If you have read the book Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden or watched the movie based on the international bestseller a few years ago, you will have been enthralled by the fascinating Japanese historical tradition of Geishas (or geiko). With their remarkable lifestyle, colorful costumes, make up and unique profession, geishas lead a distinctive life that is intriguing to no end.

The common misconception of the Western world is that geishas are no better than trained ‘fille de joie’s, but this is a typical example of how we misconstrue many deep-rooted traditional facets of non-Western cultures. Geisha is a timeless art that has existed in Japan for hundreds of years. The word itself is a combination of ‘gei’ meaning performance or entertainment, and ‘sha’ meaning person.

Girls who become geishas go through very rigorous trainings from an early stage in life, it requires commitment, patience and the willingness to devote themselves to such a demanding discipline. When a young girl is accepted to become a geisha, she must first undergo an apprenticeship which alone takes about five to six years. During this period, the girl must live with an experienced head geisha and learn to perform house chores, customs, social skills along with attending various traditional music and dance lessons. Around six months later, the novice geisha is called a ‘maiko girl’ and is now allowed to accompany a Geisha on her appointments so that she can become acquainted with the customers and learn to socialize.

Geishas are called upon to entertain at banquets, business and social gatherings; they play traditional Japanese instruments, perform songs and dances and make the guests feel at comfort through their socializing skills. For them, the art of communication is a significant part of their profession. All geishas play traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen, and drums. They also learn calligraphy, literature and poetry. Thus, geishas are very cultured, graceful women trained at many traditional arts.

With the 21^st century came modernization, and the public interest in traditional art began to diminish, along with that and due to the exclusive and expensive nature of geisha, the old tradition began to decline. However today in Japan, there are still several cities like Tokyo and Kanazawa where the culture still survives, and serves as a huge attraction to tourists. The former Japanese capital city Kyoto remains the most popular and prestigious place to experience geisha.

Today, girls who aspire to become geishas move into special training houses typically at the age of fifteen, unlike during old times when girls were recruited at the age of four to six. If a tourist in Japan wishes to have geishas attend their events or dinners, they can do so through travel agencies and their hotels. A popular attraction in Kyoto these days is the opportunity to get dressed up as a maiko or a geisha in the city studios. It is even possible, although rare, to spot a maiko on the streets of the geiko districts in Kyoto in the evenings!

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