My customer celebrated my 1st anniversary as a geisha.

One of my friends is a journalist who likes traditional Japanese culture.
When I told him about my big job-change he was really surprised, however he said to me that he would support me.

Last August, which was the first month since I quit my previous job,  I wasn't called to many ozashiki parties because I was a new geisha. So I asked him to help me.

Although he was very busy, he contacted many people, most of who were in management positions.
In December the first ozashiki party, which he had organized for me, was held.

At that ozashiki party, I met one guy, who runs an electronic company.
At that time, he and I just exchanged name cards.
Let me call him Mr.X.

However soon after that ozashiki party, my friend said to me that Mr.X also wanted to hold an ozashiki party.
So on his behalf, I organized the ozashiki party.

I didn't know the reason why Mr.X wanted to hold the ozashiki party until the actual day.
When I discovered his purpose, I was really surprised.

Mr.X invited his company's managers to the party. Before the day, he distributed some information about the geisha culture to the party's guests.
Mr.X seemed to have an affinity for our culture, so he wanted his guests to understand more about us.

When I saw the information that Mr.X had prepared, I was shocked, because he had highlighted many points.

I and my geisha sisters, whom I had asked to help me, entertained our new customers with our best performance.

After the ozashiki party, I mailed Mr.X a small gift. He quickly replied to my letter.
When I read his letter, I was surprised again.

Mr.X quickly gathered managers who had attended the party, and told them about my letter.
He wanted to show them that my letter was an excellent example of expressing gratitude in a business situation.

Actually it was my first time to communicate with a customer in such a deep way.
I was very impressed.
I also expressed gratitude to my friend who had introduced us.

Since then, our business relationship has been growing.

On my new year's card, I told Mr.X about my upcoming 1st anniversary as a geisha.
So he held an ozashiki party again.

At that ozashiki party, my geisha mother and another experienced geisha sister were also invited, because my friend wanted to talk to them after seeing their dance at a performance, to which I had invited him.

However I thought that in the geisha world, it's impertinent for a new geisha directly call her geisha mother and experienced geisha sister, so I asked my friend to contact my geisha mother directly instead of me.

In addition, I asked Mr.X not to celebrate my 1st anniversary at that ozashiki party.

At that ozashiki party my geisha mother asked me to play the shamisen, and she also asked me to perform "Rakugo", a Japanese comic story, so I was really glad.

After the ozashiki party all guests seemed to be satisfied with our entertainment.
Some of them even went to the after party.

At the after party we enjoyed talking, however when we finished the party, Mr.X wanted my friend, my geisha sister and I to remain.

He said that he had wanted to celebrate my 1st anniversary with just a few people, however my journalist friend had invited many people, so Mr.X couldn't celebrate my anniversary.
He wanted my friend and geisha sister's approval for him to support me.
When I heard what he said, I felt like crying.

Mr.X continued with a metaphor that I was like a satellite which is ready to be launched into the atmosphere. He said that the satellite might burn out, when it enters the atmosphere. However if it successfully goes through the atmosphere, it will orbit around the earth.

Mr.X said that untill I go through the atmosphere without harm, he wanted to support me.
When I heard his words, I was really glad.

To tell the truth, my 1st anniversary was not so important for me, however I was very happy, because someone had shown affection and appreciation of me as a geisha.
My geisha sister also sent me an encouraging email after the party.

On that day, I decided to do my best even more.