Selects: Why Japan’s Geisha are disappearing in the social media age

You don’t usually think of Japan’s geisha as being an industry, but it is. In fact, strictly speaking, it’s a cartel. A cartel that is now being disrupted by internet-based booking agencies and low-cost substitutes. It seems that even geisha are not immune to internet-based disintermediation.

In this special interview Sayuki, Japan’s only geisha who also holds an MBA, explains the business model behind geisha. We talk about the way things used to be, the current threats that have many geisha concerned that the traditional art form and the lifestyle will not survive, and how some geisha houses are trying to adapt.

This is a rare, behind the scenes look at the business of being a geisha and a chance to see how Japan’s geisha might survive and even thrive in the coming digital age.

It’s a fascinating discussion, and I think you’ll enjoy it.


Show Notes for Startups

How Sayuki broke 100 years of tradition to become a geisha
How geisha are being challenged by both the entertainment and tourism industries
Changing geisha from a private art to a public one
Why geisha might not survive the modern era of tourism
The geisha cartel is being challenged, and why that's not good for anyone
The challenge modern geisha face on social media
The changes in training for the next generation of Japan's geisha




Links from the Founder

Sayuki's home page 
Follow her on twitter @sayukiofasakusa
Become her patron on Patreon
Follow her on Facebook
Book a geisha experience

Geisha Banquet in Tokyo
Private Custom Shopping Tour with a Geisha
Private Lunch with Sayuki
Kimono Shopping
Tokyo Tour



[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="7994466"] Leave a comment
Transcript


Welcome to Disrupting Japan. Straight talk from Japan's most successful entrepreneurs.

I'm Tim Romero and thanks for joining me.

I’ve got a great Selects show for you today. We sit down and talk with Sayuki a geisha. An actual geisha. and she also holds an actual MBA from Oxford.

It’s a great conversation that breaks down the business model of running a geisha house, and it's a lot more complex than you might imagine. A lot of people talk about disrupting traditional business models, but this is a truly traditional business model. And we also talk about how the Internet and social media is threatening to complexly destroy it.

There are a lot of people wondering if geisha will survive this. In fact, there are a lot of geisha wondering if geisha will survive this.

It’s a story involving centuries-old cartels in new turf wars, counterfeit goods knowingly being sold over the internet, and the challenge of getting maiko off their social media accounts long enough to train them.

Although that last one is both a problem and a potential revenue stream. Anyway, please enjoy the conversation, and I’ve got an update for you at the end of the show.

Intro
Today I’ve got something really special for you. We are going to talk about the kind of business that you’ve probably never heard any details about. Today we’re going to sit down and interview Sayuki, a Geisha. And since this is Disrupting Japan, we’ll be talking about the business side of being a Geisha. We’ll look at the Geisha business model and examine how it’s being disrupted by modern technology. And believe me, it really is.

Now, listeners outside Japan might not understand how special this opportunity is. Traditionally, Geisha are not really supposed to talk about their business. Geisha create the illusion of comfort, beauty, and elegance, that is unsoiled by such base things as money. But make no mistake about it; it’s an illusion. Geisha is a very serious business and Sayuki, who also has an MBA from Oxford, has agreed to sit down and walk us through it.

In fact, from a business point of view, Geisha are an established cartel that are being disrupted by new technology, the internet, and tourism websites in particular,