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A Geisha's Journey: My Life As a Kyoto Apprentice
This is the story of a contemporary Japanese teenager who, in a search for an identity, became fascinated with the world of geisha, and discovered in herself the will and the commitment to embark on the many years of apprenticeship necessary to become one.
It is also the story of a young Japanese photographer who grew up overseas, and who also was captivated by the traditional lives of these women who choose to dedicate themselves to their art. He began following and documenting the life of teenager Komomo as she studied and grew into her role.
Naoyuki Oginos photographs follow Komomos entire journey, from her first tentative visits after finding the geisha house on the internet through her commitment to the hard schedule of an apprentice, learning arts that go back centuries, all the way to the ceremony where she officially became a
geiko , as Kyotos geisha are known and beyond. From the cobbled streets where she walks in her elaborate dress to the inner sanctums of her dressing room, these pages offer a rare look at a unique, living art.
The photographs are accompanied by autobiographical text and captions by Komomo, as she shares her thoughts and emotions, and describes the day-to-day existence of a Kyoto apprentice. It is an illuminating view of seven years in the life of a very special young woman.
It is also the story of a young Japanese photographer who grew up overseas, and who also was captivated by the traditional lives of these women who choose to dedicate themselves to their art. He began following and documenting the life of teenager Komomo as she studied and grew into her role.
Naoyuki Oginos photographs follow Komomos entire journey, from her first tentative visits after finding the geisha house on the internet through her commitment to the hard schedule of an apprentice, learning arts that go back centuries, all the way to the ceremony where she officially became a
geiko , as Kyotos geisha are known and beyond. From the cobbled streets where she walks in her elaborate dress to the inner sanctums of her dressing room, these pages offer a rare look at a unique, living art.
The photographs are accompanied by autobiographical text and captions by Komomo, as she shares her thoughts and emotions, and describes the day-to-day existence of a Kyoto apprentice. It is an illuminating view of seven years in the life of a very special young woman.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
2214 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 29, 2008
I definitely bought this book more for the photography than the text. Komomo's brief narrative does not give any further insight into the world of the Kyoto geiko than could be found in Iwasaki Mineko's autobiography or Liza Dalby's ethnography. However, it is worth picking up this book just to look at Naoyuki Ogino's stunning photography. The subject matter is already gorgeous, but I cannot think of another such complete example of a series of photos of one girl's transition from shikomi to geiko. Stunning.
October 11, 2008
Kodansha has published a beautiful photo book called A Geisha's Journey, My Life as a Kyoto Apprentice. The initiative for the book was taken by young photographer Ogino Naoyuki and its subject is a Japanese teenager and later young woman called Nasu Ruriko who was born in Mexico and after that lived with her parents in China. These foreign experiences awakened her interest in her Japanese roots and everything "wa" (traditionally Japanese). She especially liked to wear kimono and wanted to be able to explain Japanese culture to others..
After reading a geiko blog on the internet she started corresponding with the writer, Koito (Takeda Ikuko), and ended up as a maiko with this "elder sister" in Miyagawacho in Kyoto.
After following her for many years with his camera, Ogino taped her story and the explanations she gave of his photos, so what we have here is a very lively and vernacular account.The photo's have a certain grainy quality, as opposed to being flashy, which adds to the realism of the book.
After reading a geiko blog on the internet she started corresponding with the writer, Koito (Takeda Ikuko), and ended up as a maiko with this "elder sister" in Miyagawacho in Kyoto.
After following her for many years with his camera, Ogino taped her story and the explanations she gave of his photos, so what we have here is a very lively and vernacular account.The photo's have a certain grainy quality, as opposed to being flashy, which adds to the realism of the book.
January 6, 2015
Teen-age girl decides to begin geisha training. Photography ensues.
I didn't realize this would be a coffee table picture book. I thought it was going to be a nonfiction MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. Unsurprisingly, this book was devoid of any real drama or story. The girl decides to be a geisha, trains to be a geisha, becomes a geisha. (Sorry, spoiler.)
