What services do geishas provide?

Geisha (芸者) (/ˈɡeɪʃə/; Japanese: [ɡeːɕa]), also known as geiko (芸子) (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or geigi (芸妓) are a class of female Japanese performing artists and entertainers trained in traditional Japanese performing arts styles, such as dance, music and singing, as well as being proficient conversationalists and hosts.

What things does a geisha have to do during training?

Geisha study the arts at a kaburenjo — a school dedicated to the training of geisha. This school may also house a theater where geisha give their rare public performances. During the course of her studies, a geisha learns how to play the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument that is strummed with a large pick.

Do geishas dance?

Take a seat for the annual geisha dance shows in Kyoto. Every year Kyoto’s geisha districts hold dance festivals, giving locals and visitors lucky enough to obtain tickets the chance to see the geisha in their full splendour with vibrant kimono and beautiful hair arrangements.

Do geisha sell their bodies?

A geisha did not sell her body or rely on sex for her income; rather, she sold her skills and company. Many prostitutes began to refer to themselves as ‘geisha girls’ to American military soldiers and thus, the term geisha for males lost popularity and the traditional geishas reputation was lost.

What do Maikos do?

A Maiko, also called Hangyoku (meaning “half-jewel”), is an apprentice Geisha. Like Geisha, they perform various arts such as odori (traditional Japanese dances), the Shamisen or the Koto (traditional Japanese instruments) for visitors during feasts.

Can geisha get married?

Geisha cannot get married. The rule of this profession is “being married to the art, not a man”. If they want to get married, they have to quit the job.

Are geisha allowed to marry?

Can a geisha have children?

Geiko are allowed to have children and Maiko aren’t necessarily “forbidden” (you can’t ever forbid people from getting pregnant in genereal) from having children, but it’s very very rare today. Maiko are 15 to 21, sometimes 22, and the vast majority of them doesn’t want to have children yet anyways.