126-459: Geisha ( 芸者 ) ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ ʃ ə / ; Japanese: [ɡeːɕa] ), also known as geiko ( 芸子 ) (in Kyoto and Kanazawa ) or geigi ( 芸妓 ) , are female Japanese performing artists and entertainers trained in traditional Japanese performing arts styles , such as dance , music and singing , as well as being proficient conversationalists and hosts. Their distinct appearance
252-787: A Kintetsu line, and a municipal subway line. The Keihan Electric Railway , the Hankyu Railway , and other rail networks also offer frequent services within the city and to other cities and suburbs in the Kinki region. Although Kyoto does not have its own commercial airport, the limited express Haruka operated by JR West carries passengers from Kansai International Airport to Kyōto Station in 73 minutes. The Kyoto Railway Museum in Shimogyō-ku , operated by JR West, displays many steam, diesel, and electric locomotives used in Japan between
378-503: A dike to hold back the mad frenzy of the occupation troops and cultivate and preserve the purity of our race long into the future." Such clubs were soon established by cabinet councilor Yoshio Kodama and Ryoichi Sasakawa . SCAP abolished the licensed prostitution system (including the RAA) in 1946, which led to the so-called red line ( 赤線 , akasen ) system, under which licensed nightlife establishments offered sexual services under
504-537: A courtesan accused a geisha of stealing her customers and business of sex and entertainment, an official investigation was opened, with the potential for a geisha to lose her right to practice the profession. Geisha were also forbidden from wearing particularly flashy hairpins or kimono, both of which were hallmarks of higher-ranking courtesans, who were considered to be a part of the upper classes. Despite their official status as lower-class entertainers, geisha continued to grow in popularity. While courtesans existed to meet
630-425: A full face of traditional white makeup during stage performances or on special occasions. Older geisha generally stop wearing oshiroi around the same time they stop wearing hikizuri to parties. For a short period before becoming a geisha, maiko in some geisha districts colour their teeth black , usually accompanied by wearing the sakkō hairstyle and a decorated black formal kimono. Teeth blackening
756-420: A geisha who slept with customers as well as entertaining them through performing arts – yujō ("prostitute") and jorō ("whore") geisha, whose only entertainment for male customers was sex, and machi geisha, who did not, officially and in reality, sleep with customers at all. By the end of the 19th century, courtesans no longer held the celebrity status they once did. This trend would continue until
882-647: A growing number of geisha have complained to the authorities about being pursued and harassed by groups of tourists keen to take their photograph when out walking. As a result, tourists in Kyoto have been warned not to harass geisha on the streets, with local residents of the city and businesses in the areas surrounding the hanamachi of Kyoto launching patrols throughout Gion in order to prevent tourists from doing so. A geisha's appearance changes symbolically throughout her career, representing her training and seniority. Apprentice geisha typically appear in one style of dress,
1008-428: A kimono with a trailing skirt to every banquet, and may choose not to wear white makeup and a wig at all as she grows older. Changes, and style of appearance, vary depending on the region of Japan a geisha or apprentice geisha works in; however, there is a general progression of appearance that can be seen as applicable to all geisha. Both maiko and geisha wear traditional white foundation known as oshiroi . In
1134-474: A living by entertaining at high-class social gatherings. After the imperial court moved the capital to Heian-kyō (Kyoto) in 794 , aspects of now-traditional Japanese art forms and aesthetic ideals began to develop, which would later contribute to the conditions under which the geisha profession emerged. Skilled female performers, such as shirabyōshi dancers, thrived under the Imperial court, creating
1260-548: A major industry of Kyoto; Kyoto's kimono weavers are particularly renowned, and the city remains the premier center of kimono manufacturing. Sake brewing is another prominent traditional industry in Kyoto, and the headquarters of major sake brewers Gekkeikan and Takara Holdings are found in Kyoto. Other notable businesses headquartered in Kyoto include Aiful , Ishida , Nissen Holdings , Gyoza no Ohsho , Sagawa Express , Volks , and Wacoal . As of 1 May 2023, there were 154 municipal public elementary schools in Kyoto, with
1386-474: A manner deemed respectable to their status. As the tastes of the merchant classes for kabuki and geisha became widely popular, laws introduced to effectively neuter the appearances and tastes of geisha and their customers were passed. This, however, had the adverse effect of leading to the rise in popularity of more refined and subversive aesthetical senses within those classes, further alienating courtesans and their patrons from popularity and contemporary taste;
SECTION 10
#17327720688781512-472: A name for themselves as talented musicians, dancers or poets,instead of becoming a prostitute. In the next two decades, female geisha became well known for their talents as entertainers in their own right; these performers often worked in the same establishments as male geisha. By 1800, the profession of geisha was understood to be almost entirely female, and was established as a distinct role in its own right; however, geisha were, throughout various points within
1638-709: A number of navigable rivers and canals in Kyoto. In contemporary Kyoto, however, waterways are no longer commonly used for transportation of passengers or goods, other than for limited sightseeing purposes such as excursion boats on the Hozu River and cormorant fishing boats on the Ōi River . Although ravaged by wars, fires, and earthquakes during its eleven centuries as the imperial capital, Kyoto suffered only minor damage in World War II . Kyoto remains Japan's cultural center. About 20% of Japan's National Treasures and 14% of Important Cultural Properties exist in
1764-495: A patron you could stop working. If you were lucky you would be set up in your own apartment and have a life of leisure, taking lessons when you wanted to for your own enjoyment [...] I think it's pretty unusual nowadays for a geisha to stop working when she gets a patron." The status of geisha in Japanese society also changed drastically after the war. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, much discussion had taken place surrounding
1890-632: A patron, and were less likely than other women of the same age to have both children and an extended family to support them. In 1989, it was reported in the New York Times that there were an estimated 600-700 geisha left throughout the whole of Japan. Modern geisha mostly still live in okiya they are affiliated with, particularly during their apprenticeship, and are legally required to be registered to one, though they may not live there every day. Many experienced geisha are successful enough to choose to live independently, though living independently
