UNA NOTTE CON L’ULTIMA GEISHA DI TOKYO 🇯🇵

C’è sempre stato un alone di mistero e ambiguità sulla figura della Geisha.
In occidente viene troppo spesso confusa con una sorta di escort, mentre in realtà in Giappone è considerata quasi una divinità da rispettare e venerare.
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È rarissimo incontrarla per strada, a meno che tu sia un cliente, ma assistere alle sue performance è carissimo. Ormai, solo uomini ricchissimi possono permettersi di essere allietati dall’eleganza e raffinatezza di una geisha. Siamo andati a Tokyo, nel quartiere storico di Asakusa, per incontrare una delle ultime geisha ancora presenti nella capitale Giapponese.

Buona visione!❤

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⚡️PROGETTO HAPPINESS TEAM⚡️
• FOTOGRAFIA & EDITING: Nicola Guaita
• EDITING: Francesco Carucci
• SOUND DESIGN: Lorenzo Sattin
• TRADUZIONI ENG-ITA: Kayla Baker
• TRADUZIONE JAP: Yukako Kubota

[shamisen music] I’m waiting for Yukako. She went to prepare the geisha for our arrival. There are so many practices, so many formalities. [in Japanese] Hello. [music] It’s here that the geisha practice. Once the geisha puts on makeup, she gets into character, she enters the world of the artist that she becomes. [music] We’re going with her to the restaurant she’ll work at tonight. My name is Giuseppe and I have a mission: to travel the world, to meet the most extraordinary people on the planet and to ask them a simple question: "What does happiness mean to you?" Welcome to Progetto Happiness. [music] Unbelievable, there must be at least a hundred girls wearing kimonos here, Japanese and foreigners alike. Maybe for one day they want to feel like a geisha, the most important iconic figure in the entire Japanese tradition, which unfortunately is disappearing, leaving room for a different kind of company. In Japanese culture, the geisha represents the pinnacle of femininity. She symbolizes elegance and embodies artistic perfection. Their training begins as teenagers, learning to dance, play music, and hold refined conversations with any man. They are masters of a centuries-old art that has its roots in the 1600s, when they entertained emperors and samurai. Today, enjoying the refined company of a geisha is very expensive. In fact, only businessmen, politicians and wealthy gentlemen spend astronomical amounts of money in order to spend time with them. However, the concept of the geisha in the West is often misunderstood and linked to prostitution, which is far from the truth. Their art is a form of fine entertainment, an expression of grace and culture that has evolved through the centuries. In a rapidly changing world, Japan’s last geishas connect the past to the present with elegance and dignity, continuing to enchant the world with their timeless art. We are about to meet one of the last artists who guards the secrets of being a geisha. Unless you are a customer, meeting a geisha is virtually impossible. But thanks to my friend Yukako, we were able to meet one in one of Tokyo’s most historic geisha houses. As in every enclosed building in Japan we need to take off our shoes out of respect for our environment. We put on these slippers. I’m waiting for Yukako. She went to prepare the geisha for our arrival. There are so many practices, so many formalities. And she has to respect them as much as I do. Fortunately, Yukako will tell me what I should and shouldn’t do. I’m a little excited. It’s my first time seeing a geisha. For me, too. Really? Excuse me, Miss Seiko. Thank you very much for welcoming us today. Hello. Come on in, Giuseppe. Ah, you can’t sit here. Here you can’t sit down. There it is okay. Sorry, thank you very much. How do you do, my name is Seiko. Nice to meet you. How do you do, I am Giuseppe. I’m Yukako. It is a pleasure. This is called senjafuda. It is a business card that she is giving you. I normally deliver it to the customer in the room when I’m already in costume. Seiko just gave me a business card, And if you noticed I took it with two hands. Because using just one hand would have been disrespectful. Yukako had prepared me for this eventuality. And so we accepted it with both hands. Why did you tell me before that I couldn’t sit here? [in Spanish] It is rude if you step on it. So when you enter a house, you cannot step on it. One must pass without stepping on it. You can’t step on the black line. No, you can’t. So many things to get wrong, so you have to help me. It is a pleasure to be here with you. Because it is my first time in front of a real geisha. So, it is a real honor. I don’t know how long I can sit like this, it hurts! It is in this very place that geisha practice dancing. There is also an administration office called "kenban". Normally the geisha prepares and puts on makeup at her house or in the okiya (geisha house) and then goes to the restaurant. Today, however, I rented this hall where I will get ready, put on my makeup and dance. Perfect. Thank you. I’ll start getting ready. Help me, Yukako, cause… Don’t step here. I can barely move. The geisha’s makeup is kind of her dress. Once the geisha puts on makeup, she gets into character, she enters the world of the artist that she becomes as a geisha. It’s so important to her, it’s like a mask. It is the mask of the geisha, and with the makeup, she fully transforms. You can’t see, but she’s going by now. She would never be filmed like this because she is not a geisha right now. Meaning, without makeup. Let’s go out. She asked us to step outside for a moment because she has to apply makeup down to her chest. I didn’t know that. So she asked us for some privacy and we are waiting for her outside. Listen. [patting noise] She’s applying oshiroi, which is rice powder and water to make the whole face and the chest the classic geisha white. [speaks Japanese] He says no, not yet. When I’m done, I’ll call you. After she finishes her makeup we can go inside. So at the moment no. When she wants us to come in. Yes. We’ll wait. It is something very special. They normally do not let people see this. You know, many wrong things are said about geisha. Exactly. Yes, many people see the movie, read the book… Geisha is a well-known word. Because it is spelled geisha, "gei" means… Artist. Yes, art. What about the art of online security? And this is exactly where I was explaining to Yukako all the benefits of using NordVPN. NordVPN is my number one ally in keeping my internet connection secure and in the link in the description below you can have a 30-day free trial to test it too. I always keep it on, especially when