People & Culture - Kyoto - page 366

» Never touch or grab a geisha, or physically block their progress.
» No one likes to be mobbed by photographers or hounded as they walk down the street.
» If you really want to get close to a geisha, private tour agencies and high-end ryokan/hotels can arrange geisha
entertainment.
» Finally, if you are intent on getting a few photos of geisha, you will find plenty of 'tourist geisha' in the streets
of Higashiyama during the daytime. These are tourists who have paid to be made up as geisha. They look pretty
much like the real thing and they are usually more than happy to pose for pictures. For information on how you
can look like a maiko CLICK HERE .
Geisha
No other aspect of Japanese culture is as misunderstood as the geisha. First - and let's get
this out of the way - geisha are not prostitutes. Nor is their virginity sold off to the highest
bidder. Nor do they have to sleep with regular patrons. Simply put, geisha are highly
skilled entertainers who are paid to facilitate and enliven social occasions in Japan.
The origins of geisha are subject to some debate, but most historians believe that the in-
stitution started in the Edo Period (1600-1868). At this time, there were various types of
prostitutes who served men in the pleasure quarters of the large cities. Some became very
accomplished in various arts. Eventually there arose a class of young ladies who special-
ised exclusively in entertainment and who did not engage in sexual relations with clients.
These were the first true geisha, and over their years they became prized for their accom-
plishments in a wide variety of Japanese arts.
The best way to see geisha - a whole lot of geisha - is to attend one of Kyoto spring or au-
tumn geisha dances. For more information, CLICK HERE .
Kyoto is the capital of the geisha world. Confusingly, in Kyoto they are not called
geisha; rather, they are called maiko or geiko . A maiko is a girl between the ages 15 and
20 who is in the process of training to become a fully fledged geiko (the Kyoto word for
geisha). During this five-year period, she lives in an okiya (geisha house) and studies tra-
ditional Japanese arts, including dance, singing, tea ceremony and shamisen (a Japanese
stringed instrument). During this time, she will start to entertain clients, usually in the
company of a geiko, who acts like an older sister.