It was Sunday afternoon and I was super bored and didn't know what to do (even though I actually got something to do at that time), so I turned my notebook on and started to browse something that might be interesting. Reading might be boring, so I visited Youtube to watch documenter about geisha in Japan. I did not know where I got the idea of watching documentary about geisha, it just came in to my mind out of nowhere, and I never regret my decision.



The video was a about a young girl who came to Kyoto after graduated from junior high school. She was only 15 and decided to be a geisha (or maiko, or apprentice geisha, with half paid fee, before she could be geiko). She has to spent 6 months at Okiya (house where all maikos lives with Okasan/mother during their nenki/contract as a geisha). She was not allowed to make a phonecall with her family to proof her commitment to her career. Only sending letter was allowed. She has to attend classes, learn dancing, play musical instruments, make tea, and every other skill she needed as an entertainer, with only 2 days off in a month. At this time, she was not a maiko yet, but a Shikomi (working as maid in the Okiya) before she can have her test to become a minarai (geisha who learns by watching).

In the video, this girl kept her commitment to become a geisha. She dedicated her life to Japanese art and culture, and did not give up even though it was really difficult to learn everything altogether in a short period of time, lack of sleep, far from home, and with strict rules. This amazed me, so much. In this modern era, not so many people want to spend their life time learning their traditional culture. Traditional culture sometimes left behind because people are too busy with their life, and sometimes traditional culture and modern life become a contradiction.

The decision of becoming a maiko means leaving life with family and friends, not getting formal education at school and university, also getting busy with geisha career with tight schedule between classes, working, and sleeping. As long as working as maiko, and still have contract with Okasan at the Okiya, a maiko has to keep making money, also not allowed to have short haircut, or have another hair color than black. Maiko should use real hair for their complicated traditional hairstyle. So many rules have to be applied to maiko's life in order to keep authenticity of geisha culture, and to train maiko to live in discipline life as an art person.

Every little detail from geisha culture is really impressing. I wonder how Japanese could do such things to keep traditional culture alive to this day, even though there are some adaptation through time. Also the passion to dedicate life to become geisha, no matter how hard is is.

Then, this reminds me about my country, especially Bali region since I am living in Bali. Bali has a lot of local culture that needs to be preserved. Every individual should join into the movement. One thing that I believe:
A great nation is not determined by its ability to copy and adapt other nations' cultures;A great nation is determined by its ability to preserve its local culture and keeping the culture alive.

Be proud to yourself not because you can live your life in the way how foreigners do. Be proud to yourself when you are able to live your life as you, with your local identity.

:)