Books

Geisha by Liza Dalby For many this is the reference book that got them interested in the Geisha world, possibly on the back of reading Memoirs of a Geisha. Liza Dalby was a graduate student in anthropology who travelled to Kyoto and embedded herself in the Pontocho hanamachi as a …

Geisha in Japanese Fiction Rivalry: A Geisha’s Tale A faithful adaptation of a Japanese novel that follows the story of former geisha Komayo who must return to the flower and willow world after her husband dies leaving her in poverty. A wonderful peek into Meiji period geisha live and a …

The Gei of Geisha: Music, Identity and Meaning (Soas Musicology) The book elaborates how musical art is an essential part of the identity of the Japanese geisha rather than a secondary feature, and locates current practice within a tradition of two and half centuries. The book opens by deconstructing the …

Geisha by Tina Skinner Using a wealth of vintage photographic material this book covers historic views of geisha and the pleasure districts during the early 20th Century. The geisha are treated as an exotic beauty brought to the West by trade and imperialism. Through the historic images detailed analysis is …

Lonely Planet Japan (Country Travel Guide) The best travel guide on the market, this was my original book when I first started travelling to Japan. Full maps, hotel reviews, sites and more. Great instructions on how to get to many tourist destinations. A must buy for the first traveller.   …

The Sugawara Akitada series is another historical crime series set in the Heian period of Japan where the court was first starting to establish a more recognisable Japanese flavour still clinging to the Xian Confucian style teachings and cultural norms. The Heian period is probably best known for the classic …