Shimizu Geigi

A small troupe of geishas called Shimizu Geigi came aboard to give a show tonight. Contrary to what some Americans think, Geishas are not ladies of the evening. On the contrary, they are professional entertainers who begin training at around 15 years of age. They must prepare for years to learn traditional Japanese music, dances, poetry and storytelling. The profession began in the sixteenth century. Geishas originally served as entertainers for the wealthy Japanese businessmen who made fortunes trading with the Dutch and Portuguese. Tonight’s performance ended with members of the audience joining the Geishas in a sixteenth-century game called “Tiger, Tiger.” (Tora, Tora). It is something like our game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” When the vocalist sings “Tiger, Tiger,” the participant assume the position of a tiger, a hunter, or an old woman. The hunter can kill the tiger. The tiger can kill the old woman. The old woman beats the hunter because she is his mother. Our friend Hamid was volunteered to play the game, and they all had the audience in stitches.Read more