Culture Jun 22, 2020
Pandemic pushes Japanese geisha to get online
by Harumi Ozawa
With their places of work closed, the entertainers have been forced to think creatively to keep their incomes flowing.
Books / Reviews | ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES Mar 9, 2019
Kafu Nagai's 'Geisha in Rivalry' abounds with scheming, manipulation and, yes, sex
by Damian Flanagan
Although this edition of "Geisha in Rivalry" is a translation of a censored version of the more racy original, it represents Nagai's rediscovery of the fast-disappearing traditional culture of Japan.
National | Regional voices: Chubu Jan 14, 2019
A 32-year-old woman who used to serve in the Air Self-Defense Force debuted last month as a geiko — another term used to refer to geisha — in Gifu, a city known for having a unique tradition of entertaining guests on riverboats with geisha ...
Books / Reviews Dec 9, 2017
'Now a Geisha' follows the graduation of an apprentice maiko
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Shelves of books on geisha are already overflowing, but "Now A Geisha" still deserves a space. Now a Geisha, by John Paul Foster, Translated by Chiaki Iwamura. 192 pages IBC PUBLISHING, Nonfiction. This is John Paul Foster's third photo book on geisha, but it's his first to focus ...
Culture Nov 25, 2017
Japan's geisha battle to protect their future
by Masami Ito
A handful of traditional female entertainers across the country are experimenting with innovative ways of preserving their culture.
Business Oct 27, 2017
Small Japanese credit union outperforms mega-banks by lending to geisha and local startups
by Gareth Allan and Takako Taniguchi
Kikuno Kashima, a Tokyo geisha, couldn't get a bank loan to open a club for her patrons and select guests until a tiny credit union agreed to lend her the money. Now she's part of a lending model that's doling out cash to startup ...
National Apr 3, 2017
Sapporo's Susukino entertainment district used to host one of the nation's biggest red-light districts with more than 300 geisha in the 1950s. But with the burst of the bubble economy in the late 1980s dealing a heavy blow to the local economy, the number has ...
People | 20 QUESTIONS Jan 28, 2017
Photographer John Paul Foster: 'Little details separate a good photograph from a great one'
by J.J. O'Donoghue
American photographer on geisha cluture and the art of taking a great picture.
Lifestyle Jan 18, 2017
American aspires to fulfill childhood dream as geisha in Japan
by Sayo Sasaki
In modern times joining the fascinating yet cloistered world of a geisha — even for young Japanese girls — is rare indeed. But if you weren't born Japanese and still harbor aspirations of becoming one of the traditional teahouse entertainers, though it's probably easier than ...
Travel Sep 3, 2016
Strolling the quiet alleyways of Nara, Japan's forgotten capital
by Mandy Bartok
It's hard playing second fiddle when you used to be first chair. Just ask Nara, Kyoto's underpraised southern neighbor. In 710, Japan's seat of power settled in Nara, on the plains of the Yamato Province. While previous centuries had seen the capital move after the ...
National Aug 12, 2016
Morioka embraces new young talent to keep geisha tradition alive
by Daiki Yamamoto
Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, is striving to preserve and revitalize the time-honored tradition of geisha entertainers for which the city was once famous. From the late 19th century through much of the 20th century, Morioka was a hub for outstanding geigi — synonymous ...
National / History | JAPAN TIMES GONE BY Apr 30, 2016
by Edan Corkill
100 YEARS AGO Wednesday, May 17, 1916 Few realize the menace of resident Germans Count Okuma, judging from his utterances a few days ago, is not unaware of the menace of the German in Japan. He says the German is to be eliminated as a factor or ...