2016-436: A prostitute, furnishing a place for prostitution, engaging in the business of making a person a prostitute, and the furnishing of funds for prostitution. The definition of prostitution is strictly limited to coitus with an "unspecified person". This means sale of numerous acts such as oral sex , anal sex , mammary intercourse and other non-coital sex acts are legal. Paid sex between "specified persons" (acquaintances)
2142-442: A result, its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved. Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan and is a major tourist destination. The agency for cultural affairs of the national government is headquartered in the city. It is home to numerous Buddhist temples , Shinto shrines , palaces and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . Prominent landmarks include
2268-403: A result. However, following the advent of wider accessibility to the internet from the mid-2000s onwards, a greater number of recruits have decided to join the profession with no existing ties to the karyūkai through watching online documentaries and reading websites set up by okiya to promote their business; documentary pieces commonly inspire young women to join the profession, such as
2394-496: A significant number of one-way roads without sidewalks. Cycling is a common form of personal transportation in the city, although there are few areas set aside for bicycle parking and bicycles parked in restricted areas are impounded. Kyoto has fewer toll-highways than other Japanese cities of comparable size. There are nine national highways in the city of Kyoto: Route 1 , Route 8 , Route 9 , Route 24 , Route 162 , Route 171 , Route 367 , Route 477 , and Route 478 . The city
2520-490: A total of 55,736 pupils. At the secondary level, there were 66 municipal public junior high schools with 27,046 students and 11 municipal public senior high schools with 5,117 students. Home to 40 institutions of higher education , Kyoto is one of the academic centers in Japan. Kyoto University is ranked highly among all universities nationwide, with eight Nobel laureates and two Prime Ministers of Japan among its alumni. The Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences and
2646-399: A variety of names. Soaplands are bath houses where customers are soaped up and serviced by staff. Fashion health shops and pink salons are notionally massage or esthetic treatment parlors; image clubs are themed versions of the same. Call girls operate via delivery health services. Freelancers can get in contact with potential customers via deai sites (Internet dating sites). Tokyo
SECTION 20
#17327720688782772-554: Is characterised by long, trailing kimono , traditional hairstyles and oshiroi make-up. Geisha entertain at parties known as ozashiki , often for the entertainment of wealthy clientele, as well as performing on stage and at festivals. The first female geisha appeared in 1751, with geisha before that time being male performers who entertained guests. Only later did the profession become mainly characterised by female workers. The arts that geisha perform are considered highly developed and, in some cases, unique throughout Japan to
2898-666: Is connected with other parts of Japan by the Meishin Expressway , which has two interchanges in the city: Kyoto-higashi Interchange (Kyoto East) in Yamashina-ku and Kyoto-minami Interchange [ ja ] (Kyoto South) in Fushimi-ku. The Kyoto Jūkan Expressway connects the city to the northern regions of Kyoto Prefecture. The Second Keihan Highway is another bypass to Osaka. Traditionally, trade and haulage took place by waterway, and there continue to be
3024-422: Is dwindling and wells across the area are drying at an increasing rate. Kyoto has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ), featuring a marked seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation. Summers are hot and humid, but winters are relatively cold with occasional snowfall. Kyoto's rainy season begins around the middle of June and lasts until the end of July, yielding to a hot and sunny latter half of
3150-570: Is located to the south of the Kyoto Imperial Palace . In the center of the city, there are several covered shopping arcades only open to pedestrian traffic, such as Teramachi Street and Shinkyōgoku Street . The original city was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an / Luoyang . The Imperial Palace faced south, resulting in Ukyō (the right sector of
3276-467: Is more common in some geisha districts – such as those in Tokyo – than others. Geisha are often hired to attend parties and gatherings, traditionally at tea houses or traditional Japanese restaurants ( ryōtei ). The charge for a geisha's time, previously determined by the time it took to burn one incense stick (known as senkōdai ( 線香代 , "incense stick fee") ) or gyokudai ( 玉代 , "jewel fee") ,
3402-443: Is not prohibited. Soaplands exploit this by providing a massage, during which the prostitute and client become "acquainted", as a preliminary to sexual services. The Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Law of 1948 ( 風俗営業取締法 , Fūzoku Eigyō Torishimari Hō ) , also known as the "Law to Regulate Adult Entertainment Businesses", amended in 1985, 1999 and 2005, regulates these businesses. The sex industry in Japan uses
3528-404: Is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu . The original city, named Heian-kyō , was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang . The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869. It
3654-1252: Is the business and trade center of Japan, and therefore also a thriving market for sex work of all varieties. Kabukicho , an entertainment and red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, measures only 0.34 km , and has approximately 3,500 sex parlors, strip theaters, peep shows, "soaplands", 'lovers' banks, porno shops, sex telephone clubs, karaoke bars and clubs, etc. It was reported in 2003 that as many as 150,000 non-Japanese women were then involved in prostitution in Japan. According to National Police Agency records, out of 50 non-Japanese people arrested for prostitution offences in 2013, 31 (62%) were mainland Chinese , 13 (26%) were Koreans and 4 (8%) were Thai . According to National Police Agency records, out of 224 non-Japanese people arrested for prostitution offences in 2018, 160 (71%) were mainland Chinese , 19 (8%) were Thai . Many businesses related to prostitution voluntarily (i.e., despite there being no regulation requiring it) ban entry to foreigners, including tourists, people who cannot speak Japanese, and even people who do not have Asian traits. However, in recent years, several businesses have been set up to specifically cater to
3780-468: The kokyū (a type of bowed shamisen ) and the koto (a 13-stringed harp). Some mikos and wander female performers also performed theatrical plays, dances and skits. One such person was Izumo no Okuni , whose theatrical performances on the dry riverbed of the Kamo River are considered to be the beginnings of kabuki theatre. Following their inception by the shogunate in the 17th century,
