Geisha recruitment goes digital
Mainichi is reporting that geisha houses have turned to the internet for the recruitment of new apprentice geisha:
Internet advertisements for apprentice geisha in traditional districts of Kyoto have sparked a surge in applicants, with the number of apprentice geisha rising this year to the highest level in a decade, it has emerged.
Since it has become difficult for teahouses to find apprentice geisha who are descendants of geisha or who have connections with the area, more stores are advertising for apprentices online. As of the end of March the number of apprentice geisha in Kyoto stood at 75, the highest in 10 years.
It’s great to see the geisha tradition surviving, otherwise the tour books would have to start using pictures of fake maiko for their cover images. They might even have to turn to Chinese actresses dressed like geisha, like Hollywood.
[via Digital World Tokyo]
