What is Geisha? How Do They Entertain Clients?

In Kyoto, we say "Geiko" instead of "Geisha", but both have the same meaning.
It depends on regions to be said.
They are the females who entertain people with their many various skills to perform such as Japanese traditional songs, dances and instruments named "shamisen".

Do you know how to recognize the difference between "Geiko" or "Maiko"?

"Geiko" is to entertain clients with their performances, on the other hand, "Maiko" makes them have a good time with talking and playing games.

We can distinguish them by their sights, too.
Take a look at the following photo.

The left-side-girl with a long obi is "Maiko", and the another is "Geiko".

And we can understand it from their hair style, too.
"Maiko" does up with her own hair, but "Geiko" has a transformation, which isn't a real hair.
And "Maiko" has some decorations on her hair, but "Geiko"does very simple and plain ones. 

There are many "Maiko" in Kyoto, but almost of them are tourists pretending to be it. Real "Maiko" usually don't walk in the morning and afternoon, and they just go out to a Japanese restaurants where clients asked in the evening.

Next, do you know how many years to become a "Geiko"?
After the graduation of a junior high school, a girl decide to leave from her parents, live and  get many trainings in a Geiko house, or "Okiya" in Japanese.
She should help superior Maiko and Geiko there for about 1 year.

And then, the Okiya lets her to be  "Maiko", but it doesn't mean she can debut her performance before clients soon. She needs to pass a test and be admitted to do by her Okiya.

Instead of her performances for free, her Okiya should supply everything she needs like kimono, obi and training fees. During their performances, she has to sit and observe other "Maiko" and "Geiko" treat clients nicely.

The time needs to graduate from "Maiko" is for 2 years, or at latest by the age of 20.
And then, she has to decide whether she wants to become "Geiko" or not.

My Simple Questions about "Maiko" I had got when I saw some of them.How many times they wash their hair?
They are allowed to set the hair once a week.
It also means that they wash their hairs once a week. I can't put up with the only 1 time!
Especially, in hot and humid summer in Japan!!

How can they sleep?

I knew they couldn't set their hairs by themselves.
Then, how can they sleep? I always set the hair, when I get up in the morning.
But their hairs look difficult to be set them neatly, and looked into what they use for sleeping.

They use very tall pillows named "Omaku" in Geisha Japanese. （In those days, they used to be tall and HARD pillows not to sleep deeply.)
Imagine you will sleep with a tall pillow. I couldn't sleep well.

I want to share Youtube videos with you to understand about how to play with GEIKO and MAIKO.
I'd be happy if you enjoy both videos and understand some of how to play with them.


Japanese traditional dance performed by GEIKO

Konpira Fune Fune Game


今日は芸者さんはどうやって寝るのかと聞かれたことから、少し芸妓と舞妓を調べてみました。
私の知識は、舞妓さんは若い、芸妓さんは芸達者ということだけでした・・・。

写真を見て貰って分かるように、帯の結び方でも見分けることが出来るんですね。
そして舞妓さんは地毛だけど、芸妓さんはかつらなんですね。
じゃ、舞妓さんはどうやって寝るの？いつ頭を洗うの？と疑問が湧いてきたので、調べてみました。

写真のような高枕を使って寝てるんだー
確か、前にテレビで見たことがあるけれど、昔は熟睡できないように、枕は堅い木枕だったのが、今はそれなりに快適さも感じれるようになっているんだな～
でも首が痛くなりそう・・・。

で、いつ髪を洗う？
それは週に一度しかセットして貰えないので、一度しか洗えないと書いてありました。
夏でも～～～？それは我慢できん・・・。

最後に、面白いYouTubeを見付けたので、一緒に載せました。
そこには、芸者遊びの紹介でした。
知り合いが芸者遊びは一度行くべきだと言ってたのを思い出しました。
なんか楽しいらしいね～～