No More Sayuki – Western Geisha Pressured Into Quitting?

In 2007, Australian anthropologist Fiona Graham began a new career as “Sayuki the geisha“:

Graham formally debuted as a geisha in the Asakusa District of Tokyo, after completing the normal preparation of around one year. She claims to be the first western geisha in Japanese history (American Liza Dalby is credited as the first Western-born geisha). Graham is taking lessons in several arts, but her main art is yokobue (Japanese bamboo flute).

Her achievement of geisha status was praised in the Western media. She was even featured on Oprah.

Now, only a few years later, her geisha career has come to an end. An article in in the Telegraph says that Graham has left the Asakusa Geisha Association – either because she quit or because she was kicked out.

Graham apparently did not follow the rules of the Association. She thought her single year of training was enough, despite being told by her elders that she needed to continue taking lessons. The situation got so bad that they stopped considering her a geisha and requested that she quit:

according to the strict rules of the geisha world, a newcomer must get the permission of her elders to perform in front of customers, usually in tea houses and restaurants. Those that are not sufficiently accomplished are not allowed to perform.

“She says she is a flute player but she does not go to lessons and said she was already good enough,” said the fellow geisha. “But to perform in front of guests is very important. You have to be good enough and you need to have permission.

“No-one would give her permission because she was not good enough – so she became hysterical, yelling at everyone. That is not our style. We have a traditional way of thinking and we have to obey our older ‘sisters’.”

Keiji Chiba, a spokesman for the Asakusa Geisha Association, declined to comment on whether Ms Graham was fired from the association, although another official did not deny that she had been “asked to leave.”

The article also mentions how Graham gave performances outside of the geisha district:

One geisha noted that because the association would not permit Ms Graham to perform in front of customers, she began arranging her own events outside the geisha district.

“She organised these parties, but most of the other geisha didn’t go because we don’t think that she is a geisha,” she said, adding that as Ms Graham had no-one to accompany her flute playing, she used backing music from a portable music player.

“She played like that in front of the guests – we would not dare do that,” the geisha said. “It’s embarrassing, but she just does not understand that.”

She seems to have refused the Telegraph’s request for an interview, so aside from a claim that she had been bullied, her side of the story is not presented in the article. Graham’s official website contains no information about how she has given up on being a geisha.

Update: The Australian has interviewed Graham. She alleges that she was kicked out solely because she was a foreigner:

Ms Graham, who has taken the name Sayuki, told The Australian the Asakusa Geisha Association had rejected her request to operate independently after the “mother” of her geisha house fell ill and was unable to continue operations. “I asked the geisha association, given the circumstances of my mother, if they would allow me to become independent in December,” she said.

“I was told very directly that the reason I couldn’t have tenure was because I was a foreigner.

“Being the first white geisha was the hardest thing I have had to do.

“I have worked very, very hard, so it’s a very hard thing when the geisha association would not allow me to become independent solely because I am a foreigner.”

She said despite the refusal she would continue to operate as a geisha. “It’s possible that I might have to move to another geisha district. But there are geisha districts who are willing to allow me in,” she said.

While the Telegraph tried to write a balanced story, the Australian seems to have based its article entirely on Graham’s version of what happened. Her refusal to follow the Association’s rules is not mentioned.

[hat tip to FG]

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