Geishas in Japan have an enigmatic charm about them. They are so revered that a teacher of the art was once declared a “living national treasure” in the country. Seeing a real geisha is not that easy, ...

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.

With her perfectly lacquered hair, painted face and a submissive demeanor meant to please the men she entertains, the Japanese geisha has the reputation of being a lady of uncertain morals. Delicate, ...

Arthur Golden’s 1997 novel “Memoirs of a Geisha” is an addictive read: an involving, almost Dickensian tale of a young woman’s rise from poverty in a fishing village to fame as a Kyoto geisha in the ...

KYOTO, Japan – Like ghosts from another time, the real geisha seem to float silently along the streets at twilight, making their ways to teahouses and restaurants where they will entertain elite, ...

Shimoda, a small seaside city in Shizuoka prefecture, was home to as many as 200 geisha working its tea-houses as recently as 30 years ago. However, the number of geisha currently based in Shimoda has ...

It took Arthur Golden 15 years to research and write “Memoirs of a Geisha,” his bestselling novel set in 1930s and ‘40s Japan. It didn’t take quite that long for the story to make it onto the screen, ...