Япония: цивилизация, культура, язык 2022

ЯПОНИЯ: цивилизация, культура, язык 2022 526 My work on the geiko world is still in the initial stages, as I started at the end of 2020, and not having Liza Dalby 13 ’s advantage of actually becoming one of them, I have to rely on observation and interviews. In the case of Ôtori Mikoshi, fieldwork was focused on the month preceding Tenjin Matsuri and a few other yearly events, as for the largest part of the year the members lead regular lives that do not involved performed masculinity. The situation is different with the geiko, as they perform their “traditionally” feminine roles on a daily basis, in contexts that follow a pattern— music and dance training, banquets, dinners and events with their customers—yet are never the same. Both literally and figuratively the matsuri otoko wear just one costume: the special yukata or hakama they put on during the festival turns them into the almost heroic protectors of their community, in direct communion with the deities they serve. Geiko, on the other hand, put on a different kimono and play a slightly different role each time they are in public, depending on the situation and the customer they are entertaining. One of the geiko I encountered (and interviewed) multiple times had a very domineering attitude towards the maiko and younger geiko, as well as the gentler customers, who seemed happy to satisfy the whims of the beautiful woman next to them, and acted much more politely and in a subdued manner with customers who appeared more demanding and assertive. This attitude change is not adjusted only to suit the company, but it also depends on the age of the geiko. The younger a geiko/ maiko is, the more timid and in need of protection she will appear—not an object of sexual desire, but a young artist looking for a generous patron to support her career. Just as laughter and weeping can be spontaneous expressions of emotion and gestures 13 Liza Dalby. 2008. Geisha . Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press