3906-606: The Associated Kyoto Program runs a study-abroad academic program with a focus on cultural, language, and historical learning in and around the Kansai metropolitan area. Kyoto is served by rail transportation systems operated by several different companies and organizations. The city's main gateway terminal, Kyōto Station , connects the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line with five JR West lines,
Geisha - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-533: The Edo period , unable to work outside of the pleasure quarters, being affected by reforms aimed at either limiting or shutting down the pleasure quarters. These reforms were often inconsistent, and were repealed at various times. Once established as an independent profession, a number of edicts were then introduced in order to protect the business of courtesans and separate the two professions. Geisha were firstly forbidden from selling sex, though many continued to do so; if
4158-520: The JK business continue to facilitate the sex trafficking of Japanese children. Highly organized prostitution networks target vulnerable Japanese women and girls—often living in poverty or with cognitive disabilities—in public spaces such as subways, popular youth hangouts, schools, and online, and subject them to sex trafficking. Private Japanese immigration brokers help Japanese-Filipino children and their Filipina mothers move to Japan and acquire citizenship for
4284-951: The Japan Restoration Party proposed "There are places where people can legally release their sexual energy in Japan", and "Unless they make use of these facilities, it will be difficult to control the sexual energies of the wild Marines ." The U.S. Department of State later criticized Hashimoto's remarks. The Shinto faith does not regard sex as a taboo . During the Kamakura period, many shrines and temples, which provided for miko , fell into bankruptcy. Some miko started travelling in search of livelihood and came to be known as aruki miko ( lit. ' walking miko ' ) . While aruki miko primarily provided religious services, they were also widely associated with prostitution. However, no religious reasons for miko prostitution are known, and hence
4410-456: The Kyoto Imperial Palace , Kiyomizu-dera , Kinkaku-ji , Ginkaku-ji , and Kyoto Tower . The internationally renowned video game company Nintendo is based in Kyoto. Kyoto is also a center of higher learning in the country, and its institutions include Kyoto University , the second-oldest university in Japan. In Japanese, Kyoto was previously called Kyō ( 京 ), Miyako ( 都 ), Kyō no Miyako ( 京の都 ), and Keishi ( 京師 ) . After becoming
4536-463: The Kyōto Station complex. Kyoto became a city designated by government ordinance on September 1, 1956. In 1994, 17 historic monuments in Kyoto were inscribed on the list as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . In 1997, Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the protocol on greenhouse gas emissions ( United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ). Kyoto is located in a valley, part of
4662-1084: The Portuguese were from Tenjiku ( 天竺 , "Heavenly Abode") , the ancient Chinese name (and later Japanese name) for the Indian subcontinent , and thus assumed that Christianity was a new Indian religion . These mistaken assumptions were due to the Indian state of Goa being a central base for the Portuguese East India Company at the time, and due to a significant portion of the crew on Portuguese ships being Indian Christians . Hundreds of Japanese people, especially women, were sold as slaves. Portuguese visitors and their South Asian and African crew members (or slaves) often engaged in slavery in Japan . They bought or captured young Japanese women and girls, who were either used as sexual slaves on their ships or taken to Macau and other Portuguese colonies in Southeast Asia ,
4788-581: The Recreation and Amusement Association was formed by Naruhiko Higashikuni 's government to organize brothels to serve the Allied armed forces occupying Japan. On 19 August 1945, the Home Ministry ordered local government offices to establish a prostitution service for Allied soldiers to preserve the "purity" of the Japanese race. This prostitution system was similar to the comfort system, because
4914-486: The Standard-Examiner reported the plight of geisha in an article written for the magazine Bungei Shunju by Japanese businessman Tsûsai Sugawara . Sugawara stated that girls now "prefer[red] to become dancers, models, and cabaret and bar hostesses rather than start [the] training in music and dancing at the age of seven or eight" necessary to become geisha at the time. Compulsory education laws passed in
5040-586: The Uji River to the south, the Katsura River to the west, and the Kamo River to the east. Kyoto City takes up 17.9% of the land in Kyoto Prefecture and has a total area of 827.9 square kilometers (319.7 sq mi). Kyoto sits atop a large natural water table that provides the city with ample freshwater wells. Due to large-scale urbanization, the amount of rain draining into the table
5166-581: The Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics , both part of the university, have been affiliated with influential mathematicians and physicists. Private universities such as Doshisha University and Ritsumeikan University are also located in the city. The Consortium of Universities in Kyoto is a Kyoto-based higher education network consisting of three national universities, three public (prefectural and municipal) universities, 45 private universities, five other organizations, and representatives from
Geisha - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-454: The criminalisation of prostitution in Japan in 1956. World War II brought lasting change to the geisha profession; before the war, geisha numbers, despite seeing competition from jokyū (café girls, the precursor to the bar hostess profession in Japan), had been as high as 80,000, however, following the closure of all geisha districts in 1944, mostly all geisha had been conscripted into
5418-490: The 15th century, Chinese , Koreans , and other East Asian visitors frequented brothels in Japan. This practice later continued among visitors from "the Western regions ", mainly European traders who often came with their South Asian lascar crew (in addition to African crew members in some cases). This began with the arrival of Portuguese ships to Japan in the 1540s, when the local Japanese people assumed that
5544-497: The 1680s, odoriko had become popular entertainers and were often paid to perform in the private homes of upper-class samurai. These dancing girls, who were too young to be called geisha but too old (over twenty) to be called odoriko, began to be called geiko. By the early 18th century, lots of these odoriko had also begun offering sexual services as well as chaste performances. Performers who were no longer teenagers (and could no longer style themselves odoriko ).At that time,
5670-489: The 1800s, the role and status of courtesans as artistic and romantic entertainers were a tradition that geisha came to inherit, with the basic artforms of entertaining guests through song, dance and conversation being employed and adapted to contemporary tastes by geisha. Walled-in pleasure quarters known as yūkaku ( 遊廓/遊郭 ) were built in the 16th century, with the shogunate designating prostitution illegal to practice outside of these "pleasure quarters" in 1617. Within
