This documentary is so beautiful mainly because Yukina is a very strong, sensitive and determined young girl. When her mother read the letter, I was tearing up. She must miss her so much but be so proud. It shows.

When Yukina's mother read the note and cried, I cried too. It doesn't help that she looks a lot like my own mother... Damn, I want to hug my mother... I want to wake her up and cry on her shoulder but I want her to sleep in, too... What do I do...

When the mom cried, I cried too. It's hard to miss your mom. :'(

I know it's such a silly thing to admire out of the massive amount of skills a geisha has, but I'm always impressed by how smoothly they kneel and rise. I try and I look like a wounded buffalo.

I love how Yukina turned around and said "Konichiwa!" and the old lady was like "Konichiwa..." but probably thinking *wtf?* lol

I have watched this about a thousand times and I don't see myself ever getting tired of it. ^^

Her determination and focus is truly admirable.

The okaasan looked stunning. When she was younger!

"If you fail, it is your sister who will take the blame." Uhh, NO PRESSURE!

thankyou for sharing this beautiful video. ^^

superb. ty for the vid. Miko are the most beautiful ppl in this world. Such a superb insight to their world, its spell binding. Ty.

Kikuyu san had her erikae (became a fully fledged geiko) on 22nd December 2009. UNFORTUNATELY she left the profession in December 2012

Shows humbelness and respect. Japanese tradition for geisha and professions like it.

I think she is still Yukina for her friends and certainly for her mother, but she is making a point. The subtitles erased that and write just "Yukina" at that time 2:29. Maybe they thought we would too dumb to remember who is Kikuyu...

Did she really only have five months to learn the flute?? That would be insanely hard, just by itself...

Just sth that came to my attention after so many times I watched this. Youkina dances the Gion Kouta dance around 5:29. She dances very well.:)

LMFAO. Oh my, every time I think of a Match Maker I think of the one from Mulan. xDD Best scene ever!

頑張ってもなれない人もいるだろうな～と思いましたわ。 努力してもなれない世界を感じます。

omg,I know that song!! Zero 7-the waiting line

gah~ I cried when her mum was reading her letter T^T sigh~

Yes, I DO believe that these are highly trained, professional young ladies (and NOT the "high-class call-girls" that the west, ignorantly, believed them to be) but, as I sat and watch that scene of her friends on their night out, I couldn't help thinking that even the Japanese themselves don't seem to be too sure about the physical aspect of the job - or, if indeed, there even is one....albeit in a very limited one!!! (Or is it just something people don't talk about - mm...I don't know...!!)

Kikuno is so pretty :)

It was so sweet when she greeted the old lady

How amazing these girls are. True character is needed to be a geisha

Man,I just LOVE those sliding doors! TT^^TT

I like when Yukina sings gion kouta and dances in front of the mirror *^-^*

the pain of her mother

It would be interesting to do an update and see how she's doing ... both her and her Maiko sister.

Please tell me she became a Maiko successfully I'm binge watching this and I'm rooting for her so hard

I started crying when the mom was reading the note...

she's full geiko now!

Yukina (aka Kikuyu) looks good with her hair up like that at 5:00

Wait is that karaoke song to an anime?! What song is it?! Please tell me!😆. Please and thank you!

Everyone is saying how much they want to become a geisha. But can't you see, that the life of a geisha is literally living a life that's not yours anymore? You give up your freedom, and for those who have been used to freedom their entire lives, that's not a concept that's easily grasped. Even if I was a Japanese girl, I would definitely not ever want to be a geisha for this reason.

I'm playing the ney, not exactly the same kind of flute but the thing is that it's only wood with nothing inside too. Everything depends on the axe and breath. And even if I found the sound really quickly, in bad days it goes off really easy. Good and bad days for this are really important I mean

What is Yukina friend eating at 6.57....it looks delicious!! :) very intriguing documentary!

I wonder what happened with the other shikomi in 0:06 . I wonder if they are geiko now,too, as Kikuyu.

kaneyama in fukushima right? subarashii *0* maybe she can help entertain the people there so they feel more happy >_<

She looks so beautiful in her kimono

attackofdameepits i understand what you are saying but it has the same concepts and to me the movie and the book were great. same to you derbydaiquiri

what is the dance she is practicing at the begining? I have seen it before and the what images it is suppose to envoke. But I dont know what its called. and while I'm at it how many different dances do geisha have to learn.

okay, the food they re eating is sad😥

When her letter reaches her mother the subtitles tell you she signed it "Yukina" but as her mother is reading it she says it is signed "Kikuyu"... Just something I noticed.

6:57 Whats the song? D: I KNOW ITS from johnys i just dont know the name ;-;

I know because I found a scroll similar to the one she stood near in Geisha Show and she is taller XD

lol. her friends look like they're having a real blast at 6:46. XD

It's proper etiquette and kata, a set movement they are taught.

What's the tune at 1:28 - 1:48 please??? I love it.

現在でも伝統下、厳粛にして清い儀式があるのには身が引き締まる。

@derbydaiquiri Oh no way! Mine-chan is the 'memoirs of a geisha' person too??? I love Geisha: A Life. I own both of them, and read them every 6 months to a year. It's such a compelling story.

the oka-san is really pretty for her age( (Assuming over 50). Her geisha picture is gorgeous!

oh okay! thanks!

The toilet thing has been explained but they do have a sort of thingo they were at that time of the month. It's like those old pads you used to get that came with a belt to keep them in place, except they forgo the western panties, as they always do in kimono, that is, if you're wearing kimono traditionally, as Maiko and Geiko must.

