I have a dream…that one day I will earn more than peanuts so that I’ll be able to afford a trip to Japan – to hang out with the harajuku girls in Tokyo and the Geisha in Kyoto.

The art, mystery and beauty of the Geisha culture is spellbinding and the sacrifice and discipline involved in a Geisha’s pursuit and perfection of art is awe-inspiring. It is a great pity that the ancient practices of the Geisha are undermined by the Western perception that Geisha are merely prostitutes. The most direct translation of the word Geisha, which was coined in 1688, is “artist” or “performing artist” – (gei) meaning “art” and (sha) meaning “person” or “doer”. By definition, a Geisha is art personified. Her purpose is to entertain. (more…)