history of geisha

Geisha (often known as “geiko” in Kyoto) are Japanese female entertainers–primarily hostesses and performers–whose origins run hundreds of years into Japan’s medieval past. Geishas normally lived in a house with other entertainers–often owned by a retired (or particularly famous) geisha, who could afford to pay for the lavish kimono and other adornments geisha wore during their evening activities. Many of these kimono were heirlooms, passed down from mother to daughter or from master to apprentice. (The price for a single geisha kimono and adornments was often more than a samurai warrior earned in a year.) Geishas passed on their knowledge by taking apprentices–either their daughters, or girls