SHIMODA, Japan — With a few hesitant steps and the swoosh of kimono against a tatami-mat floor, it isn’t long before Awagiku finds her rhythm, moving with what comes close to perfection by the end of ...

KYOTO, Japan — On the quiet streets of Kyoto you will get a glimpse of them. Dressed in Kimono. The familiar white makeup. Walking quickly. That is the extent of what most people see of a geisha.

TOKYO – For an American film starring a Chinese actress in a Japanese role, "Memoirs of a Geisha" picked a tough town for its world premiere. The film version of the best-selling novel of the same ...

Her voice sounded melodic, soft and soothing. She glided across the tatami mats, dancing traditional steps that she had performed thousands of times. Her apprentice, fresh with youth and wearing a ...

Gaining access into the enigmatic world of Japan’s modern-day geishas is no easy task, but award-winning French photographer Philippe Marinig has managed to pull off just that. His new book, “Secret ...

As early as late 600s Japan there have been 'female entertainers' hosting gatherings, pouring sake and offering company to men. Known as 'saburuko' - translated as 'serving girls' - some of these ...

Kyoto residents complain that tourists chase geisha down streets for photos, are loud and disruptive at night, and ignore local customs. The charming, historic, temple-filled Japanese city has always ...

Foreign readers may not be very familiar with the professional traditional entertainers called geisha, but nowadays it’s not unusual even for older Japanese to be unaware of what geisha actually do.

Fast-forward a century, and the nation's geisha population is widely estimated to have dropped to below the 1,000 mark. The speedy rate of the decline of geisha in Japan has fuelled growing concerns ...