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The World of the Modern Geisha
Japan is reeling from a 20-year economic slump, and has recently been surpassed by China as the world’s second-largest economy. What the Japanese call the “lost years” have taken a serious toll on some of the country’s most beloved cultural icons, including the Geisha. Instead of charging several hundred dollars for tea, dancing and artful conversation, many now have to look for other ways to make a living. Al Jazeera’s Steve Chao reports.
At one time there were over 80,000 women in Japan practicing the art of Geisha. Now, that number is lower than 1,000, and sadly the modern geisha has become more a novelty these days than the once respected and exclusive figures they once were.
