Mizuage (水揚げ)

Mizuage (literally "raising the waters") was a ceremony once considered essential in the progression of a maiko (young apprentice training to become a geisha). Traditionally, it symbolized her transition into adulthood, a rite that marked she was ready to leave behind the child she had been.

At the heart of it, though rarely admitted aloud in modern retellings, mizuage often involved the first sexual experience of the maiko. A wealthy patron, chosen not necessarily by the girl but by those who thought they knew better, would offer a substantial sum in exchange for this honor. The transaction, veiled in tradition and ceremony, was spoken of as if it were something beautiful. In practice, well... beauty is subjective.

It was said that afterward, the girl would be more respected, closer to the refined elegance expected of a geisha. That she would understand more. That she had crossed a threshold. And perhaps, in some way, she had.

Today, this practice is no longer considered acceptable and has been officially abolished. Many choose to believe it no longer defines what it means to be a geisha. And they’re right, of course. Still, for those who lived through it... some waters, once raised, never settle again.