Nowadays, geisha are not as popular in Japan as they used to be. Tourists can still see geiko (the name Kyoto people often use) or maiko (apprentice geisha) on the central streets of the five geisha districts in the ancient capital of Kyoto. One of them, Gion district, is probably the place where tourists can most easily see geisha. In the photo, a female tourist quickly took a picture of a maiko on her way to an appointment with a customer.
When appearing in public, maiko often wear flower-shaped hairpins on their heads, while geisha do not.
"Geisha are aware that they are a special part of Japanese culture and attract a lot of attention. People need to respect them," said Avi Lugasi, director of a travel agency in Gion. He often helps his clients choose angles to photograph geisha without offending them.
A real geisha serving tea during the Kyoto Cherry Blossom Festival. In addition to meeting and chatting with customers, they also accept invitations to participate in local festivals.
A maiko’s kimono sash is long and almost touches the ground, while a geisha’s is neatly folded into a square on her back. Maiko spend at least five years learning the art of tea ceremony, conversation, flower arrangement, and musical instruments before they are officially recognized as a geisha.
Occasionally, maiko will wear high-heeled clogs like the one pictured. Geisha always wear flat clogs.
A corner of hanamachi (flower street) where geisha and maiko often live.
Every day, at around 5:45 p.m., tourists gather in large numbers on Hanami-koji Street in the Gion district, hoping to take photos of the geisha. This is the time when the geisha begin working.
A female tourist dressed as a geisha is sightseeing in the Sagano Bamboo Forest. According to Avi Lugasi, many Japanese people can apply makeup to become real geisha. However, tourists have a hard time fooling people when they dress up as geisha.