5796-526: The 1880s and the present. The Tokaidō Shinkansen , operated by JR Central , provides high-speed rail service linking Kyoto with Nagoya , Yokohama , and Tokyo to the east and with nearby Osaka to the west. Beyond Osaka, many trains boarding at Kyoto continue on the San'yō Shinkansen route managed by JR West, providing access to cities including Kobe , Okayama , Hiroshima , Kitakyushu , and Fukuoka . The trip from Tokyo to Kyoto takes around 2.5 hours, and
5922-546: The 1960s effectively shortened the period of training for geisha apprentices, as girls could no longer be taken on at a young age to be trained throughout their teenage years. This led to a decline in women entering the profession, as most okiya required a recruit to be at least somewhat competent and trained in the arts she would later go on to use as a geisha; by about 1975, okiya mothers in Kyoto began accepting both recruits from different areas of Japan in larger numbers, and recruits with little to no previous experience in
6048-476: The American military occupying Japan. In 1945, the karyūkai saw restrictions on its practices lifted with teahouses, bars, and geisha houses ( okiya ) allowed to open again. Though many geisha did not return to the hanamachi after the war, it was evident that working as a geisha was still considered to be a lucrative and viable career, with numbers increasing quickly. The vast majority of geisha after
6174-723: The Americas , and India , where there was a community of Japanese slaves and traders in Goa by the early 17th century. Anti-Portuguese propaganda and exaggerations were actively promoted by the Japanese, particularly with regards to the Portuguese purchases of Japanese women for sexual purposes. In 1505, syphilis started to appear in Japan, likely because of Japanese prostitutes having sex with Chinese sailors. In Sakai and Hakata ports, Japanese brothels had already been patronized by Chinese visitors far before Europeans came to Japan. When
6300-567: The Anti-Prostitution Law, which came into force in April 1958. The Anti-Prostitution Law criminalized the act of committing sexual intercourse in exchange for actual or promised compensation. This eliminated the "red line" and "blue line" systems and allowed a number of paid sexual services to continue under "sexual entertainment" regulations, such as " soaplands " and " fashion health " parlors. In 2013, Toru Hashimoto , who co-leads
6426-657: The Buddhist monks or nuns, chastity is mandatory since they live on the premise of getting rid of any feelings of attachment. Their way of living is regulated by very strict rules concerning behavior and this includes sex. As for the secular Buddhists, there are no specific rules to be followed about sex; although any kind of abuse is regarded as "misconduct". Article 3 of the Prostitution Prevention Law ( 売春防止法 , Baishun Bōshi Hō ) of 1956 states that "No person may either do prostitution or become
SECTION 50
#17327720688786552-1071: The Europeans ( Nanbanjin ) came to Japan, they too patronized Japanese prostitutes. Traders of the various European East India Companies, including those of the Dutch and British , engaged the services of prostitutes while visiting or staying in Japan. In 1617, the Tokugawa Shogunate issued an order restricting prostitution to certain areas on the outskirts of cities, known as yūkaku ( 遊廓、遊郭 , lit. ' pleasure quarter ' ) . The most famous of these were Yoshiwara in Edo (present-day Tokyo ), Shinmachi in Osaka , and Shimabara in Kyoto . Pleasure quarters were walled and guarded for taxation and access control. Prostitutes and courtesans were licensed as yūjo ( 遊女 , "women of pleasure") and ranked according to an elaborate hierarchy , with tayū and later oiran at
6678-506: The Japanese police force was responsible for mobilizing the women to serve in these stations similarly to the way that Japanese Military during the Pacific War mobilized women. The police forces mobilized both licensed and unlicensed prostitutes to serve in these camps. The official declaration stated that "Through the sacrifice of thousands of ' Okichis ' of the Shōwa era , we shall construct
6804-608: The Kadono district of Yamashiro Province . The new city, Heian-kyō ( 平安京 , "tranquility and peace capital") , modeled after Chinese Tang dynasty capital Chang'an , became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794, beginning the Heian period of Japanese history . Although military rulers established their governments either in Kyoto ( Muromachi shogunate ) or in other cities such as Kamakura ( Kamakura shogunate ) and Edo ( Tokugawa shogunate ), Kyoto remained Japan's capital until
6930-795: The Transportation Bureau and Kintetsu jointly operate through services which continue to Kintetsu Nara Station in Nara , the capital city of Nara Prefecture . The Tōzai Line runs from the southeastern area of the city towards the center, then east to west ( tōzai in Japanese) through the Kyoto downtown area where trains run beneath the east–west streets of Sanjō Street , Oike Street , and Oshikōji Street [ ja ] . The Keihan Keishin Line has been integrated into this line, and thus Keihan provides through services to Hamaōtsu in
7056-515: The Yamashiro (or Kyoto) Basin, in the eastern part of the mountainous region known as the Tamba highlands. The Yamashiro Basin is surrounded on three sides by mountains known as Higashiyama, Kitayama and Nishiyama, with a maximum height of approximately 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level . This interior positioning results in hot summers and cold winters. There are three rivers in the basin,
7182-469: The act might be unrelated to sacred prostitution . Buddhist teachings regarding sex are quite reserved: "It is true to say that Buddhism, in keeping with the principle of the Middle Way, would advocate neither extreme puritanism nor extreme permissiveness." Buddhism has rules and protocols for those that are to live the Buddhist principles in the monasteries and the secular part of the [Shanga]. For
7308-467: The apex. The women were not allowed outside of the walls except to visit dying relatives and, once a year, for hanami (viewing cherry blossoms ). The opening of Japan and the subsequent flood of Western influences into Japan brought about a series of changes in the Meiji period . Japanese novelists, notably Higuchi Ichiyō , started to draw attention to the confinement and squalid existence of
7434-410: The appointments taken by a geisha and her schedule. In modern Japan, geisha and their apprentices are a rarer sight outside of the hanamachi or chayagai ( 茶屋街 , "tea house district", often referred to as "entertainment district") ; most sightings of geisha and maiko in and around cities such as Kyoto are actually tourists who pay a fee to be dressed up as either a maiko or geisha for
7560-511: The best-known "blue line" district was Kabuki-cho. In 1947, Imperial Ordinance No. 9 punished persons for enticing women to act as prostitutes, but prostitution itself remained legal. Several bills were introduced in the Diet to add further legal penalties for soliciting prostitutes but were not passed due to disputes over the appropriate extent of punishment. On 24 May 1956, the Diet of Japan passed
