Geisha, A Life

Not long ago, I read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Though written as a realistic memoir, his book is a work of fiction. I read some fact vs. fiction reviews on his work and stumbled upon the name Mineko Iwasaki. She was interviewed by Golden when he was doing research for his book. He promised to keep her remarks confidential, but then gave a public “Thank You” in the acknowledgements of his book. I also read that Mineko was upset with Golden because she claimed he modeled much of his book on actual events of her life, but twisted them to portray them in a negative light. She was so upset that she decided to write her own story, and “Geisha, A Life” was born. With a back-story like that, how could I stay away?

I finished Mineko’s story during lunch today, and I can see why she was upset with Arthur Golden. As I was reading Geisha, A Life, I could see the inspiration for many of the characters and events in Memoirs of a Geisha. And as Mineko correctly points out, many of those events are given a more negative spin in Golden’s work.

But Mineko’s story is far from sad. She was a tremendously successful Geisha. She was singled out as a child to be the successor of her okiya, and though she had a charmed life, she worked very hard for it. Her drive, resourcefulness, and adaptability are what kept her performing at the top of her field until she chose to “retire” at age 29. She goes on to have a happy family life with her husband and children. Mineko’s book chronicles her successes and stumbles, and I found it to be a very enjoyable read.

One of the little nuggets in this story was an account of Mineko hiding a hobby from almost everyone in her life. Geisha in training were forbidden to participate in anything that might cause them bodily harm. And since Mineko was studying dance in particular, sports would never have been allowed for her. But even though her days started before dawn and ended late at night, she managed to join a girl’s basketball team! She says she got away with it because she claimed to be taking a flower arranging class. But as an ex-high school athlete, I don’t know if one class would provide enough cover. I had daily practices and weekly games, so my sporting life was a big commitment. But Mineko says she successfully kept her basketball career a secret. As an added bonus, her team finished second in their division that year. Go, girl, go!