Page 169 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

K Y O T O CIT Y  167

Geisha, Geiko, and Maiko

Geisha are female professional entertainers whose knowledge of traditional arts, skill at
verbal repartee, and ability to keep a secret win them the respect, and sometimes love,
of their well-heeled and often influential male clients. The profession, dating from the
17th century, is in decline and blurred by the activities of so-called onsen geisha and
others who offer more sex ual than classical arts, or who are more glorified waitress than
geisha. Kyoto’s proud geisha prefer the term geiko (child of the arts). Less polished than
their geiko “sisters,” maiko, apprentice geisha, are a Kyoto-only phenomenon. The city has
four geisha enclaves: Gion-kobu, Pontocho, Miyagawa-cho, and Kamishichi-ken. Public
dances are staged in each district in spring and fall. At other times, the only way to see
geisha perform is at private functions, often held at ryotei, ochaya, and ryokan (upscale
restaurants, teahouses, and inns).
Pontocho, one
of Kyoto’s historic
The white face geisha districts, has
and delicately many ochaya, where
shaped red lips geisha are booked
are classic ideals to entertain
of beauty in Japan.
prestigious clients.
Under-kimono
Ornamental hairpins
vary with the seasons.
A maiko’s hair is her
own, not a wig.
The nape of the neck,
accentuated by the
unpainted part, is
The obi (sash) of considered sensuous.
a maiko hangs
down at the back.
Embroidered collar
The Maiko Costume
Only in Kyoto do young women training to be geiko
wear their hair in a distinctive style and sport a unique
costume featuring a long, hanging obi, tall koppori
clogs, and an under-kimono with an embroidered
collar. When becoming a fully-fledged geiko, they
exchange the embroidered collar for a white one,
Tabi socks a transition known as eri-kae, or collar change.

The geisha world moves to
the rhythm of the shamisen,
a three-stringed instru- Poised and
ment that originated in posture-perfect,
Okinawa. Geisha who Umegiku, of the
choose not to specialize Kamishichi-ken district,
in dance will instead performs class ical dance
master the shamisen or with a fan as prop. For
another instrument. The more for mal occasions
skills of older geisha she will paint her face and
are held in high regard. wear a different kimono.
The fall dance of the maiko

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