE PLEASURE QUARTERS: The Secret History of the Geisha," in the May 13, 2001 issue of the New York Times.

Downer's reply: "A lot." Although Nimura’s article is more like a summary of the book rather than a review and offers no analysis on the craze for geisha, Lesley Downer, British journalist and the author, mentioned the secret of the myth of geisha in her article in Financial Times (May 5, 2001) Downer writes: "To the western mind the word 'geisha' embodies all the allure of the mysterious east. It conjures up images of doe-eyed maidens who chatter charmingly, pour men's drinks, laugh at their jokes and satisfy their every desire. Demure, submissive (the favorite adjective for geishas), these women are everything that their tough, politically correct western sisters are not - or so the myth goes."

"They are, however, very unlike our western imaginings- as I discovered when I set out to research a book on the subject," Downer continues. "Their lives are centered on their careers. In fact, they lead lives much akin to those of modern liberated women. And they can't cook."

However interesting (although not necessarily original. Ask Madonna. ) her gender analysis on geisha is, Downer knows that the biggest interest in geisha for her average readers should be centered around one question.: "What gives geishas their eternal mystique is the question mark hanging over them. Do they or don't they? Are they or aren't they?" And she asserts that there are no simple answers to these questions.

Downer's article is fun to read and sometimes informative, although her implicit suggestion that the geisha is the only liberated women in Japan is quite disputable. Because of cultural change in Japan, the future of the geisha is in question. Their numbers are dwindling. Still Downer insists: "Geisha will never disappear -- they are like rare precious stones." Even Nimura joins in the chorus like a newly enlightened worshipper, "They will survive as curators of a romantic ideal."

References (in English)
  • "Cracking the myths behind the mask: 'Do they or don't they?' The question
    has titillated western minds for decades. But,’ says Lesley Downer, ‘there is
    no simple answer ‘” by Leslie Downer, The Financial Times, May 5, 2001
  • “Dreamgirls” by Janice P. Nimura, The New York Times, May 13, 2001