It’s said that spotting a true working geisha on the streets is rare — but we were fortunate. We saw several, each one gliding past with poise and purpose, their every movement elegant and deliberate. This one walked swiftly, her presence commanding yet graceful, as if time itself slowed around her.
I learned that geishas are deeply respected artists, masters of music, dance, and conversation. There are only about 200 in Kyoto and 100 left in Tokyo today. Each year, only a handful — sometimes just 10 to 20 — are chosen to begin the five-year journey to become full-fledged geishas. They retire upon marriage, passing the torch to the next generation of maiko, their apprentices.
The oldest living geisha is 91 — still a living symbol of beauty, discipline, and tradition that endures through time.
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