In the 21st century it’s hard to believe that an ancient interpretation of womanhood, bound by strict codes of conduct and anachronistic ideals of perfection, continues to survive in the same nation that recently topped the most technologically advanced in the world.
But painted geisha (or ‘geiko’ as they are called in Kyoto) swaddled in richly coloured silk kimonos, shuffling perilously on platform ‘okobo’ (wooden clogs) beneath elegant parasols, their rosebud ruby lips, white faces and intricate hairdos the result of hours of preparation, are still hanging in there as the enigmatic jewel of Japanese culture … just!
Certainly the number of geisha still working is waning fast, but as the global popularity of a peppy new Netflix TV drama, The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, has proved, fascination with this secretive community is just as strong as ever.
The golden age of geisha was in the Edo period from 1603 to 1867 and even back in the 1920s there were around 80,000 geisha operating in Japan. But times have changed and today there are barely 600 across the nation.
Feminism undoubtedly played its part; the glamour and appeal of a culture that locks women into a codified conduct has worn thin, and unsurprisingly the geisha world is one teetering on extinction.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2023-Ausgabe von The Australian Women's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2023-Ausgabe von The Australian Women's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
