Geisha who debuted in Osaka 7 yrs after once giving up on dream determined to pursue career

OSAKA -- A geisha, locally known as "geiko," who debuted in this western Japan city this past February, about seven years after once giving up on her teenage dream, is now determined to pursue traditional performing arts.

The 22-year-old woman first performed under the professional name "Marizuru" from Tanigawa, the only "ochaya" (lit. teahouse) traditional party venue with geiko still in business in Osaka's Minami district, which used to boast Japan's largest "hanamachi" entertainment quarter. She once entered this industry some seven years ago but gave up. Now, her dream has finally come true.

Born in the Osaka Prefecture city of Fujiidera, Marizuru has loved kimonos since her early childhood. She admires the colorful designs and beautiful patterns of the garments. In 2016, after graduating from junior high school, she entered a hanamachi in Kyoto as a chore girl, a step before becoming a "maiko," or a geisha apprentice. She worked hard at her apprenticeship, hoping to become a maiko as soon as possible, but she left after a few months because she was tired of living in a geisha house, both physically and mentally. Then she entered an Osaka prefectural high school where she could learn Japanese dance.

In 2019, Marizuru saw a newspaper article about the debut of a geiko at Tanigawa for the first time in about 10 years, and learned that a hanamachi still existed in Osaka Prefecture, which is her home. She had hesitantly enrolled in a university, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was no entrance ceremony, and classes were held online from the beginning. She felt it was an uncomfortable environment to study, and her desire to become a geiko returned. Determined to pursue her dream again, she quit the university in August 2021.

In September of the same year, the aspiring geiko knocked on the door of Tanigawa. The establishment was closed for business due to the pandemic. Owner Megumu Tanigawa, 49, was reluctant, saying, "We cannot accept you irresponsibly since there are no parties," but the woman replied, "I will wait," and devoted herself to her training with her senior geiko. As an apprentice, she joined performance opportunities that have resumed and learned by watching the movements of senior geiko.

In the past, Osaka had four hanamachi entertainment quarters: Kitashinchi, Shinmachi, Horie and Minami. At its peak around 1935, there were more than 500 ochaya establishments and some 2,000 geiko in the Minami district. It flourished as the largest hanamachi in Japan, but was destroyed by fire during World War II and declined with changes in the area and lifestyles after the war.

Megumu took over the Tanigawa business from his mother, a former geiko, in 2013. He started using Instagram in 2015 to let people know about his party venues. Posting pictures of inside the house and geiko began attracting young women who wanted to become geiko, and now there are four geiko in their 20s and one apprentice. The number of customers, which had been slowing down due to the coronavirus crisis, has finally begun to return. "Parties with geiko are a wonderful place where people gather to get to know each other. We devote our energy for that one night," Megumu said.

After about a year and a half as an apprentice, Marizuru made her debut as a geiko. Dressed in a crested black kimono, she danced to the celebratory traditional song "Matsu-no-midori" (Pine green), which depicts the growth of a girl. "I want to devote my life to the traditional performing arts," the determined Marizuru said.

(Japanese original by Ai Kawahira, Osaka Photo Department)