What they do...

In short, a geisha is a woman, highly trained in the arts, who is paid to entertain at parties with games, music, dance, or conversation. She must stroke the ego and make her clients feel like they can do no wrong, while providing a lively and comfortable environment.

A more long winded explanation is as follows: Though it may not seem difficult, a geisha's most important worry is that her customers are happy. Contrary to popular belief, a geisha is not a prostitute. That is not to say that geisha are prudish – far from it – but clever innuendo or is much more suited to the ozashiki environment than crass overtures. A geisha's most important asset is her wit and clever tongue. Beauty is treasured, but a quick-witted girl will always make her mark.

Her job is to entertain. Be that with polite yet scintillating conversation, or an elegant dance. She thrills the crowds with her presence, and an air grace that is rarely seen in today's world. Though a young maiko relies on her looks and innocence, a mature geiko has far more charm than some people would believe. She conveys complete attention and always finds her customers enthralling. Her biggest worry is that her patrons are always completely at ease and well taken care of. She would be a poor geiko to let a glass go unfilled, a cigar unlit, or an ashtray un-emptied.

A fully trained geiko will have dozens of party games in her repertoire. One of a geisha's greatest talents is that she will never lose if she doesn't want to. Strange as it may sound, geisha are trained in all of their games just as with all their other arts, and practice until they are perfect. Some games involve singing and dancing, others test balance. Tosenkyo involves throwing a paper dancing fan at a weighted target to knock it over. Tora-Tora is a physical game of paper rock scissors, where the players choose to be an old woman, hunter, or tiger. Punishment for loosing often involves sake. Usually taboo subjects are welcome at Geisha party and will send the room into fits of laughter.

The most serious portion of the night is usually when a dance is performed. A dance has to be requested before-hand to provide the proper accompaniment (drum, flute, shamisen). Geisha who perform the music are called Jikata and dancing geisha are referred to as Tachikata. Each dance tells a story and each distinct movement must dictate it exactly, usually without relying on any overt facial expression. These dances are a precise ballet of movement and are considered a highly sophisticated form of entertainment in Japanese society.

To many patrons a geisha party is an ideal place to strike up business proposals and trade secrets. The geisha act as social lubricant, easing the often straight-laced interactions between businessmen. Geisha have always entertained the rich and powerful, and throughout history have been known for their secrecy. As such, a client can be confident that what is shared during his geisha party will remain hush-hush. There have been several geisha throughout history who have broken their code of silence, and have been shunned on account of it. In the eyes of the community, they aren't true geisha. An honorable geisha will always keep quiet about the goings-on in the ochaya. The relationships formed in the Karyukai are based on mutual respect, trust and loyalty and damaging these bonds with loose lips can easily end a promising career.