The World Of Geishas, Kyoto

Although there are also Geishas in Tokyo and Kanazawa, the center of the Geisha culture is Kyoto. Geishas are entertainers, not prostitutes. They start training as "Maiko" at age 15. After five years they decide to become professionals or not. A connection must be made with someone in this world, to be able to see a Maiko or Geisha perform in a tea house. On Friday, after our train trip from Kanazawa to Kyoto, past mountains and beautiful, large Lake Biwa, we had a short rest at our hotel in the Gion. Then we went from there, by mini-vans, to a different part of the city. We were led by a guide through the grounds of the ancient and extensive Kitano Shrine. (There are 2,000 Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the former capital.) At a tea house, we had dinner and saw a geisha perform. Exquisitely dressed she sang two songs and played a hands-on, hands-off box game with members of our group. The evening gave our group a taste of one of Japan's oldest and unique social customs, once enjoyed by the Samurai warriors. - Dan