During WWII, prostitutes—not geisha, but actual prostitutes—marketed themselves to American GI's. This became a problematic impression of what a geisha's life was supposedly like.
Then came along the 1997 New York Times bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden. Hey, he interviewed a real-life geisha, he has a M.A. in Japanese history. Should clear things up, right?
Wrong.
For his book, Golden interviewed Mineko Iwasaki, a real-life geisha--the top geisha of her day, and a geisha considered to be the last of the traditional kind. However Golden broke a contract with Iwasaki, promising NOT to reveal her identity as it is against the traditional code of silence to even talk about the life of a geisha. Her name was in fact revealed in the book's acknowledgements as well as in national interviews. AND because she was revealed, Iwasaki's reputation was scarred and she received death threats.
So? What would I know? Have I read the book?
Yes. I have read the book.
And...
As a novel, it is well composed and intriguing.
As a novel based on historical fiction, written by someone who "strove diligently to get the details right"(from wikipedia, it had never let me down up to this point.), it lacks fair and accurate explanations that correctly represent the lives of the main characters.
As a novel based on historical fiction by someone with a Master of Arts in Japanese History, it is one bombshell of disappointment.
I would love to call for a recall of the book and movie (and perhaps a certain Master's degree), however in reality I can only suggest that you read Iwasaki's autobiography Geisha, a Life (which is, most likely and understandably more accurate).
I'll only argue what I know, so...
5 Arguments Against the Concept of Geisha as Prostitutes:
1) They are trained in traditional arts from a very young age. This includes dance, flower arranging, music, caligraphy, and tea ceremony. Geisha are expected to know about and engage in politics.
2) Just because we have no equivalent in Western culture does not mean that professional entertainers from Eastern cultures are like our Western prostitutes. We don't have traditional arts for young people to be trained in.
3) They tie their obi (belts) in the front. Again, these belts are nothing like belt we would wear with jeans. Learning how to dress in a full kimono takes a couple of YEARS at least. Thus tying the obi is complicated. Geishas wear long, expensive obi tied in intricate knots. Dressing a geisha can take over an hour. Prostitutes, on the other hand, wear simple obi that are tied in the front. There is obvious reason to this.
4) This misconception began during WWII when the actual prostitutes were marketing themselves to the American GI's. SO when the GI's returned home, (or rather when the survivors returned home) their impression of a geisha was mistaken for that of the prostitutes.
5) Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha, twisted two extremely important details that completely alter the image of a geisha as they are represented to Western culture. First, Mineko Iwasaki chose this career. (Yes, it is in fact a career, geisha work as geisha until they retire to get married.) Iwasaki pointed out specifically in an interview that she chose this career. She was not sold to a geisha house like the book says. Second, Iwasaki, after reviewing the book herself, explained that there was no such practice in Gion as the "auctioning off" of an apprentice's virginity. This controversial concept of auctioning off a woman's virginity proved to be a audience grasping plot summary for the 2005 movie version.
(Also during the Edo Period, a 265 year period from 1603-1868, geisha were offically forbidden to have sex with their clients.)
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