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If this book were called Memoirs of a Barista or Memoirs of a Cubicle Worker it wouldn't have been quite the sensation that it was. One of the reasons Memoirs of a Geisha was so popular when it came out is because it opened a window into the super-secret world of the geisha. Geisha weren't on AOL back then (1997 was a simpler time) revealing all their secrets, so for many people, this book served as an introduction to their unique customs.
Geisha keep their rituals and traditions a secret because the mystique is a major part of their image. Without it, they would not be as popular. Geisha would not exist without mystery.
To a Westerner, Japan in the 1930s was an isolated nation with many unusual customs. The geisha are even more isolated, and therefore even stranger.