Crenshaw's Books & Decks

I got this book in a bookshop in Japan, having never heard of Mineko Iwasaki's story before, after having chased down Geishas in Tokyo and Kyoto, and having always being fascinated by their refinement.

The book is a Memoir, lets remember that. It is an honest memoir, though. Mineko Iwasaki tells us her story the way she lived it but without masking her self, her opinions or way of being, without artificially sweetening anything, not even herself. She does not pretend to be better than she is, and shows her strong character and temper; in fact, she does not hold her tongue when expressing her opinions on some famous Western people who visited her. One has to admire her for being so frank. However, what the reader will find more fascinating is the world she describes: the world of a high-end Geisha, of which she was part of from a very early age. Through her memoir, we learn what Geishas are, how they are educated and instructed, the values they stand for, the ways they act, the pass-over ceremonies and rituals, the difficulties and personal relationships, and the nitty-gritty of selling their services.

This Memoir was written as a Mineko's reaction to the publication of Memoirs of a Geisha. Mineko had been been the main informant, revealing some secret information under the promise of her name being never revealed. When the novel came out, her name was mentioned, and many facts related to the Geisha life were just distorted and changed. Mineko's reputation was damaged. She decided to write her memoir, and the real story, the way she had lived it.

Mineko tells us her story from her introduction into a Geisha house when she was still a kid and until her retirement. The world that Mineko describes is just amazing.

I found the book really fascinating and absorbing. The book is simply written, so it is not a literary delicacy, but it is an unforgettable memoir.