Of course, this has made the geisha profession even more intriguing to outsiders and Westerners, even today.

But the salacious and sensational image attributed to them was formed and perpetuated because of the historical secrets and mysteries about them, and the fact that they never reveal the identity of their clients. Historically, individual geisha or their house (the okiya) could have fallen on hard times, which could have led individual geisha to turn to prostitution – a story as old as the world. Geisha are not prostitutes, concubines or public entertainers – they are exclusive and refined artists, providing entertainment to clients at private events. This term directly translates as “woman of art”. The term geiko, rather than geisha, is used for geisha in Western Japan, including Kyoto and Kanazawa. The arts that geisha practice are mainly dancing, performing on musical instruments, and singing. Therefore, the most literal translation of geisha in English is “artist”, “performing artist” or “artisan”. The word geisha consists of two kanji: gei (芸, meaning art) and sha (者, meaning person or doer). The plural of geisha in English is geisha or geishas, and geisha seems to be the most commonly used term. There are many, starting with the name of their profession: The appeal of the novel was perhaps due to the mysteries that surround geisha. I know it is quite a weepie, but I did enjoy reading it, and every so often, I do read it again. Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden (Publisher: Vintage First Paperback Edition, Janu434 pages) Fascinating geisha

Geisha books fiction