7686-513: The capital of Japan at the start of the Heian period (794–1185), the city was often referred to as Heian-kyō ( 平安京 , "Heian capital"), and late in the Heian period the city came to be widely referred to simply as "Kyōto" ( 京都 , "capital city"). After the seat of the emperor was moved to the city of Edo and that city was renamed " Tōkyō " ( 東京 , meaning "eastern capital"), Kyoto was briefly known as "Saikyō" ( 西京 , meaning "western capital"). As
SECTION 60
#17327720688787812-462: The capital of Japan from 794 to 1868, Kyoto is sometimes called the thousand-year capital ( 千年の都 ). Historically, foreign spellings for the city's name have included Kioto and Miaco or Meaco . Ample archeological evidence suggests human settlement in the area of Kyoto began as early as the Paleolithic period, although not much published material is retained about human activity in
7938-408: The capital) being on the west, while Sakyō (the left sector) is on the east. The streets in the modern-day wards of Kamigyō-ku, Nakagyō-ku, and Shimogyō-ku still follow a grid pattern. Areas outside of the city center do not follow the same grid pattern, though streets throughout Kyoto are referred to by name, a practice that is rare in most regions of Japan. Kyoto was the largest city in Japan until
8064-432: The celebrities of their day. Around the turn of the 18th century, the first geisha, or forerunners of geisha, performing for guests of the pleasure quarters began to appear; these entertainers, who provided song and dance, developed from a number of sources. Some geisha, who were something of travelling entertainers going from party to party, were men, who would entertain the customers of courtesans through song and dance. At
8190-417: The city for defense and as firebreaks, and numerous buildings burned. The city has not seen such widespread destruction since. In the late 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi reconstructed the city by building new streets to double the number of north–south streets in central Kyoto, creating rectangle blocks superseding ancient square blocks. Toyotomi also built earthwork walls called odoi ( 御土居 ) encircling
8316-458: The city government announced that a record number of tourists had visited Kyoto. As a result of a sharp decline in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic , the mayor acknowledged in 2021 "the possibility of bankruptcy in the next decade" and announced job cuts in the administration and cuts in social assistance, including reductions in funding for home care. Traditional Japanese crafts are also
8442-484: The city government. The Consortium does not offer degrees, but allows students of member universities to take courses at other member universities. In addition to Japanese universities and colleges, educational institutions from other countries operate programs in the city. The Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) is a group of 14 American universities that runs overseas academic programs in Japanese language and cultural studies for university students. Similarly,
8568-438: The city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto , a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. It is also part of the even larger Keihanshin metropolitan area , along with Osaka and Kobe . Kyoto
8694-516: The city proper. The government of Japan relocated the Agency for Cultural Affairs to Kyoto in 2023. Prostitution in Japan#Edo era Prostitution in Japan has existed throughout the country's history . While the Prostitution Prevention Law of 1956 states that "No person may either do prostitution or become the customer of it", loopholes, liberal interpretations and a loose enforcement of
8820-476: The city, which showed the rebels' dissatisfaction towards the Tokugawa Shogunate. At the start of the Meiji period , the emperor's move from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1869 weakened the economy of Kyoto. The modern city of Kyoto was formed on April 1, 1889. The construction of Lake Biwa Canal in 1890 was one measure taken to revive the city. The population of the city exceeded one million in 1932. There
8946-544: The city. Teramachi Street in central Kyoto is a Buddhist temple quarter where Toyotomi gathered temples in the city. In 1603, the Tokugawa Shogunate was established at Edo (present-day Tokyo), marking the beginning of the Edo period . Nevertheless, Kyoto flourished as one of three major cities in Japan , the others being Osaka and Edo. At the end of the period, the Hamaguri rebellion of 1864 burned down 28,000 houses in
9072-401: The country in population decrease for two consecutive years. However, the population of the city rises during standard working hours, and Kyoto ranks seventh in Japan in terms of daytime population . Approximately 55% of the total population of Kyoto Prefecture is concentrated in the city of Kyoto, which is the highest ratio among the prefectures of Japan. The city of Kyoto is governed by
9198-534: The country, in 1955. A number of terms are used to describe the profession and community that geisha both live and work in. Though each has its own distinct meaning and translation, some are used interchangeably to describe the geisha community on the whole, such as hanamachi and karyūkai . In the early stages of Japanese history , saburuko (serving girls) were mostly wandering girls whose families had been displaced by war. Some of these saburuko girls offered sexual services for money while others made
9324-608: The creation of new administrative districts and a number of municipal mergers that took place between the 1920s and the 1970s, the contemporary city of Kyoto is divided into eleven wards ( 区 , ku ) . The central wards, located to the west of the Kamo River, are small and densely populated. The city hall is located in Nakagyō-ku , and the Kyoto prefectural offices are located in present-day Kamigyō-ku . Kyoto contains roughly 2,000 temples and shrines. The main business district
9450-402: The customer of it", but no judicial penalty is defined for this act. Instead, the following are prohibited on pain of penalty: soliciting for purposes of prostitution, procuring a person for prostitution, coercing a person into prostitution, receiving compensation from the prostitution of others, inducing a person to be a prostitute by paying an "advance", concluding a contract for making a person
9576-451: The day, a practice known as henshin . Over time the number of geisha has declined, despite the efforts of those within the profession. Factors include the nature of the economy, declining interest in the traditional arts, the exclusive and closed-off nature of the karyūkai , and the expense of being entertained by geisha. The number of maiko and geisha in Kyoto fell from 76 and 548 in 1965 respectively to just 71 and 202 in 2006 as
9702-703: The entry of women into Japan for forced prostitution in bars, clubs, brothels, and massage parlors. Traffickers keep victims in forced prostitution using debt bondage , threats of violence or deportation, blackmail, passport retention, and other psychologically coercive methods. Brothel operators sometimes arbitrarily impose "fines" on victims for alleged misbehavior as a tactic to extend their indebtedness. Trafficking victims reportedly transit Japan before being exploited in onward destinations, including East Asia and North America. Japanese citizens, particularly runaway teenage girls, are also subjected to sex trafficking. Enjo kōsai , or "compensated dating", and variants of
