I understand your sentiment in writing, "It was nice to hear that women did have some freedoms, but sad to hear of "being used" and not treated with the same respect as men. It seems unfair that the Tomoe (woman warrior) could be trained like a man, and fight in battles but still have to endure sexism from the very men fighting alongside her.
I was surprised by the segment about Geishas. I learned that the Liu Shi period was just after the Mongol period and is regarded as the most "self-conscious" period in Chinese history, and especially of the Ming Dynasty.
I'd always viewed geishas as performers and prostitutes, but this session gave me a far greater sense of their role and their power in society. They were described as divas and were often well educated. I gained great insight into their world by the portrait of the "Lady East of the River." This shows a Geisha dressed like a man so she can sneak through the streets. This suggests their vulnerability, but also how enamored their society was with them. This is something that many celebrities do to avoid their fans.
I was also impressed by the ideas conjured by the notion of "Predators at a literati Party." This suggests that the women "steal men's essences" and are truly the ones who are empowered because they walk away with the man's sexual energy.
I also found it interesting very respectable that women during the Tokugawa period were better educated than their counterparts in Europe. [Edit by="jdavidman on Jun 30, 7:44:55 AM"][/Edit]
