Geisha of Gion - Mineko Iwasaki

Advantages: Offers a first hand account of life as a geisha
Disadvantages: Poor quality of prose

...correctly correctly used for a geisha in the district of Gion Kobu) hundreds of people were waiting outside her okiya (house where trainee geiko live) to catch a glimpse of her. This was not, though, a late development: the tradition of the geisha has existed several hundred years and it was not unusual for the most popular geisha to have "fan clubs". It is also incredible to know that Mineko Iwasaki is the first geiko to produce an autobiography: ...
...life of a geisha is really like and she has explains some of the strict rules which govern even the personal lives of these young women who devote most of their childhood to the intense training required to become a geisha. Mineko was born one of the youngest children of respectable but impoverished parents and was brought up just outside Kyoto. In Japan there are designated areas given over to the pursuit of aesthetic pleasure (called "karyukai") ... Read review

Advantages: Intriguing, gives an insight into the geisha world
Disadvantages: Occasionally stilted, author bias is pronounced.

...the actual truth of the geisha world. Mineko was the highest ranked of the geisha, and as such had to contend with jealousy, insults and assault during her period of fame. She also has an insight into the way the geisha world was run as she was trained to take over the teahouse where she lived. "Geisha of Gion" covers Mineko's childhood, becoming a geisha, her training and eventually leaving the Geisha world and her retirement. It is a fascinating ...
...role and the more modern geisha than the classical era they are usually portrayed in. However this is the story of a geisha, not geisha in general, and would need to be read with other books by readers trying to get a picture of the modern geisha's role. In places the writing style is stilted, but this may be more the translation than the author, and the content covered is intriguing and detailed enough to keep you reading. Colour plates in the ... Read review

Advantages: The true account of one womans struggle with Japan's oldest tradition, very moving and honest
Disadvantages: Could be a bit factual at times, and author sometimes has an air of superiority

...I was told to read Geisha of Gion, as the author of this book is apparantly the geisha on who Arthur Golden based his storyline for Memoirs of a Geisha. Now I have read Geisha of Gion, I can see that there are some similarities, however it is written very differently, and in a more informative, less romantic manner. The story is as follows:- As a very young girl, the author goes to live and train as a geisha. She finds it very difficult, being away ...
...put onto her. But she perseveres, and goes on to become one of the most successful geisha, and Japanese dancers, and finally retires and settles down with a man she originally met at a party she was entertaining at in a tea room. Overall, I think the book was very good. The author seems to give a very honest account of events throughout her life, and her dedication to her art is apparant. The fact that it is a true story makes the storyline even ... Read review