traveling, because when I connect to public WiFi, some networks may be fake to allow criminals to hack in and steal all my data. For me and for anyone this would be a disaster. And so I am always using NordVPN’s app to prevent it. That way I’m comfortable even in the case of mixups. In addition, my Internet traffic is encrypted and I can surf online in total anonymity with maximum privacy and security. By hiding the IP, the sites I visit will never know my true location And I will be able to avoid many restrictions, like getting better deals on flights, watching Italian TV from abroad or being able to access catalogues of foreign streaming services. It is also a useful Christmas gift to start 2024 with good intentions and to take cybersecurity seriously starting in the new year. I’ll leave you the link in the description to try NordVPN and to finally navigate safely. But now we return to the geisha house. There is nothing sexual about it. No, I don’t think so. I’ve applied the base makeup. Wow! She wants to wash her hands. Yes, that’s fine. Thank you. We can enter. After you. A geisha’s makeup ritual is called "oshiroi makeup". It represents a kind of dressing of the face in which the woman abandons her identity and dons the dress of an artist with almost otherworldly abilities. Oshiroi is the white foundation created from water and rice powder. For her lips, a bright red lipstick is used which was originally obtained from safflower petals infused in water and then covered with crystallized sugar to make it shiny. The neck is the most sensual part since a portion of the skin is left bare, recalling the humanity of the geisha. Miss Seiko. You are very beautiful. Do I look like a different person? Beautiful before and beautiful now. Thank you. Does she like this part of her work, putting on makeup? Because it’s a lot of makeup. This is the time for me when I turn into a geisha to go to the restaurant. How do you feel when you totally change your appearance? Is it like a mask that turns her into a geisha? Well, even if I change my appearance my spirit remains the same. Only from now on I will become as friendly and hospitable as possible for the customer. Wearing a mask does just that. All the same, my feelings do not change when I turn into a geisha. The gentleman who has just entered is the one who will help her put on the kimono. It is very complex. There are many bands to put on and tighten. This moment is most important in her transformation, because it is the dress that will accompany her in her work. So she will go from here, the geisha’s quarters, to the restaurant where customers are waiting for her. She must be as beautiful as possible. And she will change her kimono based on the client who she will be delighting with her presence. [music] [shamisen music] [singing] I would like to know what her work consists of. My work takes place in the halls of restaurants where I meet clients and we drink alcohol together. There I perform Japanese dance and arts. In addition, when the client invites someone, I serve them alcohol and have conversations with them. This is the main part of the work. Can you describe your daily life to me? Normally we geisha have classes every day. Geisha who want to learn to dance will practice traditional Japanese dances and they learn ohayashi. (musical accompaniment) Then there is a shamisen lesson and a Japanese flute lesson. There are also geisha who learn the tea ceremony. We take classes during the day and prepare in the evening to work and go to the restaurant. What is the part of your job that you enjoy the most and what do you enjoy the least? Well… What I think, is that for me.. I think the most exciting part is being able to meet incredible people who I would never have met had I not become a geisha. All geisha, including me, have chosen to become one, and so obviously we are doing what we want to do. So, I couldn’t tell you anything negative. You are practically one of the last geisha in Japan. How does this make you feel? Mine is an art that I perform with honor and passion. I want to do everything to keep it alive. I find myself thinking, "It’s something I have to protect." Although I think our culture needs us, and we will never disappear for real. Anyway, it’s scary just thinking about it. What do you think is the secret to being happy in this world? I believe that, not only for geisha, but for everyone, there are many nuances of life that we take for granted. How can I put it… What we think is normal. Like the emotions we experience sometimes, they are not trivial. If you can help people in need, you are living for real. For example, in the ozashiki (the banquet hall) we play the drum and dance. Right there you create a magical bond with customers. When I perceive this synergy, I feel radiated with happiness. We’re going with her to the restaurant she’ll work at tonight. This is a very special occasion. Usually this never happens, but we’re going with her. This moment is very special because it’s the passage from the geisha house to the restaurant where she will be greeted by her customers. This passage is the only time when she, dressed as a geisha, goes out into the real world for others to see. Surely someone will notice her. Someone will stop her to take pictures. I’m a little bit excited because we are going together to the Sensoji Temple so it’s really the ultimate traditional experience of Japanese culture and religion. We are in front of the oldest temple in all of Japan. With a geisha. I don’t think there is anything more traditionally Japanese than this. And I feel really lucky. Can you ask her how it makes her feel that everyone is looking at her? After all, we are professional banquet entertainers. We are not TV stars. Especially foreigners think it is a rarity to see us around. Or that seeing a geisha at Sensoji Temple is fortunate. In fact, I don’t come here very often. But it still makes me happy to have my pictures taken. In her fine art and the sweetness of her smile, the geisha reminds us that true happiness often resides in the act of giving. In the social fabric of Japan, the geisha emerges as a gentle soul, a bridge between tradition and modernity, Offering not just a show of skill, but also a haven of joy and lightheartedness. Her ability to bring joy through art and human connection makes the figure of the geisha the guardian of a cultural heritage which may be destined to disappear, but which, nonetheless, remains a source of happiness in a society that sometimes forgets the importance of a touch of kindness and understanding. ENGLISH SUBTITLES: Kayla Baker