Japan Photo Guide

For general information about geisha and maiko continue reading below. If you want to know the best place to see geisha or maiko check out my other post.

Geisha, which literally means “doer of art,” today is a Japanese female entertainer whose profession includes music, dancing, communication and entertainment. There is a common misconception that geisha are prostitutes, this is not true. Maiko refers to a geisha in training. Geisha perhaps the most iconic symbol of Japan and if you are lucky enough to see one, they make for wonderful photographs; however, they are not so common anymore and Kyoto is pretty much the only place you can still see geisha or maiko in Japan; however, occasionally you can see some in Tokyo in places like Asakusa, Shimbashi and Kagurazaka. Here is a somewhat informative site about Geisha in Asakusa.

Geisha originated as skilled professional entertainers; originally most were male. Geisha used their skills in traditional Japanese arts, music, dance, and storytelling. As the artistic skills of high-ranking courtesans declined, the skills of the geisha, who were both male and female, became more in demand. Male geisha (sometimes known as hōkan) gradually began to decline, and by 1800 female geisha (originally known as onna geisha, literally “woman geisha”) outnumbered them by three to one, and the term “geisha” came to be understood as referring to skilled female entertainers, as it does today.

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