The living embodiment of Japan’s traditional and cultural heritage.
For many people, the quintessential image of Japan is an elegant geisha in an exquisite kimono. It is a scene that embodies the beauty and mystery of geisha; geisha and their maiko apprentices move almost secretly through a world largely hidden behind closed doors. Geisha are essentially artists:
highly skilled in traditional arts, such as fan dance and shamisen, and masters of pun and social etiquette. Although geisha numbers have dropped dramatically since their heyday in the 1920s, people in Japan today are charged with maintaining these traditions, ensuring that traditional Japanese arts and crafts are not lost. Most of the geisha live and work in Kyoto and are known as geiko in the local dialect. Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, with a high concentration of ochaya teahouses, where the geiko entertains guests most nights. However, not everyone can enter an ochaya; In traditional Japanese society, hierarchy and social connections are everything, and most Japanese will never have the honor of receiving an official invitation. Fortunately, Only One Travel has many strong connections in Kyoto, so we are able to offer our clients several unique opportunities to discover the mysteries of the geisha.