History
This page is the most important for understanding Sai. His story is also the story of Japan - from the opening of its doors in the late 19th century (after only ever having closed borders that allowed no foreign influence) to the devastation of the dropping of the atomic bombs.
This page is the most important for understanding Sai. His story is also the story of Japan - from the opening of its doors in the late 19th century (after only ever having closed borders that allowed no foreign influence) to the devastation of the dropping of the atomic bombs.
Sai's Timeline
November 29th, 1820 || Sai is born off the coast of Svalbard
August 3rd, 1821 || Due to hunting in their homeland, Sai's parents choose to leave Svalbard.
They decide to travel the world. Sai is not yet even 1 year old.
March 23rd, 1828 || Sai witnesses the Kiyomori Festival on Miyajima Island.
He becomes obsessed with Japanese culture and decided to become a geisha.
June 24th, 1868 || Sai runs from his parents to go live alone in Japan.
This year in history, Japan opened the port of Nagasaki to foreigners.
February 16th, 1870 || Sai leaves Nagasaki for the capital of Kyoto.
Upon arrival he moves into a geisha house and begins training as a maiko (apprentice geisha)
January 11th, 1874 || Sai has his collar turning ceremony, or erikae.
This means he is no longer a maiko, but a full geisha.
1875 || The famous torii gates pictured below are constructed.
Sai decides to work hard to pay off his debts so he can leave the geisha house.
December 1st, 1875 || Sai finally pays off his debts to his geisha house.
He is free to leave and work independently, so he heads to Miyajima Island.
July 31st, 1885 || Sai is hired to serve at a party for Emperor Meiji.
August 6th, 1945 || Hiroshima is bombed due to the events of World War II.
Sai leaves Miyajima Island for Tokyo, because he hates to see the death and destruction.
October 4th, 1961 || Sai decides to return to Miyajima.
November 4, 2013 || Sai meets his little brother Gamble.
Despite how much he dislikes his parents, he allows Gamble to move in with him.
November 29th, 1820 || Sai is born off the coast of Svalbard
August 3rd, 1821 || Due to hunting in their homeland, Sai's parents choose to leave Svalbard.
They decide to travel the world. Sai is not yet even 1 year old.
March 23rd, 1828 || Sai witnesses the Kiyomori Festival on Miyajima Island.
He becomes obsessed with Japanese culture and decided to become a geisha.
June 24th, 1868 || Sai runs from his parents to go live alone in Japan.
This year in history, Japan opened the port of Nagasaki to foreigners.
February 16th, 1870 || Sai leaves Nagasaki for the capital of Kyoto.
Upon arrival he moves into a geisha house and begins training as a maiko (apprentice geisha)
January 11th, 1874 || Sai has his collar turning ceremony, or erikae.
This means he is no longer a maiko, but a full geisha.
1875 || The famous torii gates pictured below are constructed.
Sai decides to work hard to pay off his debts so he can leave the geisha house.
December 1st, 1875 || Sai finally pays off his debts to his geisha house.
He is free to leave and work independently, so he heads to Miyajima Island.
July 31st, 1885 || Sai is hired to serve at a party for Emperor Meiji.
August 6th, 1945 || Hiroshima is bombed due to the events of World War II.
Sai leaves Miyajima Island for Tokyo, because he hates to see the death and destruction.
October 4th, 1961 || Sai decides to return to Miyajima.
November 4, 2013 || Sai meets his little brother Gamble.
Despite how much he dislikes his parents, he allows Gamble to move in with him.
Sai's parents lived in Svalbard when he was born, but throughout his youth humans came to the small island country more and more frequently, and hunting became a massive problem for animals, makoatl included. Their horns were particularly valued by natives, as well as their fins which were seen as a delicacy. So Sai's parents decided to leave Svalbard - they began travelling the world. They saw this more as a vacation than a true move, since they intended to return to Svalbard one day once hunting was not such a threat.
