Marie Claire: Japan's First Western Geisha

When this month's Marie Claire magazine was delivered, I immediately noticed a cover story that I wanted to read right away. It said, "New Country, New Job: I became a geisha".

Flipping to the story, I saw a picture of a beautiful Australian woman with red hair in her kimono sitting on train with men and women from Japan. An obvious outsider. Her name is Fiona Graham, but she goes by her Geisha name, Sayuki, which means transparent happiness. She made her formal debut as a Geisha in 2007.

The article is an interesting look at the Geisha lifestyle and what it took for Graham to become a part of it. Graham initially started the training to become a Geisha as a project to make a documentary about the life of a Geisha. She wanted to set the facts straight after the book "Memoirs of a Geisha" was released. But Sayuki's plans now? To continue the life as a Geisha indefinitely.

Geisha's are obviously known for their beauty and femininity, yet so little is known about what it is like to be a Geisha. The story is so intriguing that I think Graham should write a book on her experience.

Definitely pick up the December 2009 issue of Marie Claire to read the story, and if you'd like, you can visit Sayuki's website to learn more about her.