Kids [2 of 3] - 舞妓 (Maiko)

Posted by Stu (Kyoto, Japan) on 13 January 2007 in People & Portraits and Portfolio.

"Geisha," is the most familiar term to English speakers. Like all Japanese nouns, there are no distinct singular or plural variants of the term. The word consists of two kanji, 芸 (gei) meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer." The most direct translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "arts person."
Apprentice geisha are called maiko (舞子 or 舞妓). This word is made of the kanji 舞 (mai) meaning "dancing" and 子 or 妓 (ko) meaning "child" or "young girl." It is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono and wigs, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha" to Westerners, rather than the more demure true geisha.

Canon EOS Kiss X
1/250 second
F/9.0
ISO 400
55 mm

japan
kyoto
maiko
geisha