9828-444: The eyes and eyebrows than senior maiko . Younger apprentices may also paint their eyebrows slightly shorter or rounder to emphasise a youthful appearance. Maiko wear noticeably more blush – known as tonoko – than geisha. Young apprentices may have the mother of the house or their "older sister" mentors help them apply makeup. Geisha wear more black around the eyes and eyebrows than maiko . Older geisha tend only to wear
9954-596: The female population drastically increased. The government, therefore, with the legislation, could legally collect taxation from prostitution. Rather than improving human rights or liberty, the legislation intended to facilitate government revenue. The prostitution industry contributed a large part of government revenue from the late Tokugawa period to the Meiji period. In 1908, the Ministry of Home Affairs' Ordinance No. 16 penalized unregulated prostitution. Karayuki-san
10080-452: The foreigner market. Japan is a destination, source, and transit country for men, women and children subjected to sex trafficking . Men, women, and children from Northeast Asia , Southeast Asia , South Asia , Russia , East Europe , South America , and Africa travel to Japan for employment or fraudulent marriage and are subjected to sex trafficking. Traffickers use fraudulent marriages between foreign women and Japanese men to facilitate
10206-508: The geisha Satsuki, who later became the most popular geisha in Gion for a seven-year period: [Geisha] Satsuki first took an interest in the kagai while a middle school student in Osaka, at around the age of 14, after seeing a documentary about a maiko 's training. "I already had heard of maiko , but it was when I saw the documentary that I thought – I want to do that." In recent years,
10332-522: The geisha did not experience the rapid decline and eventual death that courtesans had experienced in the previous century, they were instead rendered as "protectors of tradition" in favour of preserving the image geisha had cultivated over time. Nonetheless, in the decades after the war, the profession's practices still underwent some changes. Following the introduction of the Prostitution Prevention Law in 1956, geisha benefited from
10458-420: The guise of being an ordinary club or cafe. Local police authorities traditionally regulated the location of such establishments by drawing red lines on a map. In other areas, so-called "blue line" establishments offered sexual services under the guise of being restaurants, bars or other less strictly-regulated establishments. In Tokyo , the best-known "red line" districts were Yoshiwara and Shinjuku 2-chome, while
10584-454: The incumbent pressures of the war rapidly turned the tide against Westernisation, leading to an effective abandonment of most radical "Western-style" geisha experiments. After the war, geisha unanimously returned to wearing kimono and practicing the traditional arts, abandoning all experimental geisha styles of appearance and entertainment. This, however, led to the final blow for the profession's reputation as fashionable in wider society; though
10710-492: The introduction of laws on dress only furthered the popularity of geisha as refined and fashionable companions for men. As a result, over time, courtesans of both higher and lower ranks began to fall out of fashion, seen as gaudy and old-fashioned. By the 1830s, geisha were considered to be the premiere fashion and style icons in Japanese society, and were emulated by women of the time. Many fashion trends started by geisha soon became widely popular, with some continuing to this day;
10836-465: The introduction of various laws intended to clamp down on and regulate the lower classes – in particular, the emerging merchant classes who had established themselves as the premiere patrons of geisha. Both had, over time, come to hold much of the purchasing power within Japan, with their status as lower class allowing them a degree of freedom in their tastes of dress and entertainment, in contrast to upper-class families who had little choice but to appear in
10962-482: The labor conditions of prostitution. The restriction neither reduced the total number of prostitution nor granted more liberty to women. Instead, prostitution thrived under the Meiji government. The name "kingdom of whoring" ( 売春王国 , baishun ōkoku ) was to describe Japan during the Meiji Period. Due to the development of the modern transportation system, the demand and the supply of prostitution increased, and
11088-448: The late 16th century, when its population was surpassed by those of Osaka and Edo . Before World War II, Kyoto vied with Kobe and Nagoya to rank as the fourth- or fifth-largest city in Japan. Having avoided most wartime destruction, it was again the third-largest city in 1947. By 1960 it had fallen to fifth again, and by 1990 it had fallen to seventh. As of January 2022 , it was the ninth-largest city in Japan by population and had led
11214-597: The law have allowed the Japanese sex industry to prosper and earn an estimated 2.3 trillion yen ($ 24 billion) per year. Sex trade and sex services may be referred to as fūzoku ( 風俗 ) , which also means "manners", "customs" or "public morals". Since Japanese law defines prostitution as "intercourse with an unspecified person in exchange for payment", most fūzoku services offer specifically non-coital services, such as conversation, dancing or bathing, sometimes accompanied by sexual acts that legally are not defined as "intercourse", in order to remain legal. From
11340-595: The lower-class prostitutes in the red-light districts. In 1872, the María Luz Incident led Government of Meiji Japan to enact new legislation, emancipating burakumin outcasts , prostitutes and other forms of bonded labor in Japan. The emancipating law for prostitution was named Geishōgi kaihō rei ( 芸娼妓解放令 ) . In 1900, the Japanese Government promulgated Ordinance No. 44, Shōgi torishimari kisoku ( 娼妓取締規則 ) , restricting
11466-641: The mayor of Kyoto and the Kyoto City Assembly, a municipal council . The legislative city assembly has 67 elected members, and terms are four years in length. As of 2024, the assembly is controlled by a coalition of members affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party , Komeito , and the Democratic Civic Forum. Between the founding of the modern city and 1898, the governor of Kyoto Prefecture also acted as
11592-534: The mayor of the city of Kyoto. From 1898 through the Second World War, mayors were nominated by the Kyoto City Assembly and appointed by the Minister of Home Affairs . Since 1947, mayors of Kyoto have been chosen by direct election to four-year terms. As of 2024, there have been ten mayors elected using this system. While some mayors have resigned or died in office, no mayor has lost a reelection bid in
11718-525: The most formal, the entire time they are working: a long-sleeved kimono with a trailing skirt, a formal obi which may be extremely long, full white makeup and a traditional hairstyle , which is done using the apprentice's own hair. A geisha, in contrast, may not be called to wear her most formal outfit (a trailing kurotomesode with an obi of matching formality, a wig and full white makeup) to every engagement. Though apprentice geisha appear in their most formal dress when attending engagements all of
