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Century-old Tokyo geisha festival revives dying art
- Around 180 geishas from 19 Japanese regions will perform in the 100th Azuma Odori festival starting Wednesday at Tokyo's Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre for seven days.
- The festival marks a century-old tradition rooted in the Meiji era, where dance gained prominence and geishas entertained Japan's wealthy elite and government officials.
- Geishas, trained masters of traditional arts who do not sell sex but entertain guests at exclusive ryotei restaurants, face public misunderstanding and the challenge of fewer clients today.
- Koiku, a Shinbashi geisha, said it takes 10 years to be competent, warned the tradition is waning, and noted that changed socializing patterns reduce demand for geisha services.
- Experts describe the 100th anniversary of the Azuma Odori and the theatre’s ongoing operation as extraordinary, yet the continuation of geisha traditions faces uncertainty amid evolving social and cultural trends.
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A sister state relationship — forged after the 1960 'hog lift' — brings a rare Japanese art form to Iowa this week - Little Village
The Sasago Oiwake Puppet Theater in Yamanashi, Japan. — photo by Matthew D. NelsonSteam wafts from the big bowl of noodles before me while Yoko Tanaka, the executive director of the Japan America Society of Iowa, shares her plan to bring the Japanese art of bunraku to Iowa. It is a traditional form of puppet theater that dates back to the 17th century. It was particularly common in the small mountain villages of Japan as a way to entertain weary…
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Leaning Left6Leaning Right12Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Right
Bias Distribution
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41% Right
L 21%
C 38%
R 41%
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