It's believed that the women who danced for warriers in the 11th century are the predecessors of geisha. Geisha are trained in a number of skills: traditional Japanese dance, singing, playing instruments like shamisen (three stringed instrument), flower arrangement, wearing kimono, Japanese tea ceremony, calligraphy, conversation, alcohol serving manners, and more.
There are two basic types of geisha. One is called tachikata who mainly do traditional Japanese dance (mai). The other is called jikata who mainly sing or play instruments. Tachikata are usually maiko (young geisha) and jikata are older geisha women.
The geisha districts are called hanamachi (kagai), and some hanamachi were developed near temples and shrines where many ochaya (tea house) are located. Ochaya are small Japanese-style houses with wooden doors, tatami floors, Japanese-style gardens, and so on. They are different from those tea houses that merely serve tea. It's a sort of banquet house which rents rooms for dinner parties, and geisha entertain customers in ochaya rooms.
Because some hanamachi were historically related to prostitution, this bias toward geisha and hanamachi districts still exists in modern Japan. However, geisha is an important aspect of Japanese culture, and their elegant performances keep attracting many people from around the world.
Go to the next page: How to Become a GeishaWhere to Meet Geisha in Japan
