Mineko Iwasaki
Encyclopedia
, born , was Japan
's number one geiko (geisha
) until her sudden retirement at the age of 29. Arthur Golden
later used her story to write the book Memoirs of a Geisha
.
(geisha house) in the Gion
district of Kyoto
when she was only five years old. She was legally adopted by the okiya's owner, Madame Oima, and took on the family name Iwasaki. She had been chosen as the house's atotori, or heir. Iwasaki became a maiko
(apprentice geiko) at age 15. By age 21 she had earned a reputation as Japan's best dancer and maiko. She officially became a geiko at this time.
Iwasaki worked herself to her limit, both physically and mentally. She developed a kidney condition that nearly killed her, but recovered and made a strong re-entry into the geiko community. She entertained numerous celebrities and foreign dignitaries such as the United Kingdom
's Queen Elizabeth
and Prince Charles
. Her fame and success earned her many admirers, and she generally enjoyed life in the Iwasaki okiya. Yet her fame also made her the subject of jealousy and gossip, and she was sometimes faced with physical harassment both when performing and in public. In her autobiography, she describes having to defend herself with a sharp piece of bamboo from a basket she was carrying when a group of men assaulted her on the street.
Iwasaki became frustrated with the tradition-bound world of the geiko, particularly what she saw as inadequacies in the education system, and unexpectedly retired at the height of her career. She had hoped that this would shock Gion into reform, but instead, over 70 other ranking geiko emulated her and retired as well. In her autobiography, Iwasaki speculates that she may have inadvertently doomed the profession. She transitioned to a career in art and married an artist named Jin'ichirō Satō, had a daughter named Kōko (sometimes called Kōsuke because of her tomboyishness), and now lives in a suburb of Kyoto.
interviewed while researching his novel Memoirs of a Geisha
. According to Iwasaki, she agreed to speak with Golden on the condition that her involvement would be kept confidential, but Golden revealed her identity by mentioning her name in the book's acknowledgments, as well as several national interviews. After Memoirs was published, Iwasaki received criticism and even death threats for violating the traditional geisha code of silence.
Iwasaki felt betrayed by Golden's use of information she considered confidential, as well as the way he twisted reality, and denounced Memoirs of a Geisha as being an inaccurate depiction of the life of a geisha. Iwasaki was particularly offended by the novel's portrayal of geiko engaging in ritualized prostitution. For example, in the novel the main character Sayuri's virginity (called mizuage
in the novel) is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Iwasaki stated that not only did this never happen to her, but that no such custom ever existed in Gion.
Part of Iwasaki's displeasure with Memoirs may also have been because the character Sayuri seems obviously modeled on Iwasaki, with many of the book's main characters and events having parallels in Iwasaki's life. These people and experiences are often portrayed negatively in Memoirs, even when their real-life counterparts were positive for Iwasaki.
Iwasaki sued Golden for breach of contract and defamation of character in 2001. The lawsuit was settled out of court in February 2003.
After the publication of Memoirs of a Geisha, Iwasaki decided to write her real autobiography, contrasting with the fiction of Golden's book. Her book, co-authored by Rande Gail Brown
and published as Geisha, a Life in the US and Geisha of Gion in the UK, detailed her experiences before, during and after her time as a geiko to the outside world. It became a worldwide bestseller.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's number one geiko (geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
) until her sudden retirement at the age of 29. Arthur Golden
Arthur Golden
Arthur Golden is an American writer. He is the author of the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha .Golden is a member of the Ochs-Sulzberger family . He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, grew up on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and attended Lookout Mountain Elementary School in Lookout Mountain,...
later used her story to write the book Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II...
.
Geisha
Iwasaki left home to begin studying traditional Japanese dance at the Iwasaki okiyaOkiya
An is the lodging house in which a maiko or geisha lives during the length of her nenki, or contract or career as a geisha.A young woman's first step toward becoming a geisha is to be accepted into an okiya , a geisha house owned by the woman who will pay for her training. The proprietress of the...
