History Main / Geisha

* Can be trained by daimyo in the two ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' games set in feudal Japan. They're pretty far up the tech tree, but if you get them they are excellent at assassinating targets - unlike ninjas their presence in a province is known to your target, but they cannot be openly killed because that would be considered dishonorable (the only ways to get rid of the threat is to either sic a ninja or send a geisha of your own for a MutualKill).

According to TheOtherWiki, ''geisha'', also known as ''geiko'' or ''geiki'', are traditional Japanese female entertainers whose skills include traditional music and dance, fine conversation, and tea ceremony. Geisha are easily recognizable by their hairstyle, their elaborate {{kimono}}s and their white make-up. Geisha who have not yet completed their training are called ''maiko'' ("dancer child"), and tend to be more colorfully arrayed than their adult counterparts, with different hair pieces for each month, and different styles for her levels of apprenticeship. A young maiko is supported by her ''onee-san'' (big sister) and when she fully graduates, she will be a single entertainer/businesswoman.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''yuujo'' "pleasure women", of which the top tier were the famous ''oiran'' or ''tayuu'' of ukiyo-e fame. Prostitution as such was abolished in Japan in 1956), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII]], geisha could be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanently off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

* Because Ooishi Kuranosuke spent two years partying in the pleasure quarters for cover, any version of the story of The47Ronin will show some geisha and prostitutes.

According to TheOtherWiki, ''geisha'', also known as ''geiko'' or ''geiki'', are traditional Japanese female entertainers whose skills include traditional music and dance, fine conversation, and tea ceremony. Geisha are easily recognizable by their hairstyle, their elaborate {{kimono}}s and their white make-up. Geisha who have not yet completed their training are called ''maiko'' ("dance-child"), and tend to be more colorfully arrayed than their adult counterparts, with different hair pieces for each month, and different styles for her levels of apprenticeship. A young maiko is supported by her ''onee-san'' (big sister) and when she fully graduates, she will be a single entertainer/businesswoman.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WWII]], geisha could be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanently off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

* FemmeFatale: Often play the part in Japanese tales and older literature

* In James Clavell's ''Shogun,'' Kikuchiyo is a forerunner to a geisha, with a manager, an apprentice, and an exceptional level of refinement at all the arts of entertainment (including that of love). In fact, she is the inspiration for her manager, Gyoko (a now retired entertainer) to suggest to [[MagnificentBastard Toranaga]] a class of women exclusively for the performing arts.

* ''MemoirsOfAGeisha'' and its film adaption tells the story of Chiyo, a little girl whose dirt poor family sells her in order to make ends meet. Some of her companions in fate end up being sold to brothels, but the pretty Chiyo is lucky enought to be bought into a geisha house to be a servant, and later, if she proves worthy, an apprentice, thus becoming the samous geisha Sayuri. Despite the fact the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, it's pure fiction and contains its share of inaccuracies. The one most aficinados would name first would be the auctioning of the virginity of maikos about to graduate into geikos.

* Can be trained by daimyo in the two ''[[VideoGame/TotalWar]]'' games set in feudal Japan. They're pretty far up the tech tree, but if you get them they are excellent at assassinating targets - unlike ninjas their presence in a province is known to your target, but they cannot be openly killed because that would be considered dishonorable (the only ways to get rid of the threat is to either sic a ninja or send a geisha of your own for a MutualKill).

* Yumi's Lyoko form in [[WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko]] seems to be based at least in part on that of a Geisha, altered into that of an ActionGirl. (Until the fourth season where Jeremie's upgrade makes her look more like a Ninja.)

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo WWII]], geisha could be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanently off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before UsefulNotes/WWII, geisha could be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanently off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before WWII, geisha could be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanently off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

* ButNotTooWhite - For Japanese men, geishas ringingly defy this stereotype. In fact, the white paint ''itself'' is FetishFuel.
* FemmeFatale - often play the part in Japanese tales and older literature
* GorgeousPeriodDress - their costume is an obsolete style, and quite a deal more showy than the modern fashions
* KimonoFanService - the style they wear screams "teh sexx" in Kimonese
* RavenHairIvorySkin - black hair, white make-up, bright red lipstick
* TrainingFromHell - they undergo demanding training, and some works like to exaggerate it
* YamatoNadeshiko - the very idea of geiko is to be as pleasant company as possible to a male Japanese audience, so if a geiko isn't a YamatoNadeshiko in her private life, her business self will still be one.

