Mizuage
Mizuage ( Japanese水 揚 げ) is one of the ceremonies that symbolizes the rise of a maiko to become a geisha . Contrary to what was suggested in the film “The Geisha” , and in contrast to an earlier Japanese practice that did not involve geishas, it is not a sexual act.
The maiko changes her hairstyle five times to symbolize the steps she takes on the way to becoming a geiko. In the Mizuage, the top knot is symbolically cut open to mark the transition from girl to young woman. Then the maiko wears a more adult hairstyle. The changed hairstyle meant that the maiko had entered the final phase of her maiko career. For the regular customers it was the sign that the maiko was approaching marriageable age and applications could now be made. On the occasion of the celebrations, gifts from the budding Geiko were given to the most important families and relatives. This served to strengthen relationships with one another and to inform the public about the mizuage. After the mizuage, the next great rite of passage in the life of a maiko is her erikae (襟 替 え "turning the collar").
A ceremony of the same name used to be held by Japanese courtesans and referred to the ceremonial defloration . It was customary to indicate an impending mizuage by handing out ekubo (round rice cakes with a red dot in the middle) to customers who were expected to offer large bids for the privilege of defloration. It is often mistakenly believed that large sums of money were paid for the right to the mizuage, but this has usually not been the case. The mizuage-danna were chosen for reputation and trustworthiness, and the choice should make it as comfortable as possible for the maiko. The mizuage custom no longer exists today.
The similarity of names between these customs, which were practiced by different social classes, contributed to the common misconception in the West that geishas are to be equated with prostitutes .
The film "The Geisha" mixes the customs of both social classes and thus contributes to the spread of the error. However, the film takes place around the Second World War and can therefore be accurate, since mizuage as a defloration of a maiko only became illegal in 1959.
Web links
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- ↑ The True Story of the Geisha - Mineko Iwasaki