Oh no…….I am so very sorry for what you went through. I cant imagine how painful trauma you experienced…Wish you heal your soul and body: And please always remember how “capable you are”. You are so strong, beautiful, brave woman. God Bless🤙
Please stay strong. I was under the impression that maiko/geiko only upkeep tradition and do it of their own will. I will definitely be spreading this to friends in the 🇺🇸 this is a human rights violation.
I want to blow the whistle on the reality of MAIKO (an apprentice geisha) without fear of assassination. When I was 16, I was forced to drink alcohol by a customer in violation of Japanese law. He also tried to force me to take a bath with him, but I ran away and was safe.
I am very doubtful about this traditional culture of Kyoto.
These photos were taken when I competed with a client in a chug of Yamazaki 18-year-old Whisky and I won.
It is not the distant past, but it is 2017.
I could be killed for twittering this, but the situation will never improve unless someone sends out the message. Every year, MAIKOs attempt suicide or become mentally ill. I couldn't keep silent.
I will hold a grudge forever: I was told "You are stupid. If you quit being a MAIKO, you can only work in the sex trade. How will you live? You'll have to open your legs."
The apprenticeship (MAIKO) is for six years. During the period, she receives no salary and only a small allowance. The only contact with the outside world is allowed by written letters or public phones. She cannot have any cell phone.
This sexual patronage system still exists in Kyoto today.
Maiko and GEISHA take the surname of their patrons in the Hanamachi liesure district. It is recognized by the Hanamachi people as a "Hanamachi marriage".
No doubt the people of Kyoto will condemn my tweets.
I'm terrified but no longer defeated, because I'm free from the brainwashing of the Hanamachi.
No matter what they say, no matter what they do to me, it's impossible for them to interfere with my life.
If my tweets are deleted, please consider Kyoto (the government) did so.
OR
If I stop tweeting, please consider Kyoto (government) killed me.
* The original Japanese is ambiguous.
A customer put his hand under the side of my kimono and touched my breast. He also spread the hem of my kimono and touched my crotch in a private room. Like many Maiko, I do not wear pants when wearing a kimono.
There are five Hanamachi in Kyoto. The rules vary from hanamachi to hanamachi. There are some where cell phones are allowed and some where no custom of taking a bath with her patron. In some hanamachi, the sexual patronage system may be more relaxed.
You can live outside the Hanamachi even if you are a junior high school graduate. If you pass the high school equivalency exam, you can get a high school diploma or even go to college. If not, there are decent jobs out there that don't require education.
もう一つ思い出したのが「Memories of a Geisha」(邦題「SAYURI」)。
主人公の芸妓は情交を迫る男に対して「芸者は娼婦ではない!」と叫ぶのだ。
どちらの映画も虚構だけど、芸者が娼婦なのか否かという問いはずっと頭にこびり付いている。
もっと言えば、恋人や妻は娼婦ではないのかという問いも。
Whistle-blowing from an ex-worker of Maiko, the Japanese traditional performer in Kyoto. The leakage confessed that although Maiko are known as underaged performers, They have been forced to drink and take bath with clients. They are forbidden possesing phones.
Whistle-blowing from an ex-worker of Maiko, the Japanese traditional performer in Kyoto. The leakage confessed that although Maiko are known as underaged performers, They have been forced to drink and take bath with clients. They are forbidden possesing phones.
Whistle-blowing from an ex-worker of Maiko, the Japanese traditional performer in Kyoto. The leakage confessed that although Maiko are known as underaged performers, They have been forced to drink and take bath with clients. They are forbidden possesing phones.
Whistle-blowing from an ex-worker of Maiko, the Japanese traditional performer in Kyoto. The leakage confessed that although Maiko are known as underaged performers, They have been forced to drink and take bath with clients. They are forbidden possesing phones.
Whistle-blowing from an ex-worker of Maiko, the Japanese traditional performer in Kyoto. The leakage confessed that although Maiko are known as underaged performers, They have been forced to drink and take bath with clients. They are forbidden possesing phones.
The tweeter has announced she will take a break from Twitter.The reason is that she has not made up his mind to fight seriously.This tweet is highly likely to be fiction, so be careful when handling it.
No one in Japan believes this tweet.
The reality of Maiko: Back when this tweeter was 16(working as Maiko), she was forced to drink loads of alcohol and also to take bath together with the customers. The photo shows the time when the tweeter was 18, and had won the drinking competition with the customers.
There are so many other disturbing experiences that these underage girls had to go through, and the sad thing is that it is still happening in Japan today. Still a lot of people (even Japanese) don’t know this reality of Maiko. Is this really a traditional culture?
The Maikos have to live in their workplace for few years, don’t get paid for their work, and any access to the “outside world”(internet, phones, etc) are prohibited because it’ll cause the Maikos want to escape.
Maiko, who claimed sexual harassment, said she went to Tokyo at 15. Nevertheless, the period of training of Maiko is 16 months, but she also said, "I went to Kyoto and debuted as a Maiko at 16 and she quittted Maiko's Job and returned to Tokyo and went to International school .
A maiko from #Kyoto#Japan is sharing how abusive and illegal it is. Slavery, trafficking, and abuse. Don’t glorify and shame when you visit. Help the girls please.
Thank you for sharing your story, it's important to hear! I was often told "these gruesome things are invented by English authors, this isn't really", yet, it seems the exploitation truly is bad. It's important not to ignore it so we can stop tainting tradition!
【英訳ENG】This is the reality of being a maiko. At the age of 16, I was forced to drink even and pushed to take baths with customers. I would like you to reconsider whether this is really traditional culture. The photo is of when I won a whiskey drinking contest with a customer.
Maiko is required one year of training before Maiko entertain customers, but she started to entertained customers at the age of 16 without any training period (What she said is a mess at this point of Time).
In order to become a maiko in Kyoto,There are four conditions: etiquette or good manners as a professional, graceful demeanor, good diction (Kyoto dialect), artistic accomplishment, which means mastering dance, the samisen, musical accompaniment.
Since I’m from kyoto and live in LA, people ask me about Geisha and Maiko a lot, especially after “memories of geisha”. I answered similar as Kiyoha Sam’s experience, but they don’t believe me. Cuz medias try to give much cleaner image. I understand it depends on Okiya, though
はじめまして。tweet拝見しました。私は深く舞妓さんの事情を知らなかったのですが、京都観光する外国人に「Maiko is not a prostitute but an entertainer who has trained lot.」(舞妓は売春者ではなく、訓練をつんだ芸人です。)と公式ガイドが言っていたのが腑に落ちませんでした。映画Sayuri↓
She speaks with considerable determination, the reality of Japanese maiko. At her age of 16, She was forced to drink a lot of alcohol although legal drinking age is 20, and she also required taking a bath with her customers. Think whether this is suitable to be called traditional
please acknowledge the original tweet explaining what’s happening in Kyoto in the 21st century. @kiyoha_xxx used to be a geisha and is trying to reveal the fact that underaged geishas are forced to drink and bathe with men almost daily. Translation attached.
The tweeter has announced she will take a break from Twitter.The reason is that she has not made up mind to fight .
This tweet is highly likely to be fiction, so be careful when handling it.
She's lying.
She herself is 15 years old and has a drinking problem.
was a regular at the bar.
She was fired after a few months for failing to follow the rules of the Okiya.
This accusation is a special case and is not the norm in Kyoto Okiya.