Sai's earliest memory is of Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima Island - the shrine island. During high tide, the shrine that this island is named for is completely surrounded by water and appears to float on the ocean. It is an extremely sacred place. At the time of his first visit, as a toddler, the famous torii gate (pictured above) was not yet constructed. This particular night, there was a festival occurring. The shrine was busy with beautiful boats, men and women in traditional clothing, food that overwhelmed his senses and made him drool, as well as so much laughter and shouting and joy. Young Sai was completely enthralled by the spectacle. However, one particular thing caught his eyes. Geisha. The women were on stage, their faces painted white and their lips painted red, and they resembled his markings so much! They carried traditional Japanese instruments and played for the whole crowd. In that moment, Sai's life was changed. He had seen the epitome of beauty. Geisha were graceful, mesmerizing, and confident. He was still too young to understand his draw to them, but they became an obsession for him that would determine the course of his future.
Sai's parents continued to travel, although it was hard on him, since he was so obsessed with Japan. His parents are very traditional Makoatl. They prefer living like makoatl always have, rather than taking up a more human life as some modern makoatl do. It was very hard to understand why their son was trying so hard to involve himself in the human world. In his father's eyes, his son was a failure. He figured that Sai was ashamed of his species and trying to change that, which was a direct offense to him as a proud makoatl. So there was tremendous stress on their relationship. Sai felt like he was just expressing his true self, but that meant to his father that he was denying his makoatl blood and turning away his family. At such a young age, this was devastating to Sai, who wanted nothing but his parents' love and support. This was denied him ever since he began studying Japanese culture and the world of the geisha.
The country of Japan had very strictly closed borders. They allowed no visitors into the country except for extremely special occasions, and on the other hand no Japanese citizen was permitted to leave the country either. They took in none of the western influences that were spreading across the rest of the world. However, when Sai was 39 years old (during a period of Japanese history called the Meiji Restoration), Nagasaki was finally opening its doors as a trade port, and Sai saw a way that he could actually enter the country and begin to live there. Despite that he was still so very young, barely able to live on his own, he ran away from his parents and swam to Nagasaki.
At the time, Nagasaki was full of Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese merchants. He began learning Japanese avidly, but he also picked up a great deal of these three languages, and can speak them now with some proficiency (he is also fluent now in English). Aside from the language, he threw himself into learning about tea ceremony, art, religion, and other aspects of traditional Japanese culture. After a couple of years, he jumped in a cart headed for the capital, which at the time was Kyoto. Kyoto also happened to be the place most geisha called home, so here he jumped out of the cart (before he could be discovered as a stowaway) and ran off to train under the geisha here. Kyoto is a landlocked city, so during his childhood he pined for the ocean. However, his training was so intense that he was unable to visit Nagasaki or any beach for a very long time.
By 1875, Sai had already graduated from a maiko (a geisha in training) to a full geisha and was working out of a geisha house, where he was allowed to live, eat food, and use their resources for a portion of his paychecks. However, at this point he heard of the giant torii gate being built at the shrine on Itsukushima Island. He remembered that this was the place where his story had begun, and he found it appropriate to return there. So he left the geisha house in Kyoto and traveled south, where he set his life up as a geisha on the shrine island. Many individuals disliked him for bringing his silly hobbies to the sacred place, but through donations to the shrine and being very respectful, Sai was able to gain their trust.
Miyajima Island is off the coast of the city of Hiroshima. He was living on this island when World War II broke out, and of course unfortunately was witness to the horrors of the bombing in Hiroshima. Unable to handled the nightmares he had witnessed, he fled to the new capital of Tokyo and built a home there. He did not return to Miyajima for many years. Following the war there was a decline in the number of geisha, as many of them had to turn to physical labor in order to support themselves and help their country. Sai seriously thought about quitting, but he wondered what he would do with his life. Being a geisha was the ultimate form of beauty and success for him. On top of that, as Japan became more and more modern and western, he realized it was his duty to uphold the Japanese traditions. So he returned to Miyajima Island reluctantly, and there he has lived ever since, although he does occasionally revisit his old home in Tokyo Bay.
