Geisha, A Life (2002 original; edició 2003)

I loved this book because it taught me so many lessons. I will highlight three lessons that I learned from this book.

The first lesson that I learned was from Mineko Iwasaki's birth father Mr. Tanaka. He told her that 'a samurai never loses his dignity or pride when he has nothing.'- Mr. Tanaka.

This means that no matter what comes my way that I should still hold onto my dignity and pride because if I weather out the storm with grace and calmness then better will come to me. I also learned from this lesson that patience and levelheadedness are important and that when people are stressing out about an issue or problem that your calm demeanor can diffuse the situation and make it a little bit light heartened and calm. That is what I learned from Mr. Tanaka.

- Money can come and go but you have to spend only what is a necessity and save the rest- Masako Iwasaki

The second lesson I learned was from Masako Iwasaki Mineko's mother. The lesson she taught her daughter was that 'money can come and go but you have to spend only what is a necessity and save the rest.'- Masako Iwasaki

I took this to mean that no matter how much money I make-or however little-I should still spend on bills and required expenses but to save the rest so that when a rainy day comes I have something put aside to help me survive and keep me grounded while everyone else is complaining that they have nothing at all in monetary assets becasue they are in debt. I also learned that a person has to manage their money well even the little bits and pieces first and then gradually increase their income but never increasing their lifestyle. I learned this from Masako. That way when hard times comes you can be resourceful and have more as a fallback than those who did not manage their little bits and pieces of money well and are bearing their own failure of the fruits of their labors. Manage your money well when you have little and it will help you when you need it the most. That is a powerful lesson that Masako taught her daughter and I loved that aout her.

- Change is important. Never resist changing if it means it will benefit you and your career.- Mineko Iwasaki

I learned this lesson from the author herself. She states 'change is important. Never resist change if it means it will benefit you and your career.'- Mineko Iwasaki

I learned that changing constantly and adapting to those changing circumstances is what helps me to be successful both inside and outside the classroom. In finances by spending only what I need and putting away the rest. In relationships by pulling away from people who do not bring joy and healthy feelings in my life. And in spiritual matters by leaning on God through the difficult times knowing that He still cares for me even when it seems like people around me that are influenced by my parents do not. ( )

Read 2016. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this, though it also left me wanting more: more details, more stories, more photos. I particularly loved the descriptions of her outfits. ( )

From the age of five Mineko Iwasaki was trained as a geisha, or as she refers throughout the book, a geiko, a term used around the Kyoto are of Japan. She started in the 1960's and begun to learn her trade. At the age of seven she was adopted by the owner of the oriya and lived there full time.

All through her training she was an enthusiastic student, but also had an independent streak, which occasionally meant that she caused herself more trouble. But she successfully learnt the dances and the other ritual elements of her profession, before her debut at the age of fifteen as a maiko.

She had a strong work ethic, and took to working extremely hard, with barely a day off and only three hours of sleep a night with the intention of becoming the best geiko of her time. And she achieved that, with her name and face becoming very well know.

But she was also forward thinking. In her position she tried to push for change as she felt that the rules, and lifestyle was not moving with the times, and at the age of 29 she announced her retirement from the profession.

It is a fascinating book, and details a culture that seems almost alien at times. The rules and protocols that they have to follow, from the different kimonos, the hair styles and the dances and ceremonies that have to perform. The writing is a little bit stilted, but then that may be something to do with the formal personality, and the translation, but I think it was worth reading.

( )

Mineko Iwakasi was only 5 years old when she decided she wanted to be a geisha (geiko). It was the 1950s, and Mineko was adopted by the woman who ran the geisha house (okiya) where she trained. In fact, she was to become the atotori, the heir, to that okiya. Geishas are entertainers/artitsts and Mineko loved to dance. Once she was officially a meiko (a sort of junior geiko), she worked constantly. She retired at 29 years old, as she didn't like the way things were done, and despite being the top geiko of the time, she decided to live independently and do what she wanted to do without the restrictions.

This was very interesting, to read about the life of a real geisha. I really enjoyed this. It's a nonfiction version of Memoirs of a Geisha. Though it's been a number of years since I read Memoirs, I think this is probably a good complement to it. It was also quick to read. So, for those who want to know more about geisha, this is definitely one to pick up. ( )