Exploring my Japanese Identity

by Kira Teshima

Raising my chin slowly to peer into the mirror, I searched for my reflection only to find a snow white face, eyes and eyebrows lined in crimson and black, bee stung lips filled partially in the middle forming a dainty ruby red pout. This is the face and make-up we have come to associate with maiko and geisha. During my mother's visit to Kyoto this March, she and I shared the rare opportunity to dress up as geiko and maiko in Kyoto's Nishijin district, which boasts a long history of superior quality textile and kimono production.

Arriving at Nishiji-ori Kaikan I was eager to begin my metamorphosis into the immortal geisha. An older Japanese woman guided me into the dressing area and pointed to a zabuton on the floor in front of the vanity. Seated in front of the mirrored wall I stared at my plain reflection. The daughter of a Nikkei sansei father and a mixed Filipino mother, I examined my face and wondered what feature belonged to what heritage.

The woman who dressed me pulled my under-robe around my shoulders and began applying the white foundation all over my face, neck, chest, and nape areas. She left a line of bare skin around my hairline, giving the illusion of wearing a mask. The layer of makeup left a cool wet tingly sensation all over my skin. I lowered my head as her brush strokes ran across my back. On the nape of my neck she carefully left two "V" shape lines unpainted.

Then came the black eyeliner, red and pink eye shadow, and charcoal eyebrows. She rubbed rouge on my cheeks, pausing every now and then to take a glimpse at her masterpiece from a distance. The final step was the lips. I pressed my mouth shut as she skillfully painted the signature maiko lips with a thin brush.

Leading me to a rack of elegant kimono, she placed me in front of a full length mirror pulling robes from left and right. She searched quickly for the best match, holding the robes up to my chin examining me in the mirror and stopping to ask which color I preferred. The royal blue with butterfly detail was my final choice. Another woman joined her to assist in dressing me. Exquisite layers of silk kimono were wrapped and tucked as the two woman mechanically tugged at multiple ropes and strings from back to front. By the time I was fully dressed the weight of the robes and the restrictive nature of the obi had left me breathless and bound. Sliding my feet into the tall wooden geta my heart pumped nervously and I wondered how I'd manage to avoid from falling face forward.

Walking outside to take photos I could see my reflection traveling beside me in the glass display cases that lined the hallway. I was silenced by the dramatic transformation I had just experienced. There were no words for me to whisper to my mother as we posed together in front of the flashing cameras. I just stood there with my lips pressed closed and eyes fixed on the camera lens. For that single moment my physical reflection was as foreign to me as the first day I landed in the hectic pulsating city of Tokyo. Dressing up in full maiko attire was an extremely memorable and special experience. It is yet another moment where I was able to further explore my own identity as a Nikkei yonsei. Conversing with the local woman who dressed me and learning more about my Japanese heritage through this hands-on experience has left me with unforgettable memories of my stay here in Kyoto.