What is a Geiko?
A geiko or “woman of art” is an entertainer in Japan who has trained in a variety of arts including dance, music, and painting. You may also hear a geiko referred to as a “geisha,” or “artist,” especially outside of Kyoto. These talented women are perhaps some of the most misunderstood figures in Japan, with many people believing that they engage in prostitution, which could not be further from the truth. In fact, geiko are skilled and valuable entertainers who can command high prices for their fully-clothed time, so they have no need to engage in prostitution. The difference between “geiko” and “geisha” may seem subtle in translation, but it is an important distinction. In Kyoto, an ancient stronghold of Japanese culture and the geiko tradition, women who work as geiko wish to emphasize that they are trained in a variety of arts, and that in addition to being knowledgeable about traditional arts and culture, they also typically know several foreign languages, and they are conversant i