The writing didn't draw me in, and I wasn't blown away by the photos. Oh well.
I didn't realize this would be a coffee table picture book. I thought it was going to be a nonfiction MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. Unsurprisingly, this book was devoid of any real drama or story. The girl decides to be a geisha, trains to be a geisha, becomes a geisha. (Sorry, spoiler.)
The writing didn't draw me in, and I wasn't blown away by the photos. Oh well.
September 5, 2008
Definitely some lovely pictures included in this book and a lot of information about what it's like to be a maiko/geiko. I also like how they didn't really airbrush any of the facts out and made the story more glamourous and magical being a geisha really is (like Memoirs or the Memoirs movie). Komomo was just a simple girl doing her job and that's that.
June 12, 2012
I saw this listed on someone else's blog and since I had never seen it before I though I would check it out. It is mostly a photographic depiction of her life as an apprentice. The photos are beautiful but for the most part there is not a ton of info on her day to day life. The tone of the book is breezy and not scholarly. Nevertheless I still enjoyed it and wished there was more.
March 27, 2012
Until her recent retirement, Komomo-san was a favorite Geiko of mine. She was quite successful in her career and reading this account of her journey richened her story for me. I am sad that she has left Miyagawa-cho.
December 29, 2012
What a beautiful journey through a young woman's life as a geiko! I really admire Komomo for knowing what she wanted at such a young age. The pictures are gorgeous. This is definitely a book that will stay on my coffee table!
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January 5, 2016The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wanted it to be longer! This is a beautiful photo book with short insights into the world of geiko. I would have loved an even more in depth story. The photographs are wonderful.
April 14, 2008
I liked the Fiction version better...this book kind of dragged out. Slow read.
February 23, 2010
a photo book about geisha, the first book i found that tells a story about 21st century geisha in real life
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November 4, 2011The photographs were outstanding.
August 26, 2012
Love...Love... Love this book!! plus I got the book autographed by 子桃！！(KOMOMO) I'm so lucky to receive that memento from 子桃！！ 大好き日本！！ふるさと！！
November 11, 2014
Beautiful, magical journey that is seldom captured in such detail and humour. Indeed, komomo san has light in her eyes- the pictures are stunning.
December 9, 2014
Told in a more historical voice than a story. Lovely pictures
May 6, 2015
I have not yet read this book, but I feel like it is a very interesting read. I like the cover, and the pictures. That is all
May 26, 2015
I always wanted to know about life as a young girl trying to become a Geiko.
November 16, 2016
Loved this inside look at the lifestyle and transition from Maiko to Geiko! The photography is amazing. It really makes me feel for the culture.
December 3, 2016
Loved it. A fascinating glimpse into a mysterious world.
August 5, 2017
Intriguing and inspiring read with soulful photographs
February 24, 2020
A lovely photography collection that gives a nice, brief overview of what it's like to work as a maiko and what it takes to become a geiko in modern-day Kyoto. Komomo, the subject of the photos, writes diary-like entries for each photo explaining the context behind it and all the while telling her story. The book only delves into the surface of maiko life, but it still provides interesting insights. Say what you will about the accuracy of Memoirs of a Geisha (it's not accurate), it is what got me interested in learning more about what actual maiko/geiko life is like and certainly propelled their artistry into the mainstream. There are pros and cons to that, but interest is what will keep these women in business, allowing them to retain an important part of their culture, so it seems in line with what Komomo herself desires.
It's incredible what these women go through in pursuit of their art. In Komomo's early days as a maiko, she describes having to practice dance and music and make the rounds of the 40-some teahouses in the Hanamachi to ask for the goodwill and support of the owners during the daytime, after which she would go to the parties where she does her actual job of entertaining for 10ish hours a night. She did this everyday for a couple years. I don't even know how it's possible to do all that in one day, let alone keep it up for years.