* Averted: Cio-Cio San in ''MadameButterfly'' may ''look'' like a geisha, but isn't: she still lives with her family (a geisha would live in a geisha house) and is getting married, which in real life geisha are not allowed to do unless they retire.
* Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing are three Maiko (apprentice Geisha) from [[GilbertAndSullivan Gilbert and Sullivan's]] ''TheMikado.'' The work is far from being accurate, and many productions play it UpToEleven, making these characters a pile of anachronisms and inaccuracies.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before WWII, geisha could be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanantly off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

* ButNotTooWhite - For Japanese men, geishas ringingly defy this stereotype.

* * ''[[http://www.watchme.tv/u2/?uid=619427579e7b067421f6aa89d4a8990c Yakkohan]]'' from GENCO's Charawood shorts is about two journeying tofu-shaped maiko sisters.

* ''[[http://www.watchme.tv/u2/?uid=619427579e7b067421f6aa89d4a8990c Yakkohan]]'' from GENCO's Charawood shorts is about two journeying tofu-shaped maiko sisters.

* ''[[http://www.watchme.tv/u2/?uid=619427579e7b067421f6aa89d4a8990c Yakkohan]]'' from GENCO's Charawood shorts is about two tofu-shaped sisters.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geisha are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before WWII, geisha can be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanantly off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

According to TheOtherWiki, ''geisha'', also known as ''geiko'' or ''geiki'', are traditional Japanese female entertainers whose skills include traditional music and dance, fine conversation, and tea ceremony. Geishas are easily recognizable by their hairstyle, their elaborate {{kimono}}s and their white make-up. Geishas who have not yet completed their training are called ''maiko'' ("dance-child"), and tend to be more colorfully arrayed than their adult counterparts, with different hair pieces for each month, and different styles for her levels of apprenticeship. A young maiko is supported by her ''onee-san'' (big sister) and when she fully graduates, she will be a single entertainer/businesswoman.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geishas are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. Before WWII, geisha can be employed as professional mistresses, but sex is permanantly off the menu these days. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

It is interesting to consider that prior to [[JoshiKousei Schoolgirl]] or [[{{Meido}} Maid]] character types, geishas were considered the archetype of Japanese femininity, and as such, the term "YamatoNadeshiko" could be applied to them.

* Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing are three Maiko (apprentice Geishas) from [[GilbertAndSullivan Gilbert and Sullivan's]] ''TheMikado.'' The work is far from being accurate, and many productions play it UpToEleven, making these characters a pile of anachronisms and inaccuracies.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geishas are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are artists, party hostesses and professional conversationalists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geishas are '''not''' prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are professional artists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

* Erika from ''{{Pokemon}}'' resembles this a bit, in the anime she even dressed like a Geisha at a few points.

* ''MemoirsOfAGeisha'' and its film adaption tells the story of Chiyo, a little girl whose dirt poor family sells her in order to make ends meet. Some of her companions in fate end up being sold to brothels, but the pretty Chiyo is lucky enought to be bought into a geisha house to be a servant, and later, if she proves worthy, an apprentice. Despite the fact the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, it's pure fiction and contains its share of inaccuracies. The one most aficinados would name first would be the auctioning of the virginity of maikos about to graduate into geikos.
** In fact, the book was "inspired" in the life of a real life geisha named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki.]] Iwasaki got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she wrote her own book (''Geisha of Gion'') to counter all the fictionalization.

The role of the geisha has for a long time been seen as mysterious, secretive, and alluring. Contrary to what some might say, geishas are not prostitutes (that woud be ''oiran''), but rather are professional artists, with stage names and distinct personal lives. That hasn't stopped them from being prime FetishFuel material.

* YamatoNadeshiko - the very idea of geiko is to be as pleasant company as possible to a male Japanese audience, so if a geiko isn't a YamatoNadeshiko in her private life, her business self will still be one

* ''MemoirsOfAGeisha'' and its film adaption tells the story of Chiyo, a little girl whose dirt poor family sells her in order to make ends meet. Some of her companions in fate end up being sold to brothels, but the pretty Chiyo is bought into a geisha house to be a servant, and later, if she proves worthy, an apprentice. Despite the fact the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, it's pure fiction and contains its share of inaccuracies. The one most aficinados would name first would be the auctioning of the virginity of maikos about to graduate into geikos.

* BlackAndWhiteBeauty - black hair, white make-up, bright red lipstick