@attackofdameepits oh ok thanks you. It seems they have a number dances that they learn and it seems like alot. but its just so pretty.

@gangster78038 You're right maybe. But I can also understand Yukinas real sister... It must be hard for her to know that her little sister goes her own way, while she still has no idea what she should do. I would be jealous too if my parents would tell to me constantly how proud they are of my little sister. But I'm sure she has found her own way now:-) (sorry for my bad english)

菊乃さんは、ほんまに格好ええわ❤

A bond that won't be broken until one of them dies, huh? That sounded kind of ominous to me, but that's just because I read Liza Dalby's book. Liza is the only American to have ever actually become a geiko. At the beginning of her book, Geisha, she describes the night her one-san, who was very close to her, died in a house fire. They also added a scene like that to the movie, American Geisha.

I now have a greater respect for the Maiko.

whats the name of the song and dance in the beginning? anyone know?

Hmm probably not. Most Maiko and Geiko greet people they see out in the Hanamachi, especially elders.

Well, they have to do it at work, so it's good practice to do it at home too.

I think that every gesha lover sometimes do this xD

"Til one of them dies" what? o.O

Heehee.. she said 'shedule' instead of 'schedule' at 9:35.

@KeepVermontWeird I think i'd pass the time practicing dances and stuff as well as just dancing to music for the sake of it, i'd draw and stuff like that. Sure i'd miss my life back home but id be persuing what I'd dreamed so id be focusing on the goal and its not like Yukina would never see them again, I get where you coming from but thats just what Id do to pass time.

@derbydaiquiri I guess the Hatsumomo in 'Memoirs', was in real life, Mineko's biological older sister who was sort of deranged and alcoholic?

I love her friends Karaoke night out. Hehe

That song is from zero7( waiting in line)

it is like etiquette.

@attackofdameepits i am satisfied with how far we have come, lets put it behind us

Why they have to get on their knees to close the doors?

ooph this is quite a tiring life

Would Yukina and Kikuno be bound still if Yukina didn't pass the exam?

I'm norwegian, and I'm upsessed with Japan!!! I totally LOVE the culture, the music, art, performing arts, geiko and so on!!!! But for some reason my father is upset with my, he thinks I should act more norwegian, but I don't want to!! If I love Japan, shouldn't I be allowed to? Please help me, someone

@Elindri i like mystery as well. but i don't find many guys who care about it. i try to be that way with my bf but he gets upset (not in a bad way upset). and when i was more mysterious guys never approach me.

respect and they are currently lower class then the geisha

@Riyen116 Memoirs of a Geisha is filled with multiple inaccuracies. Read Geisha by Liza Dalby, Kimono by Liza Dalby, Geisha A Life by Mineko Iwasaki and Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda (hot springs geisha).

It's a traditional Japanese custom, similar to bowing.

Well, just as a wedding, except that there is no divorce, and not re-wedding. So, yes, until one of them dies, in that sense.

does anyone know why they kneel before opening or closing the doors?

Can a geisha/maiko be white and american? or black? do they have geihsas in america?

"Garasu no shounen(a boy made from glass)" by Kinki Kids

There has been an American geisha before, actually. She was a brunette, but also very tall and overall large compared to Japanese women. I don't remember her name, but I'm sure you can google those keywords and find out about it.

There are some that are about 5' 5" actually so yes. Kikuno is an inch taller than I am and I'm 5' 3(1/2)"

She signed the letter to her mother "Kikuyu", not "Yukina"...

@Momiru159260 That's how people from the UK pronounce it.

Because from the moment she is given the name she is her original self no longer. OOOOooooOOOooo. Haha but no seriously, as it goes, from that point Yukina is gone and Kikuyu has begun.

@MsBabbi Ah! Relax, I love Japan too, I'm proud to be British but that dosn't mean I can't not love another country, I'm quite fond of India too ^^ Do what makes you happy, you can't go wrong then (within reason of course, no crime or anything) lol My parents think I'm a bit weird, but hey they love me, you only live this life once right? So make the most of it ^^ Be Norwegian AND love Japan, just be the best that you can be.

Even though, gaisha don't normally have time or energy for a relationship with a man/spouse, if I had the opportunity of living a gaisha life, I'd do it ^_^ Not only because of it's beauty or interest I have of it, but of the bund this video was explaining. How the two girls were bunded together as sisters until one die. I find that to be a very powerful relationship for a person :) I would choose a sister to sister bund over a wife and husband any day ^_^ To have that kind of strength. Pengu

Woooo IM IN!

It would be worth it for enough money

There was a 6 foot tall blonde English woman who was a maiko for a week XD look up Geisha Show 1/5. However, if you are looking to be a maiko or geiko there are a few different okiya in the U.S. However not all are reputable. If you google Kyouume Okiya you'll find our blog and wix home page.

.... Please cook me hamburgers when I come back....

Does anyone know where she is now?

The American geisha didn't go through the years of training like these girls. She was never a maiko or took dance training. She played the shamisen.

💖🇯🇵❤️🇧🇩💖

It's just used in extremely traditional environments.

me to.....

It's not that difficult, a squatting toilet is easier to use when you are wearing a kimono otherwise you just lift up one layer at the time and tie them.

Is it possible for a 6 foot tall blonde American to be a geisha? Ugh, sometimes I wish i was Japanese....