芸者（げいしゃ）are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance. The word consists of two kanji, 芸 (げい) meaning "art" and 者 (しゃ) meaning "person" or "doer". The most literal translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist". Another name for geisha used in Japan is 芸子（げいこ）, which is usually used to refer to geisha from Western Japan, including Kyoto.
Apprentice geisha are called maiko (舞子＜まいこ＞) or hangyoku (半玉＜はんぎょく＞), (meaning that they are paid half the wage as opposed to a full geisha), or by the more generic term o-shaku (御酌＜おしゃく＞), literally "one who pours (alcohol)". Maikos' white make-up and elaborate kimono and hairstyle is the popular image held of geisha. A woman entering the geisha community does not have to start out as a maiko, having the opportunity to begin her career as a full geisha. Either way, however, usually a year's training is involved before debuting either as a maiko or as a geisha. A woman above 21 is considered too old to be a maiko and becomes a full geisha upon her initiation into the geisha community. However, those who do go through the maiko stage can enjoy more prestige later in their professional lives.
Tokyo geisha are more likely to start at 18 years old for hangyoku, so on average, Tokyo hangyoku are slightly older than their Kyoto counterparts.
Throughout history, geisha often began the earliest stages of their training at a very young age, sometimes as early as at 3 or 5 years. The early shikomi (servant) and minarai (watching apprentice) stages of geisha training lasted years, which is significantly longer than in contemporary times.
It is said that geisha and courtesans inhabit a separate reality which they call the karyukai or "the flower and willow world." Modern geisha continue to use this term. The courtesans were referred to as the colorful "flowers" and the geisha were the "willows" because of their modest, strong, and resilient nature.
Wikipedia
the famous movie :the Memoirs of a Geisha 小百合＜さゆり＞
, which is acted by three famous Chinese actress and Japanese actors and actreses.
That is very interesting. I didn't know there were different levels of being a Geisha. One of my goals is to be able to read Memoirs of a Geisha in original Japanese format.
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