People & Culture - Kyoto - page 367

Due to the extensive training she receives, a maiko or geiko is like a living museum of
Japanese traditional culture. In addition to her skills, the kimono she wears and the orna-
ments in her hair and on her obi (kimono sash) represent the highest achievements in
Japanese arts.
While young girls may have been sold into this world in times gone by, these days, girls
make the choice themselves. The proprietor of the okiya will meet the girl and her parents
to determine if the girl is serious and if her parents are willing to grant her permission to
enter the world of the geisha (the okiya makes a considerable investment in terms of train-
ing and kimonos, so they are loath to take girls who may quit).
Once a maiko completes her training and becomes a geiko, she is able to move out of
the okiya and live on her own. At this point, she is free to have a boyfriend, but if she gets
married she has to leave the world of the geisha. It's easy to spot the difference between a
maiko and a geiko - geiko wear wigs with minimal ornamentation (usually just a wooden
comb), while maiko wear their own hair in an elaborate hairstyle with many bright hair or-
naments called kanzashi . Also, maiko wear elaborate long-sleeve kimono, while geiko
wear simpler kimono with shorter sleeves.
Maiko and geiko entertain their clients in exclusive restaurants, banquet halls, 'tea-
houses' (more like exclusive traditional bars) and other venues. An evening of maiko/
geiko entertainment usually starts with a kaiseki meal (Japanese haute cuisine). While
their customers eat, the maiko/geiko enter the room and introduce themselves in Kyoto
dialect. They proceed to pour drinks and make witty banter with the guests. Sometimes
they even play drinking games and we can tell you from experience that it's hard to beat
geisha at their own games! If it's a large party with a jikata (shamisen player), the girls
may dance after dinner.
As you might guess, this sort of entertainment does not come cheap: a dinner with one
maiko, one geiko and a jikata might cost about US$900, but it's definitely worth it for a
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is an entertaining fictional account of the life of a Kyoto
geisha.
Knowledgeable sources estimate that there are perhaps 100 maiko and just over 100
geiko in Kyoto. It's impossible to arrange private geisha entertainment without an intro-
duction from an established patron. However, these days, geisha entertainment can be ar-
ranged through top-end hotels, ryokan and some cultural organisations in Kyoto.