Geisha of Gion

By Mineko Iwasaki & Rande Brown

This is an autobiography written by the former Geisha, Mineko Iwasaki, and an interesting peek into a world totally unknown for most people. Contrary to western belief, Geishas are not a type of prostitute, but are formally trained artisans and artists.

Mineko Iwasaki was born in 1949 and was taken into an ‘okiya’ (Geisha house) when she was only 5 years old due to her family's financial distress, something that was not uncommon.

This is the story of her life as a Geisha and the training process she had to go through to become a Geisha. This included hours of rigorous dance classes and tea ceremony classes in order to learn the manners and traditions of being a Geisha. However, her hard work paid off as she became one of the most successful and famous Geishas during her time.