11844-490: The needs of upper-class men (who could not respectably be seen to visit a lower-class prostitute) and prostitutes met the sexual needs of lower-class men, this left a gap of skilled and refined entertainers for the emerging merchant classes, who, though wealthy, were unable to access courtesans because of their social class. The status of courtesans as celebrities and arbiters of fashion had also waned considerably. The art forms they practiced had become stiffly-cherished relics of
11970-612: The neighboring city of Ōtsu , the capital of Shiga Prefecture . Within the city of Kyoto, the Tōzai Line also connects to the Keihan lines at Yamashina Station , Misasagi Station , and Sanjō Keihan Station , and to the Keifuku Electric Railroad at the terminal of Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station . Kyoto's municipal bus network is extensive. Private carriers also operate within the city. Many tourists join commuters on
12096-404: The official criminalisation of practices such as mizuage , a practice that had at times been undertaken coercively or through force by some maiko in mostly pre-war Japan. Despite this, the misconception of geisha being on some level prostitutes and of mizuage being a common practice continues, inaccurately, to this day. After Japan lost the war, geisha dispersed and the profession
12222-423: The past, this white makeup – formerly made with lead – would have illuminated the face of a geisha when the only lighting available was candlelight . Oshiroi is worn with red and black eye and eyebrow makeup, red lips and light pink blusher. Both maiko and geisha underpaint their lips with a red lipstick known as beni . First-year apprentice geisha paint only the lower lip, and wear less black around
12348-430: The pleasure quarters quickly became popular entertainment centres that developed their own additional forms of entertainment outside of sex. The highly accomplished courtesans of these districts entertained their clients by dancing, singing, and playing music. Some were renowned poets and calligraphers as well; the development of the cultural arts of the pleasure quarters led to the rise in oiran being considered to be
12474-457: The pleasure quarters, yūjo ( 遊女 , "[women] of pleasure") – a term used to refer to prostitutes as a whole – were classified and licensed , the upper echelons of which were referred to as oiran , a category with its own internal ranks, the highest of which being the tayū . Though women in the lower ranks of yūjo did not provide as much artistic entertainment as they did sexual, oiran , whilst still prostitutes, also included
12600-928: The postwar period. In the 2024 Kyoto mayoral election , independent candidate Koji Matsui was elected for the first time, supported by the Liberal Democratic Party , Komeito , the Constitutional Democratic Party , and the Democratic Party for the People . Information technology and electronics are key industries in Kyoto. The city is home to the headquarters of Nintendo , Intelligent Systems , SCREEN Holdings , Tose , Hatena , Omron , Kyocera , Shimadzu , Rohm , Horiba , Nidec Corporation , Nichicon , Nissin Electric , and GS Yuasa . Domestic and international tourism contributes significantly to Kyoto's economy. In 2014,
12726-595: The public buses, or take tour buses. Kyoto's buses have announcements in English and electronic signs with stops written in the Latin alphabet. Buses operating on routes within the city, the region, and the nation stop at Kyōto Station . In addition to Kyōto Station, bus transfer is available at the intersection of Shijō Kawaramachi , Sanjō Keihan Station , and the intersection of Karasuma Kitaōji near Kitaōji Station . Because many older streets in Kyoto are narrow, there are
12852-465: The region before the 6th century, around which time the Shimogamo Shrine is believed to have been established. During the 8th century, when powerful Buddhist clergy became involved in the affairs of the imperial government, Emperor Kanmu chose to relocate the capital in order to distance it from the clerical establishment in Nara . His last choice for the site was the village of Uda, in
12978-401: The same time, the forerunners of female geisha, the teenage odoriko ("dancing girls") , developed trained and hired as chaste dancers-for-hire within these teahouses. Further still, some courtesans, whose contracts within the pleasure quarters had ended, chose to stay on to provide musical entertainment to guests, making use of the skills they had formerly developed as part of their job. In
13104-424: The status of geisha in a rapidly-Westernising Japanese society. Some geisha had begun to experiment with wearing Western clothing to engagements, learning Western-style dancing, and serving cocktails to customers instead of sake. The image of a "modern" pre-war geisha had been viewed by some as unprofessional and a betrayal of the profession's image, but as a necessary change and an obvious evolution by others. However,
13230-473: The summer. Kyoto, like most of the Pacific coast and central areas of Japan, is prone to typhoons during the summer and autumn. In the 1870s, the city was divided into a northern ward (Kamigyō-ku) and a southern ward (Shimogyō-ku), each working as individual administrative divisions of Kyoto Prefecture. The modern municipality was created by the unification of these wards into the city of Kyoto in 1889. Due to
13356-675: The terminal of Kokusaikaikan Station and Takeda Station , and takes its name from the fact that trains run beneath Karasuma Street between Kitaōji Station in Kita-ku and Jūjō Station in Minami-ku. The Karasuma Line connects to the Hankyu Kyoto Main Line at the intersection of Shijō Karasuma in Kyoto's central business district and to JR lines and the Kyoto Kintetsu Line at Kyōto Station. In addition,
13482-406: The time, this appearance is not static, and the seniority of apprentices can generally be distinguished visually by changes to makeup, hairstyle and hair accessories. When an apprentice becomes a full geisha, her style of kimono changes from a long-sleeved one with a typically long obi to a short-sleeved one with an obi of the same length worn by any woman who wears a kimono; she may not wear
13608-493: The traditional arts as a key aspect of their entertainment, their practice of which differed considerably from those of geisha. As oiran were considered to be low-ranking members of the nobility, the instruments they played and the songs they sang were often confined to those considered "respectable" enough for the upper classes. This typically meant that oiran sang long, traditional ballads ( nagauta ( lit. ' long songs ' ) ), and played instruments such as
13734-496: The traditional arts. Before this point, the number of maiko in had dropped from 80 to just 30 between 1965 and 1975. By 1975, the average age of a geisha in the Ponto-chō district of Kyoto was roughly 39, with the vast majority being aged 35–49. The population of geisha at this time was also surprisingly high, roughly equivalent to the numbers of young women within the profession; geisha no longer retired young when they found
