THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, Manila made dreams come true on Feb. 22 and let an audience at the Shangri-La Plaza experience a night with geiko and maiko (better known here as geisha, but Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, speaks a different dialect).
A symbol of old Japan, at its core, a geiko is a female entertainer versed in the traditional arts of dance and music. Branching out from the former occupation of courtesan centuries ago, the geiko left behind the sexual aspect of that career and concentrated on the arts. More importantly, it was one of the ways women were able to make a living at a time when career choices were limited. The lines between geiko and sex workers were blurred because of the previous association, mistranslations and misconceptions by foreigners, as well as previous legislation which had lumped them together. Either way, in the profession’s heyday, geiko dictated fashion, were treated as celebrities, and were connected to the highest levels of Japanese society. This life of centuries-old glamor has created a veil of mystery about the profession, which was why we appreciated meeting not one, but three in the flesh.
The Japan Foundation, Manila brought in geiko from the Tomikiku okiya (a geisha house) from the prestigious Gion Higashi hanamachi (or “flower town”) in Kyoto for the Nihongo Fiesta 2025, which ran from Feb. 22 to 23.
The head of the Tomikiku okiya, Reiko Tomimori, appeared in a cream kimono with a pattern of trees and gave a low bow. She explained through an interpreter that the geiko and the maiko (an apprentice geisha) under her care would be performing dances that evening, the first one called “Spring Rain,” about a plum tree and a cardinal bird in love, and expressing their wish to stay together forever. She said all of this in a low, clear, calming tone; perfect for telling plane passengers not to panic.
The geiko Tomichiyo (as a member of the Tomikiku geiko “family,” geiko usually adopt elements of the family name) came out in a rust-colored kimono with a pattern of silhouetted vines and the requisite white makeup and complicated bun hairstyle. Upon closer inspection, the white makeup softens to pink around the eyes, and, as Tomichiyo said, once a maiko graduates to become a working geiko (it is a five-year apprenticeship), she stops wearing her own hair in the style and is then allowed to use a wig.
The maiko, Tomieri (we were surprised to learn that the Tomikiku family has quite a following online; this apprentice included), was dressed in blue, with a pattern of vines also, but hers were in full bloom.
A second performance by the geiko Tomitae (she was dressed in lilac, with a pattern of ferns) was a piece about autumn, specifically, the “Bridge of Maple Leaves.” The three then performed a dance set to “Ballad of Gion,” a relatively modern song first recorded in the 1930s.
Later in the evening, the three bade guests to play a drinking game with them (we didn’t understand the rules and just went onstage to meet the geiko), with Tomichiyo supervising, Tomieri playing, and Tomitae on the shamisen.
Tomichiyo, her voice charming in another way (if her “mother” — okasan — spoke in calming tones, Tomichiyo spoke in a breathy, girlish, even flirtatious tone that suggested she had been waiting to meet all of you), answered some questions about her life as geiko. For example, she showed the audience the difference between her, a full-fledged geiko, and apprentice Tomieri. Tomichiyo was dressed more conservatively; the apprentice is more flamboyant. While Tomichiyo’s obi (sash) was tied in a neat box, Tomieri’s trailed below the waist, showing off the rich pattern in gold. The collar in the apprentice’s robe is also more showy, with hers speckled with gold. Tomichiyo’s and Tomitae’s were plain white. The younger one also had longer sleeves on her kimono. Tomieri also had a more complicated hairstyle and more hair ornaments: she wore a bar with silver strips in her hair, which trembled as she went through the doll-like movements of the dance.
Tomichiyo pointed out that the flower ornament worn by the apprentice changed every month according to the seasons. Normally, Tomieri would have been wearing a plum flower, but because it was her birthday, she was given a yellow chrysanthemum to wear. Tomieri keeps her complicated hairstyle — a structure of hair, wax, and other things — for a week, before it’s cleaned and redone. To maintain this, she sleeps on a high neck pillow, called a takamakura. Tomichiyo said that this hairstyle is why Tomieri’s life has so many rules — she won’t be able to be seen at “Starbucks and McDonald’s” (Tomichiyo’s words) while wearing this hair, a problem she faced too as an apprentice.
The apprenticeship begins between the ages of 15 and 20. When a geiko graduates, she can wear a wig, so theoretically, once they take off their wig and makeup, they can live a normal life. Tomichiyo says, however, that she begins a busy day at 5 p.m., and works until midnight — a life takes time, and that includes the time it takes to dress in the multiple layers of robes.
Finally, asked about her makeup, Tomichiyo said that when geiko first appeared centuries ago, there was no electric light. She could have said it any other way, but the artist in her said, “We used to dance under the moonlight. If a face was not white, people wouldn’t be able to see it.”
Follow the Tomikiku family on Instagram @tomikiku_gionhigashi. — Joseph L. Garcia
