Japenese History
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Japanese teahouses are parlours where people gather to entertain. Every teahouse has a hostess, whom is in charge of running and operating the teahouse. Teahouses are the most prominent place for geishas to entertain at.
As the name suggests, teahouses are also a place for the traditional tea ceremony to be held. This is a prominent skill of a geisha. The ceremony consists of a skilled practitioner ceremoniously preparing green tea to a small number of guests.
Teahouses also serve alcohol and meals, and frequently host dinner parties. When a geisha is needed to entertain guests, the hostess will contact the registry office, which holds the name and contact details of every geisha in the district. Some customers will be familiar with the teahouse and the geisha in the area, and may ask for a certain geisha to entertain.
The teahouse in the picture I have selected in surrounded by a garden, but many tea houses face the street. I have chosen to include a teahouse in my assignment because they are very important places to geisha. Often the geisha become friends with the hostesses of certain teahouses, along with the usual guests that visit there.
The Shamisen, which translates as Ðthree taste strings, is a three stringed instrument which has a vague resemblance to the guitar. It is an essential instrument for geisha to learn to play. It is strummed with a wooden plectrum, which is called a bachi. It is a very traditional instrument, and in modern Japan, it is not an instrument that is often played, nor is it often taught.
The Shakuhachi is also an instrument that geisha learn. While played, it is held down the body like a recorder unlike western style flutes, which are often held across. Traditionally made of bamboo, it is now also made in plastic versions.
The name Shakuhachi translates as Ð1.8 foot, which is the standard size of the