(geisha house) in the Gion
Gion
is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine...
district of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
when she was only five years old. She was legally adopted by the okiya's owner, Madame Oima, and took on the family name Iwasaki. She had been chosen as the house's atotori, or heir. Iwasaki became a maiko
Maiko
is a Japanese word for dancing girl and is an apprentice geisha. Maiko is also a feminine Japanese given name.-Possible writings:Maiko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:*舞子 or 舞妓, apprentice geishaas a given name...
(apprentice geiko) at age 15. By age 21 she had earned a reputation as Japan's best dancer and maiko. She officially became a geiko at this time.
Iwasaki worked herself to her limit, both physically and mentally. She developed a kidney condition that nearly killed her, but recovered and made a strong re-entry into the geiko community. She entertained numerous celebrities and foreign dignitaries such as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. Her fame and success earned her many admirers, and she generally enjoyed life in the Iwasaki okiya. Yet her fame also made her the subject of jealousy and gossip, and she was sometimes faced with physical harassment both when performing and in public. In her autobiography, she describes having to defend herself with a sharp piece of bamboo from a basket she was carrying when a group of men assaulted her on the street.
Iwasaki became frustrated with the tradition-bound world of the geiko, particularly what she saw as inadequacies in the education system, and unexpectedly retired at the height of her career. She had hoped that this would shock Gion into reform, but instead, over 70 other ranking geiko emulated her and retired as well. In her autobiography, Iwasaki speculates that she may have inadvertently doomed the profession. She transitioned to a career in art and married an artist named Jin'ichirō Satō, had a daughter named Kōko (sometimes called Kōsuke because of her tomboyishness), and now lives in a suburb of Kyoto.
Memoirs of a Geisha
Iwasaki was one of several geisha author Arthur GoldenArthur Golden
Arthur Golden is an American writer. He is the author of the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha .Golden is a member of the Ochs-Sulzberger family . He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, grew up on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and attended Lookout Mountain Elementary School in Lookout Mountain,...
interviewed while researching his novel Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II...
. According to Iwasaki, she agreed to speak with Golden on the condition that her involvement would be kept confidential, but Golden revealed her identity by mentioning her name in the book's acknowledgments, as well as several national interviews. After Memoirs was published, Iwasaki received criticism and even death threats for violating the traditional geisha code of silence.
Iwasaki felt betrayed by Golden's use of information she considered confidential, as well as the way he twisted reality, and denounced Memoirs of a Geisha as being an inaccurate depiction of the life of a geisha. Iwasaki was particularly offended by the novel's portrayal of geiko engaging in ritualized prostitution. For example, in the novel the main character Sayuri's virginity (called mizuage
Mizuage
was a ceremony undergone by a Japanese maiko to signify her coming of age. When the older geisha considered the young maiko ready to come of age, the topknot of her hair was symbolically cut...
in the novel) is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Iwasaki stated that not only did this never happen to her, but that no such custom ever existed in Gion.
Part of Iwasaki's displeasure with Memoirs may also have been because the character Sayuri seems obviously modeled on Iwasaki, with many of the book's main characters and events having parallels in Iwasaki's life. These people and experiences are often portrayed negatively in Memoirs, even when their real-life counterparts were positive for Iwasaki.
Iwasaki sued Golden for breach of contract and defamation of character in 2001. The lawsuit was settled out of court in February 2003.
Her own story: Geisha of Gion
Rande Gail Brown
Rande Gail Brown is an American writer and translator.She was formerly the Executive Director of the Tricycle Foundation, publisher of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, America's leading Buddhist magazine. She is also president of East West Communications, a company that facilitates cultural...
and published as Geisha, a Life in the US and Geisha of Gion in the UK, detailed her experiences before, during and after her time as a geiko to the outside world. It became a worldwide bestseller.