This website is to provide information about maiko of Kyoto, Japan, to non-Japanese overseas.
Top > What's a Maiko
Maiko
A unique atmosphere reigns here — it's as if you slipped back through time to the old days. Every street presents a kind of tension despite its mellow air.
Is that tension the echo of all the effort poured into tightly controlling and preserving the traditions and customs for so many years?
The Geiko and Maiko who live in these streets are the successors of the beauty not only of Kyoto, but of entire Japan.
Said simply, Maiko is a “person of hospitality.”
Hers is hard work, which doesn't only include serving drinks, but also entertaining guests with Japanese traditional performances, such as dances and shamisen play. The charms of Maiko are a beautiful dance, serving guests with the mindset of superior hospitality, always being elegant and splendid, as well as creating the “dream world detached from the daily life” for a little while.
Maiko aspires to the highest level of sophistication in the Japanese “hospitality businesses.”
That said, Maiko is defined as a person under training to become Geiko. She's yet to start performing on her own; therefore we cannot consider her as an independent performer yet.
Typically, Maiko is under 20 years old (that used to be 16 years old in the old days). She lives with an experienced Geiko or Maiko and Shikomisan (girls who are training to become Maiko) under the supervision of Okami at a shared living and training place called Okiya.
The relationship between juniors and seniors, and the training are extremely tough. They say there are many applicants who give up trying to become a Maiko.
Okiya takes complete care of the living expenses, food and clothing, training fees for dance or shamisen for Maiko. Because of this arrangement, Maiko earns about 5,000 yen per month (also, the tips belong to Maiko) and the rest of the income is used to cover the training and education fees.
Okiya takes complete care of the living expenses, food and clothing, training fees for dance or shamisen for Maiko. Because of this arrangement, Maiko earns about 5,000 yen per month (also, the tips belong to Maiko) and the rest of the income is used to cover the training and education fees.
In most cases, she trains for 5 or 6 years before graduating from the Maiko level. It is then her choice whether to become a Geiko or quit. The whole experience must have had a huge influence on her life, even if she quits at that stage.
The area where the Maiko and Geiko work is called Hanamachi. Because this profession doesn't have too much information about it, even the Japanese people can easily misunderstand their unique manners, verbal expressions and behaviors. However, that puzzlement could also be the reason why we get fascinated by Maiko's mysterious charm.
The word describes women who serve and entertain guests with their performance, such as dance and shamisen play.
They say Geiko came into being because in
Kyoto, the Kabuki performances used to be very popular. So the women who worked in drinking bars imitated the Kabuki performers to entertain their guests.
When Maiko completes her training and begins her independent career, she becomes a “Geiko”. Her dress and hair style change to that of an adult.
There are places in Kanto Area where people
call Geiko “Geisha,” but we call
them “Geiko” in Kyoto.
Okiya (in Kyoto, it's called Yakata) is not a bar, ryokan (a Japanese inn) or restaurant, but a hostesses agency. At the same time, it offers shared living quarters and serves as a training center.
The young women live with experienced Geiko, Maiko and Onesan under the supervision of Okami (Oka-san).
They learn the Japanese dance or music instruments, while helping Oka-san and One-san, as well as performing miscellaneous tasks. Also, they gain the Kyoto accent (Hanamachi accent), manners, entertainment skills, and the unique approaches to customer service in this place.
They need to be at least 16 years old (upon graduation from the junior high school) to enter Okiya. After that, Okiya takes full responsibility for everything from job interviews to education.
Life in Okiya is very hard, and so people
often quit and leave.
The word describes a person who is under training to become Maiko. When a girl enters Okiya, it does not mean she can become a Maiko. First, she needs to learn basic manners, dances, conversation skills, and so on at the minimum level in order to face a guest.To some extent, her success may depend on the particular Okiya. However, she needs to learn a variety of skills such as cleaning, washing, helping with different chores, helping Okamisan and Onesan (experienced Geiko and Maiko), wearing a kimono, manners, hanamachi accents, activities, and so on.The period of Shikomi lasts 1 year in Gion Kobu and Ponto-cho, 10 months in Miyagawa-cho, and 6 months in Gion Higashi and Kamishichiken. During this time, she learns various skills and is tested for the fit to the job.
Due to this very difficult life, half of Shikomisan
will leave for various reasons.
The areas located around the places where the guests are entertained by Geiko are called Hanamachi. However, many people still confuse these areas with the red-light district as there used to be prostitutes here in the old days. There are 5 Hanamachi areas in Kyoto.
