Geisha: The word Geisha literally translates to “arts person” or “one trained in arts” (gei = art, sha = person).It is also sometimes described as “women of arts, which is exactly what a Geisha is - a woman trained in the traditional arts of Japan such as dance, music, singing to name a few.
Maiko: The word Maiko literally translates to “dancing child” (mai = dance, ko = child), but is also referred to as “dancing girl”. A Maiko is an apprentice Geisha who must must undergo a period of training that generally takes 5 years, where she learns the various “gei” (arts) such as dancing, singing, music etc before she becomes a Geisha.
Geiko: The word Geiko is another way of saying Geisha. It is predominately used by Geisha of the Kyoto districts.
How can I tell apart a Maiko from a Geisha?
It is actually very simple and easy to distinguish between the two. Starting from head to toe, the main points of difference are:
• Kanzashi
• Make Up
• Kimono
• Obi
• Collar
• Geta
(Text/Images by Immortal Geisha)
