-Intro
~views on men/women's social relationships from then till now
~major players, Liza Dalby, Mineko Iwasaki, Lesley Downer, Saddayako, Aurthor Golden
-History
~beginnings (1700's)
~where and how they started, who they were, ties to kabuki
~cultural view on prostitution/pleasure quarters
~visual marks of geisha vs oiran, from drab women to the height of fashion
~training of geisha
~levels of districts, mizuage, donna, ect.
*what the profession meant in a personal sense to the women who were in it
~1920's and 30's the peak of the geisha and the rush for more girls
~The damage from World War II and "geisha girls"
-Current Position of Geisha
~High class to Hot Springs Geisha
~The benefits of geisha
~The cost and risks associated with training/being a Geisha now
~The problems with teaching the traditional forms and the lack of time to do so.
~Sealed lips = Misinformation even to the Japanese
-Current media and information concerning geisha
~view of Geisha in "coffee table books" and movies
~Madame Saddayako, Autobiography of a Geisha, and Memoirs of an Geisha and the resulting catastrophe
~Prime Minister's scandal and the outcry from the community
~sensationalising of of sex even in documentaries
-Trends in the Geisha community
~current draws to the profession
~Women are getting into the profession much later and why
~Some are working without the support of a Geisha house and what that entails
~Fashion/Training/Schooling trends
~Geisha bars
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
What do I study..?
Where to start?
Well I've been interested in Japan since my father began doing business with them. I learned all the do's and don'ts of those meetings long before college entered the picture. It should be no surprise to me then that I'm studying Asian Studies. Well the whole thing came as a shock to me. I started out as an interior design major, all that drafting, planning, and perspectives are lots of fun. Somewhere in the middle of taking those slew of classes I also took Japanese, which changed my plans totally.
To be honest I realized that I wanted to learn more than what my current major offered me while I was in Japan. Some of the more interesting classes I've taken since my change of heart are..
Japanese Body and Communication
Japanese culture as expressed through architecture
The Struggle for Justice: A look at the criminal justice systems of China, Japan, and Thailand
Japanese Literature
Not long ago I only picked up books related to Japanese culture and life, I now find myself drawn to books that have anything to do with east Asia or southeast Asia. Studying about the Geisha life has kept me quite busy because that subject is very interesting to me. I pick up architecture books still as well as any books that give me another veiw of life or the voice of the various cultures in Asia. The subjects those cover would take quite some time, so I'll leave them out of this post for now.
Some other things I keep up with are computer games and how that industry is changing, technological advances, and graphic leaps. Digg.com is my friend on interesting news in the technology circle of things. Although my programming skills have waned from when I was first taught them, I still try to keep myself up to date in that whole area, although it is quite an extensive thing to keep my thumb on.
I feel as if this sounds so two dimensional(bad pun, I know), but these are some areas I take lots of time to study. Almost any subject is interesting to me and if I run across it I will study those as well. Well I guess that about covers it, I have specific areas that I'm passionate about but I also have all those other areas that I'm still very happy to explore as well.
Well I've been interested in Japan since my father began doing business with them. I learned all the do's and don'ts of those meetings long before college entered the picture. It should be no surprise to me then that I'm studying Asian Studies. Well the whole thing came as a shock to me. I started out as an interior design major, all that drafting, planning, and perspectives are lots of fun. Somewhere in the middle of taking those slew of classes I also took Japanese, which changed my plans totally.
To be honest I realized that I wanted to learn more than what my current major offered me while I was in Japan. Some of the more interesting classes I've taken since my change of heart are..
Japanese Body and Communication
Japanese culture as expressed through architecture
The Struggle for Justice: A look at the criminal justice systems of China, Japan, and Thailand
Japanese Literature
Not long ago I only picked up books related to Japanese culture and life, I now find myself drawn to books that have anything to do with east Asia or southeast Asia. Studying about the Geisha life has kept me quite busy because that subject is very interesting to me. I pick up architecture books still as well as any books that give me another veiw of life or the voice of the various cultures in Asia. The subjects those cover would take quite some time, so I'll leave them out of this post for now.
Some other things I keep up with are computer games and how that industry is changing, technological advances, and graphic leaps. Digg.com is my friend on interesting news in the technology circle of things. Although my programming skills have waned from when I was first taught them, I still try to keep myself up to date in that whole area, although it is quite an extensive thing to keep my thumb on.
I feel as if this sounds so two dimensional(bad pun, I know), but these are some areas I take lots of time to study. Almost any subject is interesting to me and if I run across it I will study those as well. Well I guess that about covers it, I have specific areas that I'm passionate about but I also have all those other areas that I'm still very happy to explore as well.
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