13860-465: The traditions of female dance and performance that would later lead to both the development of geisha and kabuki actors. During the Heian period, ideals surrounding relationships with women, sexual or otherwise, did not emphasise fidelity, with marriage within the Heian court considered a relatively casual arrangement. Men were not expected to be faithful to their wives, while women were expected to remain faithful to their husbands. The ideal wife instead
13986-658: The transfer of the imperial court to Tokyo in 1869 at the time of the Imperial Restoration . In the Sengoku period , the city suffered extensive destruction in the Ōnin War of 1467–1477, and did not really recover until the mid-16th century. During the war, battles between samurai factions spilled into the streets, and came to involve court nobility ( kuge ) and religious factions as well. Nobles' mansions were transformed into fortresses, deep trenches dug throughout
14112-752: The trip from Hakata Station in Fukuoka to Kyoto takes just over three hours by the fastest train service Nozomi . All Shinkansen trains stop at Kyōto Station, including Hikari and Kodama trains. The Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau operates the Kyoto Municipal Subway consisting of two lines: the Karasuma Line and the Tōzai Line . The two lines are linked at Karasuma Oike Station near Kyoto's central business district. The Karasuma Line runs primarily north to south between
14238-404: The upper classes, as had their manner of speech and their increasingly gaudy appearance. In contrast, machi geisha ( lit. ' town geisha ' ) had begun to successfully establish themselves as worldly, cutting-edge entertainers, more artistically daring than their cloistered, indentured cousins, and able to come and go and dress as they pleased. This popularity was then increased by
14364-437: The war effort proper, with many finding work in factories or elsewhere through customers and patrons. Though geisha returned to the karyūkai relatively quickly after the war, many had decided to stay on in their wartime jobs, considering it to be a more stable form of employment. Both during and after the war, the geisha name lost some status, as some prostitutes began referring to themselves as " geisha girls " to members of
14490-459: The war were aged 20–24, as many retired in their mid-twenties after finding a patron – a trend carried over from the pre-war karyūkai : I showed the mother of the Yamabuki [ okiya , in 1975] some statistics on the age distribution of the geisha population in the 1920s. She remarked on the big dip in figures when women reached the age of twenty-five. "In those days, when you found yourself
14616-432: The wearing of haori by women, for example, was first started by geisha from the Tokyo hanamachi of Fukagawa in the early 1800s. There were considered to be many classifications and ranks of geisha, though some were colloquial or closer to a tongue-in-cheek nicknames than an official ranking. Some geisha would sleep with their customers, whereas others would not, leading to distinctions such as kuruwa geisha –
14742-422: The word "geiko" became synonymous with illegal prostitute. The first woman known to have called herself "geisha" was a prostitute from Fukagawa , roughly around 1750, who had become a skilled singer and shamisen player. The geisha, who took the name of Kikuya, became an immediate success, bringing greater popularity to the idea of female geisha.Following Kikuya's success as a geisha, many girls began to make
14868-534: The world of geisha. For example, the Gion district of Kyoto is the only district wherein the kyo-mai style of Japanese traditional dance is taught. This style of dance is taught solely to the geisha within the district by the Inoue school, with the school's former head, Inoue Yachiyo , having been classified as a " Living National Treasure " by the Government of Japan, the highest artistic award attainable in
14994-506: Was in shambles. When they regrouped during the Occupation and began to flourish in the 1960s during Japan's postwar economic boom, the geisha world changed. In modern Japan, girls are not sold into indentured service. Nowadays, a geisha's sex life is her private affair. From the 1930s onwards, the rise of the jokyū bar hostess began to overshadow geisha as the premiere profession of entertainment at parties and outings for men. In 1959,
15120-472: Was largely spared from conventional bombing as well, although small-scale air raids did result in casualties. During the occupation, the U.S. Sixth Army and I Corps were headquartered in Kyoto. As a result, Kyoto is one of the few Japanese cities that still have an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as machiya . However, modernization is continually breaking down traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as
15246-400: Was modernised during the 19th century to a flat fee charged per hour. In Kyoto, the terms ohana ( お花 ) and hanadai ( 花代 ) (both meaning "flower fees") are used instead as part of the Kyoto dialect. However, appointments and arrangements are still made by the mother of the house (the okasan ) through the official registry office ( 検番 , kenban ) , which keeps a record of both
15372-533: Was once a common practice amongst married women in Japan and the imperial court in earlier times, but is now an extremely uncommon practice. Kyoto Kyoto ( / ˈ k j oʊ t oʊ / ; Japanese : 京都 , Kyōto [kʲoꜜːto] ), officially Kyoto City ( 京都市 , Kyōto-shi , [kʲoːtoꜜɕi] ) , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan 's largest and most populous island of Honshu . As of 2020 ,
15498-404: Was seen as a modest mother who managed the affairs of the house, following Confucian customs wherein love had secondary importance to the other roles a wife fulfilled within the marriage. As such, courtesans—who provided not only sexual enjoyment, but also romantic attachment and artistic entertainment—were seen both as an outlet for men and as common companions.Though geisha would not appear until
15624-553: Was some consideration by the United States of targeting Kyoto with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II because of the possibility that the city's importance was great enough that its loss might persuade Japan to surrender. In the end, at the insistence of Henry L. Stimson , Secretary of War in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, the city was removed from the list of targets and replaced by Nagasaki . The city
15750-507: Was the name given to Japanese girls and women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who were trafficked from poverty stricken agricultural prefectures in Japan to destinations in East Asia , Southeast Asia , Siberia ( Russian Far East ), Manchuria , and India to serve as prostitutes and sexually serviced men from a variety of races, including Chinese, Europeans, native Southeast Asians, and others. Immediately after World War II ,
15876-768: Was the scene of several key events of the Muromachi period , Sengoku period , and the Boshin War , such as the Ōnin War , the Honnō-ji Incident , the Kinmon incident , and the Battle of Toba–Fushimi . The capital was relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration . The modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889. The city was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II and, as
#877122