Sai's earliest memory is of Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima Island - the shrine island. During high tide, the shrine that this island is named for is completely surrounded by water and appears to float on the ocean. It is an extremely sacred place. At the time of his first visit, as a toddler, the famous torii gate (pictured above) was not yet constructed. This particular night, there was a festival occurring. The shrine was busy with beautiful boats, men and women in traditional clothing, food that overwhelmed his senses and made him drool, as well as so much laughter and shouting and joy. Young Sai was completely enthralled by the spectacle. However, one particular thing caught his eyes. Geisha. The women were on stage, their faces painted white and their lips painted red, and they resembled his markings so much! They carried traditional Japanese instruments and played for the whole crowd. In that moment, Sai's life was changed. He had seen the epitome of beauty. Geisha were graceful, mesmerizing, and confident. He was still too young to understand his draw to them, but they became an obsession for him that would determine the course of his future.
Sai's parents continued to travel, although it was hard on him, since he was so obsessed with Japan. His parents are very traditional Makoatl. They prefer living like makoatl always have, rather than taking up a more human life as some modern makoatl do. It was very hard to understand why their son was trying so hard to involve himself in the human world. In his father's eyes, his son was a failure. He figured that Sai was ashamed of his species and trying to change that, which was a direct offense to him as a proud makoatl. So there was tremendous stress on their relationship. Sai felt like he was just expressing his true self, but that meant to his father that he was denying his makoatl blood and turning away his family. At such a young age, this was devastating to Sai, who wanted nothing but his parents' love and support. This was denied him ever since he began studying Japanese culture and the world of the geisha.
The country of Japan had very strictly closed borders. They allowed no visitors into the country except for extremely special occasions, and on the other hand no Japanese citizen was permitted to leave the country either. They took in none of the western influences that were spreading across the rest of the world. However, when Sai was 39 years old (during a period of Japanese history called the Meiji Restoration), Nagasaki was finally opening its doors as a trade port, and Sai saw a way that he could actually enter the country and begin to live there. Despite that he was still so very young, barely able to live on his own, he ran away from his parents and swam to Nagasaki.
At the time, Nagasaki was full of Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese merchants. He began learning Japanese avidly, but he also picked up a great deal of these three languages, and can speak them now with some proficiency (he is also fluent now in English). Aside from the language, he threw himself into learning about tea ceremony, art, religion, and other aspects of traditional Japanese culture. After a couple of years, he jumped in a cart headed for the capital, which at the time was Kyoto. Kyoto also happened to be the place most geisha called home, so here he jumped out of the cart (before he could be discovered as a stowaway) and ran off to train under the geisha here. Kyoto is a landlocked city, so during his childhood he pined for the ocean. However, his training was so intense that he was unable to visit Nagasaki or any beach for a very long time.
By 1875, Sai had already graduated from a maiko (a geisha in training) to a full geisha and was working out of a geisha house, where he was allowed to live, eat food, and use their resources for a portion of his paychecks. However, at this point he heard of the giant torii gate being built at the shrine on Itsukushima Island. He remembered that this was the place where his story had begun, and he found it appropriate to return there. So he left the geisha house in Kyoto and traveled south, where he set his life up as a geisha on the shrine island. Many individuals disliked him for bringing his silly hobbies to the sacred place, but through donations to the shrine and being very respectful, Sai was able to gain their trust.
Miyajima Island is off the coast of the city of Hiroshima. He was living on this island when World War II broke out, and of course unfortunately was witness to the horrors of the bombing in Hiroshima. Unable to handled the nightmares he had witnessed, he fled to the new capital of Tokyo and built a home there. He did not return to Miyajima for many years. Following the war there was a decline in the number of geisha, as many of them had to turn to physical labor in order to support themselves and help their country. Sai seriously thought about quitting, but he wondered what he would do with his life. Being a geisha was the ultimate form of beauty and success for him. On top of that, as Japan became more and more modern and western, he realized it was his duty to uphold the Japanese traditions. So he returned to Miyajima Island reluctantly, and there he has lived ever since, although he does occasionally revisit his old home in Tokyo Bay.