Are there still Geisha girls in Japan?

Question

I do not want seem disrespectful, I am just curious.

Answer 1

Yes there are, many.

Answer 2

Yes, but very few. A few thousand in the country.

Answer 3

There are still Geisha in Japan. Most of them are in kyoto and they are known as Geiko. Their apprentices are known as Maiko. When they are performing they look like they did in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha - ie kimono and white make-up.

Typically it is very expensive to see geisha and difficult to do without an invitation. You can see them however on some tourist tours, the Gion Corner performance, and public dances in April, May, and November.

One of the popular public dances is the Kamogawa Odori in Pontocho in May:

http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/2006/07...

http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/2008/04...

Answer 4

yuppers

i dont think they do what traditional geisha girls did though...

edit: I haven't seen that movie (i want to!) but traditional geisha were prostitutes, and nowadays i don't think they do that.

Answer 5

Yes, absolutely. Kyoto is a good area to check out.

Answer 6

geisha = geigi = geiko = maiko/hangyoku (kids)

since aroud 1751

i dont know about the movie but geisha.

geisha is not a hooker since 1751.

there're hooker and geisha. i respect geisha but hooker.

they need to master lots of things like..

traditional japanese dance, song, musical instrument, decencies, storytelling...etc.

almost all geisha have lover. they dont need to sleep with other customers who pay money.

lots of geisha have wealthy lover. lovers give them money to buy houses, to start their own business, to raise their kids... etc. i know lots of middle-aged geisha in tokyo. they run both their own business and geisha business.

there're lots of middle-aged or old geisha as other poster said. coz they dont need to sleep with customers. their arts are matter in geisha party. though they're really expensive to invite.

Answer 7

Accourding to google and its linked site, there are about 1,000 Geisha in all over Japan now, although there were 800,000 Geisha in 1928.

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:ZFoC...

I'm not sure if I should say 1 thousand is rather large amount of people or not, but the population of Japan is over 100 million, so you have few chance to meet a Geisha per every 100,000 people.

They are possibly less then indigenous people showing their ethnic dance to sightseener in other countries.

The number 1,000 may includes middle-aged or old Geisha working at local, out-of-date sightseeing place.

May be typicaly Geisha, young girl known by foreiners, are less then half of a thounsand.

I think most of them are rather old, and  for sightseeing people both from foreign countries and Japanese domestic.

(I feel sorry a little to break dreams about Japanese Geisha held by some men in foreign countries to write down the truth here :-)  )

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Yes only in kyoto,although the numbers are dwidiling the population is 1,000 now.

Answer 9

The traditional geisha were NOT prostitutes. They had lovers, but they chose who they wanted to go out with. A real geisha is usually a geisha for life. If she gets married, she retires. So yes, some geisha are **old** but they are virtuosos of their art, whether it be dance, shamisen, etc.

I have seen geisha dance on television many times, and onstage it is almost impossible to tell how old they are.

Btw, that movie was total c**p. AND it was boring.

Answer 10

yes they are

they even stiull have the academy rite?

like a schools of geisha.

i saw someone in kyoto that is running across the street,looked hurried in a beautiful kimonos LOL

Answer 11

The new geisha is the snack bar girl. She sits and chats with lonely businessmen. Many of them become regular customers in hopes of it developing into something more. It doesn't.

Similar to the geisha.

Also, I think this might be one.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

(thumb up that best answer!)