What it’s like to be a geisha in Japan: the training, schedule – and food
- We speak to Nanoha, a geisha in Kyoto (known as a ‘geiko’), about the years spent training, their typical day and whether they really do eat bite-sized food
- Similar to the Netflix show The Makanai, Nanoha says she shares the same sisterhood with her fellow geikos and trainees as shown in the series
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.