What Is A Geisha?
There is much confusion, especially from western society that likens a geisha to a prostitute – this simply isn’t true!
A geisha is a woman who is trained in the traditional Japanese arts of music, dance and entertainment. They spend many years learning their craft in order to become the perfect hostess. It’s a strict profession governed by a strict set of rules.
It’s usually rich businessmen and the elite in Japanese society that hire geisha to attend during banquets, meals and other occasions. These are held at ochaya (tea houses) and in ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants).
The ochoya and restaurants where geisha attend to their clients are very exclusive places. These are not the sort of place you just walk into, and they only grant entry to regular and trusted customers.
The Differences Between Geisha, Geiko and Maiko
The only difference between geisha and geiko is where they come from. So in Tokyo they are known as geisha and in Kyoto they are referred to as geiko.
A maiko which translates in English to “dancing child” is an apprentice geisha. A young woman or child who is training in the traditional arts of geisha and geiko. Historically maiko would start their training at a very early age, when they were around 3-5 years old, but now their training starts much later, generally around 16-18 years old.
Maiko usually train for years in various arts, and learn how to dance and play instruments before becoming a geisha. However even after the strict and rigorous training, most geisha will still attend classes to keep their skills sharp.
There are visible differences between geisha and maiko, and these tips will help you distinguish between the two.
- Maiko are visibly younger than geisha.
- Geisha wear wigs and have simple hair accessories, whereas maiko have their hair styled naturally and wear more elaborate and decorative hair pieces.
- Maiko will usually have a gap in their makeup between their hair-line and forehead, this is because they don’t wear a wig.
- Maiko will usually wear higher wooden sandals than that of a geisha.
- Geisha have full painted lips, maiko have thin painted lips, and a junior maiko will have a bare upper lip.
Where To See & Photograph Geisha In Kyoto
There are 5 areas associated with Geisha in Kyoto but in our opinion the best places to see them as they make their way between appointments is Pontocho Alley and Hanami-koji street.
If you’re trying to photograph a geisha it is important to be respectful, don’t block them, try to stop them in the street, or get in their way. Once a geisha makes her way between appointments she is technically on the clients time and money! If she is late then she is the one that’s held accountable by the client.
It is unfortunate that we saw groups of tourists trying to block a geisha down one of the small side-streets, in order to get photographs of her. There were even tours operating in the area with groups of people waiting outside a tea-house. They were like a group of predators waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting prey, and when she came outside they conducted themselves in an intimidating manner. It was like watching camera mad paparazzi go to work, and it’s people like this that give all tourists a bad reputation.
Photography Tips
If you’re lucky you may spot a geisha when there is still some decent ambient light as some geisha may have earlier appointments. But generally we didn’t spot them till after 6:00 pm so here’s our list of tips to help you capture a stunning image.
- Use a camera that’s good in low light conditions.
- For best results you will need to shoot in manual, and change your settings on the fly to adjust for various conditions.
- Try to use the light from surrounding buildings and shop windows to illuminate your subject whilst keeping the ISO on your camera down. There are many street lamps surrounding the tea houses and restaurants in the area, so you can use these to your advantage.
- You will need to bump up the ISO on your camera, but try not to go to high. We found a sweet spot on our camera between 1000 and 2500, whilst using the surrounding light sources as well.
- Kyoto has some beautiful streets, so think about your background and position yourself in a way to capture a nice backdrop behind your subject.
- Don’t drop your shutter speed too much as geisha move quickly between appointments, so if you do this you’ll end up with a blurry subject.
- Include a zoom lens or a decent telephoto lens in your kit. This will create some distance between you and your subject, and you are more likely to get a natural shot.
Photograph The Surrounding Streets Whilst You Wait
Pontocho alley and Hanami-Koji street are very picturesque areas of Kyoto and you will likely wait 45 minutes to an hour between Geisha sightings. Instead of wasting that time, there are plenty of other shots you can take to capture the local atmosphere.
