A Life Dedicated to Art

KJ 92 “Devotion” features Robert van Koesveld’s intimate portrait of Tsunekazu, a senior geiko (as geisha are known in Kyoto) of the Gion Higashi geisha district. He was able to gain the trust of the karyukai, or “flower and willow world,” through repeated visits to Kyoto in the company of his translator. His book, Geiko & Maiko of Kyoto, explores all phases of the geisha life cycle, from her debut to old age, along with profiles of the proprietors of okiya (geisha houses) and ochaya (tea houses), teachers, dressers, hairdressers, kimono merchants and others who comprise a complex artistic ecosystem. A psychotherapist by training, he strove in this portrait to capture the quality of “presence” characteristic of a mature geiko, of which, he emphasizes, eroticism is only one element.  

Van Koesveld points out that while apprentice geisha, or maiko, garner the most attention, the “true artistry” of the geisha tradition is found “in the less ostentatious geiko.” Drifting into the profession in the wake of her vivacious older sister, Tsunekazu was rigorously trained as a dancer, but did not find her artistic calling until she outgrew “princess” roles and found she relished the un-glamorous character roles. When her two sisters married and left the okiya, Tsunekazu felt obligated to stay on. Working as an independent geisha, or jimaesan, during the boom years from 1960–1990, wealthy family businesses with generous expense accounts were plentiful and she had the luxury of performing for customers who were cultivated and discerning. As she grew older and her regular clients grew feeble and fewer in number, she worked mainly as a skilled jikata. or shamisen player, accompanying younger geiko and maiko. However, dancing in the yearly Odori recitals put on by each kagai, or geisha district, is what she lives for to this day. She remains a key shamisen player in her district and recently performed a solo in their annual Odori.

These photographs capture Tsunekazu’s poised elegance while serving as a visual testament to the years of rigorous training and discipline that underlie the geiko’s artistry.