"The Myth of Geisha"
By David C. Culp

Shockingly white make-up covering all exposed skin. Blood red lips. High, painted-on eyebrows. Elaborately coiffed raven hair piled on top of her head. Elegant layers of silk kimono tightly wrapped around her, held together by the pillow shaped sash known as obi (oh-bee). Mysterious. Sensual. Geisha. And not a prostitute.

The geisha (gay-shuh) girl is an internationally recognized symbol of Japan. She is so well known, in fact, that many people think Japanese women look this way all the time. This is not true. Japanese women wear jeans and T-shirts, dresses and high heels, get tans and dye their hair. Kimono are only worn on special or ceremonial occasions.

Interestingly, what the rest of the world knows as geisha is actually called geiko (gay-ko) inside Japan. Geiko is an ancient and highly respected profession. The women are extensively trained in the arts of conversation, music, dance, calligraphy and origami. The bedroom activities are left to a different group of girls.

A typical evening with a geiko would be as follows: An elaborate and beautifully conceived dinner is served to guests over a period of a few hours. During this time, the geiko sit by the guests and entertain them with conversation. They tell jokes, perform little tricks, fold intricate origami and generally make the guests feel comfortable and happy. They also serve drinks, light cigarettes, hold on to car keys (this is a relatively recent addition to their duties), and take care of any concerns the guests may have so that they can completely relax. During and after dinner, one or more geiko may play the shamisen (a traditional Japanese stringed instrument) or the flute while others dance. But eventually the evening winds down and the guests go off to do whatever it is that guests do after dinner.
Three hundred years ago, geiko and geiko houses were found all over Japan. The most famous geiko were sought by kings and emperors. Today, there are few left. The most famous geiko district is located in Gion, in the center of Kyoto. Here, lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of maiko (my-ko, apprentice geiko) disconcertingly clacking their way across a six lane road in their wooden sandals. They move quickly and shyly, and then vanish back into time that temporarily mistook today for centuries ago.

Generally, real geiko don’t serve foreigners (non-Japanese) without a formal introduction from a known client. There are some that cater to tourists, but these are more show than tradition. Consult the local tourist bureau if you are traveling in Japan. However, for those lucky enough to be entertained by geiko remember: They are trained to please your heart, mind and soul, and have thousands of years of experience behind them. But there are older professions.
David Culp is a free lance writer who recently returned from teaching English in Japan. He’s quickly realizing that free lance means poor.