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Maiko dance practice

Maiko, or apprentice geiko, from Kyoto's five entertainment districts rehearse in the western Japan city on June 28, 2024, for the two-day Miyako-no-Nigiwai dance performance starting the following day.(Kyodo)

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Snow-covered geisha district in central Japan

People walk on a snow-covered street lined with traditional teahouses in the Higashi Chaya geisha district in Kanazawa, central Japan, on Dec. 22, 2023.

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Snow-covered geisha district in central Japan

People walk on a snow-covered street lined with traditional teahouses in the Higashi Chaya geisha district in Kanazawa, central Japan, on Dec. 22, 2023.

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Snow-covered geisha district in central Japan

People walk on a snow-covered street lined with traditional teahouses in the Higashi Chaya geisha district in Kanazawa, central Japan, on Dec. 22, 2023.

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Traditional dance festival in Kyoto

Geisha and their "maiko" apprentices take part in a kimono-fitting session in Kyoto on Feb. 22, 2023, ahead of the annual Miyako Odori traditional dance festival from April 1 to 30.

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Traditional dance festival in Kyoto

Geisha and their "maiko" apprentices take part in a kimono-fitting session in Kyoto on Feb. 22, 2023, ahead of the annual Miyako Odori traditional dance festival from April 1 to 30.

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Bean throwing festival

KYOTO, Japan - Maiko, or apprentice geisha, throw beans at a Japanese Lunar New Year Eve event at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto on Feb. 2, 2014.

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Bean throwing festival

KYOTO, Japan - Maiko, or apprentice geisha, throw beans at a Japanese Lunar New Year Eve event at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto on Feb. 2, 2014.

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Celebrities, geisha parade at annual 'