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Japan’s first transsexual geisha?

October 16th, 2008 by James

geisha?


UK newspaper the News Shopper has reported that pre-op transsexual Mary Murdoch has become a “geisha” in Japan:

Born Malcolm Murdoch, the 68-year-old says she recently became the first transsexual geisha on a visit to Kyoto.

Mary, of Brownspring Drive, New Eltham, explained: “My ambition was to dress up as a geisha and at first they were reluctant.

“But in the end I convinced them. I was the first person to actually do this. They were very welcoming and put aside the normal rules for foreign tourists.

“Since then the Japanese government has a policy which says if there’s a female name on the passport then you may dress up as a geisha.”

The article appears to refer to an experience with a service that dresses up tourists like geisha, something that does not actually make someone a geisha. The claim about a Japanese government policy is probably also untrue, although I wouldn’t be surprised if individual companies had policies against allowing men to dress up as geisha.



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29 Comments »

Comment by Jarvik7
2008-10-16 07:14:48

“Since then the Japanese government has a policy which says if there’s a female name on the passport then you may dress up as a geisha.”

Who knew that there was a ministry of geisha in the government?

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Comment by leitmotiv
2008-10-16 09:27:49

It wouldn’t surprise me if there is an MoG – with 72 full-time employees and plush offices in Kasumigaseki and Kyoto.

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Comment by Colin
2008-10-16 08:07:31

What a suprise it would be to have that geisha serve you and entertain you when you thought you were getting a…more female one

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Comment by Alex
2008-10-16 08:10:33

They guy is as confused about his experience as he is his sexuality.

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Comment by claytonian
2008-10-16 12:45:50

I don’t know that transsexuals consider themselves confused.

BTW, I am confused by the fuzzy feeling I get when I look upon this beautiful geisha

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Comment by Alex
2008-10-16 13:12:34

By “confused” I mean they are men who have a natural imperfection (warning: controversial!) in which they are convinced that they are actually a woman inside. I call this a “natural imperfection” because, naturally, men and women are supposed to mate to produce offspring. (It feels good, and that’s the reason to do it! It’s the same reason fruit is delicious, because animals are supposed to eat it and then defecate the seeds out somewhere else where they can grow in their new pile of fertilizer)

I’m not claiming that transgender or gay people are doing anything wrong or “evil”, but that they are obviously not fulfilling the natural event of animal reproduction. (And here I’m not insinuating that reproduction is a requirement of an individual’s life – China would certainly say it’s not.)

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(Comments wont nest below this level)
Comment by The Overthinker
2008-10-16 14:27:49

I understand exactly what you are saying, but there are a lot of people who confuse ‘unnatural’ with ‘bad’. Wearing clothes is unnatural. Anything that is modified by humans is ‘unnatural’.

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Comment by Claytonian
2008-10-17 16:35:41

Ah, but there is evidence that gay people are actually produced by nature. Sorry for my lack of specificness, but I remember Steven Colbert having a guest on that found that families with lots of aunts produced gay men… or something like that. Anyone know what I am talking about?

Anyways, gender, sexuality and even what is natural, can be surprisingly ambiguous concepts.

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Comment by Alex
2008-10-17 18:08:57

That’s why I call it a “natural imperfection” instead of “unnatural”. It doesn’t serve in the dissemination of genes, and often results in the end of a gene line.

Having said that, though, I don’t find it at all “evil”, as most religions tend to.

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Comment by warubozu
2008-10-16 08:28:10

Please put a warning up about the photo. You owe me a new pair of eyeballs…. (x_x)

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Comment by LB
2008-10-16 08:43:44

Is that the Joker from the new Batman movie?

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Comment by Rated R
2008-10-16 16:27:37

Looks more like Clay-face to me. Maybe upcoming movie.

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Comment by D-san
2008-10-16 09:33:39

Wow, that’s one Geisha who won’t be getting many bidders for “her” Mizuage.

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Comment by Eric
2008-10-16 11:38:42

Wow! You are all very transphobic.

She only states that she was dressed as a geisha, not that she became one. The newspaper simply worded things incorrectly in that first statement and title of the article.

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Comment by leitmotiv
2008-10-17 00:03:37

Very phobic indeed. In the one picture she (he?) looks happy and doesnt appear to be hurting anyone. Can all the transphobics and homophobics also claim to be happy?

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Comment by dobokun
2008-10-16 12:03:56

Fucking nasty. Why would a guy dress up as a geisha. Wouldn’t he wan’t to see a geisha or hang out with a geisha instead?

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Comment by Rob
2008-10-17 00:31:56

“Why would a guy dress up as a geisha.”

Because psychologically we’re not talking about a guy anymore.

If you RTFA you’d see she’s on the waiting list for the operation, and has been undergoing therapy for four years.

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Comment by tzvete
2008-10-16 13:27:43

This picture would never be seen in a japanese newspaper:-)

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Comment by sleepytako
2008-10-16 13:49:12

I’ve heard of men doing the geisha at the photo places in Kyoto. Never known anyone who actually did it though. I totally wanna dress up as a geisha. Halloween is coming up. Gotta find a Kimono.

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Comment by Anonymous
2008-10-16 17:41:42

DO NOT WANT!!!

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Comment by one
2008-10-16 18:02:26

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SHOOT IT, STONE IT, HANG IT, BURN IT, THEN SHOOT IT AGAIN!!!!!

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Comment by GeeGee
2008-10-16 19:39:01

So the guy dressed up as a Maiko at one of the photo studios in Kyoto – big deal. Next time he should get his hair put into the front of the wig – only costs 2000 yen extra but is well worth it – looks silly otherwise

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Comment by WTF
2008-10-16 23:15:10

WTF….this dude is seriously screw up. Even with 10 beers,
my eyes still get burned seeing this dude dressing up as geisha.
But looking at the bright side, I reckon this geisha would scare the hell out of the neighbourhood during halloween..

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Comment by The Overthinker
2008-10-17 02:12:27

If you have a sex change and end up as a totally hot babe, I can see the point I guess, but to end up looking like this?

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Comment by Bran
2008-10-17 11:24:56

A lot of the places in Kyoto that do these costume photographs don’t actually dress them as Geisha or Maiko but another more specifically sexual form of entertainer (can’t remember the title, something begining with “O”). The primary clue is whether the Obi is tied at the front or the back. with the hookers having it at the front for ease of business.

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Comment by The Overthinker
2008-10-17 12:13:57

Oiran.

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Comment by GeeGee
2008-10-17 18:23:29

Okama ?

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Comment by hadji
2008-10-18 02:51:20

Good for that person. Hope they are happy.

Unlike the miserable sods here who object!

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Comment by Carolyn
2009-12-21 21:16:37

Of course she didn’t do the years and years of training. But let her have her fun! If that is her dream, then go for it!

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