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Anorak News | Fiona Graham Is Japan’s First Western Geisha

Fiona Graham Is Japan’s First Western Geisha

by | 7th, January 2008

AS reported: “A Western woman has been allowed to enter the mysterious world of Japan’s geisha for the first time.”

Fiona Graham, originally from Melbourne, first came to Japan at the age of 15 on a school exchange programme.

Fiona Graham makes her debut as Sayuki, the first Western woman to become a geisha

Impressed by the culture, she graduated from a Japanese high school, attended Keio University and then Oxford before completing a doctorate in social anthropology.

“I started my geisha training in April and it has been a long year because it took more time than I expected to be able to make my debut,” she said.

“Even though I have been in Japan a long time and have a good grasp of the culture, this has been very difficult.”

True to tradition, Sayuki – her professional name – will not reveal her age…

Most just go on an exchange programme and get off with some of the locals and buy cigarettes. But Fiona is from Oz. She’s the geisha in the white face paint – aka the sun block…



Posted: 7th, January 2008 | In: Strange But True Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink