Geisha

A geisha starts training young, and the training takes years. In Kyoto, people call a trainee a maiko. She lives and studies in an okiya, a geisha house. There she learns classical dance, singing and the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument. She also learns how to serve tea, how to talk with guests and how to keep a party running smoothly. After years of practice, a maiko becomes a full geisha. Her makeup turns simpler, and her kimono grows quieter in colour and cut. The whole system rests on this long apprenticeship. Older masters pass on their skills slowly, one student at a time.

Outside Japan, many people confuse geisha with something they are not. A geisha entertains with her skills. She is not a sex worker, and respected geisha houses draw a firm line here. Gion, the old geisha district of Kyoto, is still the most famous place to see one. In full dress, she hurries from one appointment to the next. There are far fewer geisha today than a century ago, when they numbered in the tens of thousands. Those who remain keep a demanding, disciplined tradition alive. Japan sees them above all as skilled performers.