I also love how the kimono they wear have so much symbolism from color to pattern to style such that Komomo can identify the time of year a photo was taken (sometimes within a few days) simply by looking at what kimono she is wearing.
It's incredible what these women go through in pursuit of their art. In Komomo's early days as a maiko, she describes having to practice dance and music and make the rounds of the 40-some teahouses in the Hanamachi to ask for the goodwill and support of the owners during the daytime, after which she would go to the parties where she does her actual job of entertaining for 10ish hours a night. She did this everyday for a couple years. I don't even know how it's possible to do all that in one day, let alone keep it up for years.
I also love how the kimono they wear have so much symbolism from color to pattern to style such that Komomo can identify the time of year a photo was taken (sometimes within a few days) simply by looking at what kimono she is wearing.
November 6, 2023
Ruriko, a Japanese teenager living abroad, suddenly misses her heritage and identity: What does it mean to be Japanese? On her quest for an answer, she discovers the hanamachi, the geisha districts. Enthralled by this fantasy world of beautiful kimono wearing women and ancient customs, she decides to become the most Japanese woman of them all – and enters the hanamachi in Kyoto at age 15 to become a geisha. Given the name Komomo as an apprentice maiko, she starts a demanding training lasting five years to fulfill her dream.
This book tells about those years and gives a glimpse into the intimate details of the hanamachi of Kyoto. Always at Komomo’s side is Naoyuki Ogino, a photographer who is equally fascinated by the flower world and whose striking images of Komomo’s life add an almost magical touch to her story.
Komomo’s story is fascinating, and her change from an insecure teenager to an accomplished Kyoto geiko is obvious in Ogino’s photos. I especially enjoyed learning the little secrets of a geisha’s life. You could probably have guessed that a maiko cannot dress herself alone – but did you know that it takes a man (called the otokoshi) to tie her obi? However, while the book gives interesting insights into the life in a Kyoto teahouse, to be perfectly honest, the text is less interesting than the photographs.
This book tells about those years and gives a glimpse into the intimate details of the hanamachi of Kyoto. Always at Komomo’s side is Naoyuki Ogino, a photographer who is equally fascinated by the flower world and whose striking images of Komomo’s life add an almost magical touch to her story.
Komomo’s story is fascinating, and her change from an insecure teenager to an accomplished Kyoto geiko is obvious in Ogino’s photos. I especially enjoyed learning the little secrets of a geisha’s life. You could probably have guessed that a maiko cannot dress herself alone – but did you know that it takes a man (called the otokoshi) to tie her obi? However, while the book gives interesting insights into the life in a Kyoto teahouse, to be perfectly honest, the text is less interesting than the photographs.
December 29, 2020
A thoroughly charming and intimate account of a woman's journey through the training to become a geiko. I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the remarkable intensity captured in the photographs of Komomo with her sheer normality in her text. If you're looking for drama, then this will be a disappointment: Komomo is astoundingly down-to-earth for a woman who invested so much of her life into becoming a living piece of art.
March 27, 2019
Beautiful photography and a lovely in peek into a bit of the mysterious life of maiko and geiko in the Miyagawa-cho district of Kyoto. I always love seeing more of this stunningly beautiful and deeply traditional world and this book was such a treat.
January 20, 2020
Beautiful book. I wish more people would read books like this about the world of geisha in order to get rid of many of the misconceptions and stereotypes. This book is a great read for all and easy to follow due to the many beautiful pictures. A very real look into a very hidden world.
December 30, 2023
My only reason for marking this as four stars instead of a full five is because I would have loved even more detail! However, the pull of this book is not just in Komomo’s descriptions, but also in Ogino’s beautiful photography.
November 9, 2020
So interesting
December 7, 2015
Wonderful photographs and an interesting and more modern look at the profession. It's so fascinating to read about Komomo's life and work that I wanted more text to get even greater detail, but it's still a great read.
November 21, 2010
Enchanting photographs.
November 26, 2011
Gorgeous photos that give an insider's view into life as a geisha
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews