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.

Misconceptions about geisha that stem from highly sensationalized stories from Western perspectives flatten the complex cultural artistry of the profession. Detail of a Katsura, a geisha wig ...

MUCH ADO IN ASIAChina and Japan in a culture clashMemoirs of a Geisha puts two in verbal war. By TIM JOHNSON and EMI DOI, Knight Ridder Newspapers Dec 2, 2005.

Japan's geisha are experts in their field, but they're often treated like tourist attractions. Learn why Kyoto officials have had to crack down on tourist photos.

“Japanese people themselves often don’t understand or have the wrong idea about what geishas do,” Hisafumi Iwashita, a writer specialised in geisha culture, says. Advertisement.

Tuck into tempura and takoyaki, learn how to make Japanese sweets and join a hashigozake pub crawl. Plan your trip Book your trip on the New Golden Route by getting the Hokuriku Arch Pass , for ¥ ...