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"Bardsley moves past the reverent tone of the cultural gatekeeper to present maiko through television, art, cosplay, autobiographical texts, and more. This book will be appealing to college instructors for its discussions of race, gender, and nationality; yet a broad audience of readers will also relish its richness and humor."--Laura Miller, Ei'ichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies and Professor of History, University of Missouri-St. Louis
"This is the first book in English to focus on representations of the maiko, positioning these celebrated apprentice geisha at the fruitful intersection of gender studies, Japanese popular culture, research on childhood, and current debates over 'Japaneseness' and 'tradition' Maiko Masquerade is the rare scholarly study that is sophisticated, accessible, and a true delight to read."--William M. Tsutsui, author of Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization
List of contents
List of Illustrations
Preface: Why Study Maiko Stories?
Notes on Japanese Terms and Currency
Introduction: The Maiko, Kyoto’s Apprentice Geisha
1. The Maiko's Hanamachi Home
2. The Well-Mannered Career Path
3. Life in the Hanamachi: Voices of Maiko and Geiko
4. From Victim to Artist: Maiko Stories in Movies and Manga
5. Adventures of a Boy Maiko: There Goes Chiyogiku!
6. Hit a Homer, Maiko! Maiko Visual Comedy
Conclusion: The Ordinary Girl in the Maiko Masquerade
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Jan Bardsley is Professor Emerita of Asian Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is the author of Women and Democracy in Cold War Japan and the award-winning The Bluestockings of Japan: New Woman Essays and Fiction from Seitō, 1911–1916.
