Oct 06 (South China Morning Post) - Geishas in Japan have an enigmatic charm about them. They are so revered that a teacher of the art was once declared a “living national treasure” in the country.
Seeing a real geisha is not that easy, however. Ann Kang, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Higashiyama hotel, explains how much they can cost a venue that hires them.
“They charge per hour, you have to pay for round-trip taxi fees. If you want them to perform you have to pay for a space that has a tatami stage, equipped with instruments, and all of that costs thousands of [US] dollars.”
Then there’s the problem of even getting into a venue that has hired one. A considerable number of such shops and restaurants refuse entry to first-time customers unless they have introductions. In Kyoto, this particularly applies to ozashiki bars, kimono shops and exclusive sushi restaurants.
“The ichigensan okotowari [no entry without introduction] culture requires an introduction before entry for first-time guests,” says Kang.
Hence, spotting a geisha or geiko (as they are called in western Japan, in cities like Kyoto and Kanazawa) in the streets is always something special, and even local Japanese get excited about taking pictures of or with one.
We were lucky enough to have hosts in Kyoto who pulled strings and treated us to an exclusive evening. ...continue reading
