memoirs of a geisha
the cat is already out of the bag

One comment I have about the novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" is that it is historically accurate. It accurately portrays a period in Japan that was a great deal more mysogynistic than it is today.  Japanese women, through centuries of mysogynistic practices, had indeed been reduced to the status of mere commodity.

To portray the plight of rural Japanese women in the period of "Memoirs..." in any less severe a manner would be inaccurate.

Then, the question becomes, how ethical is it to publish a book, or produce a film to portray a period in history from a different culture? My personal opinion is that it is OK as long as the treatment shows adequate sensitivity to the subject matter. As for the author of the novel, Arthur Golden, I believe he has failed albeit not entirely of his own fault.

A reader, who has no knowledge of modern Japanese history, may be in danger of taking the novel at face value and coming away with the impression that all Japanese women have no will of their own to pursue happiness. "Memoirs..." makes no effort at all to introduce the reader to the societal and psychological barriers that prevented women from actively pursuing happiness. To the end of making "Memoirs..." a fictional novel, that might have been impossible to do without sidetracking too much.

The novel is particularly damaging to the Japanese community, and especially to the geisha community, because of its raw treatment of sexual matters. There is no effort on the part of Mr. Golden to reconcile, or perhaps even understand how the different cultures regard sex. In Judao-Christian cultures, sex is regarded as far more insidious a sin than it is in Japanese culture. (It is difficult to justify this statement without getting into the subject of Orientalism.)

It was indeed unfortunate that "Memoirs..." might have been the first "study" many people around the world have encountered on geisha culture or the history of pre-WWII Japanese women.

It is far more unfortunate that "Memoirs..." is being adapted into a big-budget Hollywood film. The "perverse" sexual arrangements may even make it into the final cut, further adding to the negative stereotypes you have mentioned in your commentary.

On the flipside, "Memoirs..." can be credited to sparking interest in Japanese culture and history outside of the circle of history buffs. A small portion of readers and moviegoers are bound to be driven by curiosity to further their understanding and respect for Japanese culture.

The only way to turn back the misfortunes brought about by the novel would have been to not have it come out in the first place. That, I'm sure was impossible, seeing how marketable a subject matter the geisha are.

I would have preferred to let the cat out of the bag only after the world had a good understanding of the cat's disposition. On the other hand, that might have taken too long, and the cat might die of old age before it is let out. That would be bad, too.

Now that the cat is actually out of the bag, we can only hope to temper it by continuing to promote worldwide understanding. I think this should be done not so much by criticizing existing work, but more by creating copious work that emphasize the common ground. After all, cultural variation is a reflection of human condition; it is not a reflection of human nature.

Kentaro Kajino sent this piece here in response to the opinions published on this site. We thank him for his contribution and his permission to reprint his email. One day, we'll figure out how to set up a message board system.