image creditA geisha is a member of a professional class of women in Japan whose traditional occupation is to entertain men. A geisha must be adept at singing, dancing, and playing traditional musical instruments in addition to being skilled at making conversation. The geisha system is thought to have emerged in the 17th century to provide a class of well-trained entertainers.
The numbers of geisha have declined from some 80,000 in the 1920s to a few thousand at present, almost all in the Tokyo and Kyoto areas, where they are patronized by only the wealthiest businessmen and most influential politicians. Here are some of the secrets that hide behind the white painted faces of geisha women.The Presurfer
