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Geisha Experience
For those of you who have been on the Essence of Japan tour, were you satisfied with the geisha experience Tauck offered? I have a couple of extra days in Kyoto and thought about booking a private geisha performance but I don't really want to if the one Tauck offers is sufficient.
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We were very satisfied with the geisha experience on our tour, which occurred at the farewell dinner. Actually 2 geishas and a maiko (apprentice geisha). Nicely and respectfully done.
The Tauck experience was amazing!
I agree that the Tauck experience is all you need. In Kyoto,they are called geiko.
No Ken that’s an insurance company, you are thinking of apprentice geishas called Meiko.
Not sure if you're kidding, British. In Kyoto, full-fledged geisha are called geiko. This was explained to us that the practice originated in Kyoto, so Kyoto geisha are know as geiko honoring their origin. Other sources say that it's the local dialect. From the the "Inside Kyoto" website:
"Kyoto is the heart of Japan’s geisha world. In Kyoto, however, fully-fledged geisha are properly called geiko (pronounced “gay-ko”). Young ladies, usually between the ages of 15 and 20, train for five years to become a geiko. During this period, they are known as maiko (pronounced “my-ko”)."
Interesting, never picked up on that. My husband was entertained by a Maiko in Kyoto many years ago, she tried to ply him with whisky but he asked for ginger ale which looked the same color. We did have a private geisha experience on a tour we took to Japan a couple of years ago. The men were invited onto the stage to play some sort of hand game. It was fun to watch.