The flurry of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) discussions following the start of the 2025 Trump presidency reminded me of my most surprising encounter in 20 years in Japan: a male geisha! Respect to him for overcoming stringent Japanese traditions, respect to his community for making it happen, and respect to Tricolage travel agency for organizing a performance dinner with him in Tokyo. Nowhere else would we see a male geisha so I felt privileged in addition to greatly enjoying the evening!
He is the geisha wearing the black kimono on the photo in my Bluesky post. Due to the performance and number of guests, we only exchanged a few words but according to a comment:
[Geisha Eitarou-san’s] mother owned her own okiya, her encouragement is what allowed him to live this lifestyle, now he has inherited the okiya and remains successful.
Note: Okiyas are the establishments where geishas live and serve clients.
Bsky #DEI posts reminded me of my most surprising encounter in 20 years in #Japan: MALE #geisha in black! Respect to him for overcoming Japanese traditions, his community for making it happen, and Tricolage travel agency for organizing this performance dinner in Tokyo. #NowhereElse #SebastienPlus
— Sébastien Duval (@sebastienplus.bsky.social) 2 February 2025 at 13:00
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