Where are all the Geisha?

Geisha are professional hostesses who entertain guests through various performing arts such as music, singing, and dancing. Kyoto is considered by many to be where the geisha tradition is the strongest today. There remains some confusion, outside Japan, about the nature of the geisha profession. Geisha girls and women are not ordinary hostesses and are not prostitutes. Training to become a Geisha takes about 5 years in Kyoto.



When we were in Kyoto it was the time of year when the Geisha perform the annual dance, Miyako Odori. We attended the stage performance at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo theater. The dancing, costumes and make-up were beautiful. The music and singing must be an acquired taste because it didn't sound like the correct pitch to our western ears.






Before the performance we attended a tea ceremony where we were served the traditional thick green tea and japanese cake.