Japan, known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, is a place where the future collides with the past. It is a land of duality where the old and the new exist side by side. The Japanese archipelago consists of nearly seven thousand islands although it is the biggest four, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, which are widely known. Together the four islands make up most of the country’s land area. Japan is a nation steeped with culture and as some traditions fall by the wayside and are lost, others remain strong even in this day and age.
Geisha (also known as Geiko and Geigi) are traditional female hostesses (while seen strictly as a female job, male geishas do exist and male practitioners can be found even today) who entertain guests by employing their skills in various Japanese performance arts. Their origins can be traced to the latter part of the 600s, when educated girls would provide entertainment at social functions put on by the upper crust of society. The role of the geisha evolved over a long period of time. It is believed that geishas enjoyed their peak during the 18th century and although the art form declined in the 1900s, with the advent of World War II, the art form is currently seeing resurgence.
A lot of time and effort goes into training a geisha. In the olden days, this training would start at a young age with many girls starting their training before their tenth birthday. An apprentice is known as a maiko and must find an onee-san, or ‘older sister’, who will act as a mentor. The maiko’s training would primarily consist of watching and learning. The modern geisha is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan and plays an integral part in the local performance arts.
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