Concubines, courtesans and geishas
A reviewer of The Last Concubine in the highly respected Literary Review wrote: ‘The author, who lived in Japan for many years, has published non-fiction accounts of the lives of the geishas, and capitalises on recent Western interest in their esoteric, vanished world with her detailed depiction of Sachi’s life in the rarefied harem.’ I’m very grateful for the review - but I have to point out that my book has nothing to do with geishas. A Spanish journalist also wrote to me: ‘Your book “Madame Sadayakko” was a success. Now you return to the topic of the geishas. Why are you so fascinated about this world?’ and ‘How was the life of a geisha in the Palace of the Women?’
Geishas and concubines have absolutely nothing in common other than being Japanese women.
The Last Concubine is about the concubines of the shogun, who were usually aristocratic ladies chosen to be the shogun’s ‘second wife’ or ‘third wife’ and hopefully to bear a son for him to be the future shogun. To be a concubine was a highly coveted honour and concubines were formally recognised in a ceremony much like a marriage.
Geisha and courtesans on the other hand were (and are) part of the demi monde. Geisha are entertainers - the word means artistes - who performed dances and songs to private gatherings usually of men. In old Japan they were at the very bottom of the social system (like actresses in the Victorian west - think ‘Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington.’) Traditionally they were not supposed to sell sex. That was the courtesans’ job and they were prohibited from stealing the courtesans’ clients. If they married they had to stop being geishas - geishas and wives were like opposite sides of the coin.
In other words, geishas, concubines and courtesans were entirely different, not just a catch all term for Japanese women, and not to be confused.
