Dimensions
159 x 241 x 35mm
It is hard to imagine the storm of excitement Sadayakko created when she toured the United States and Europe in 1899. Here for the first time was a real geisha - not just that, but the most celebrated geisha in Japan, so beautiful that the prime minister of the day paid a fortune to deflower her. Now, at the age of twenty-seven, she was launching herself into a new career as Japan's first actress.
Sadayakko (1871-1946) was Japan's first international superstar. From the USA to Europe, audiences thrilled to her mesmeric acting and exquisite dancing. In Washington she danced for President McKinley, in London for the Prince of Wales, in Vienna for Emperor Franz Josef and in St Petersburg for Tsar Nikolai II. Picasso painted her and Puccini modelled 'Madame Butterfly' on her. She was a sensation.
Sadayakko's story plays out against the background of the beguiling era when Japan and the west were meeting each other for the first time. And Sadayakko was on the cusp of this collision of cultures. This is the true story of her life and loves and her struggle to carve out a life for herself in a world in which women were supposed to be subservient to men. Geisha, actress, mistress - this is the story of a life lived passionately.
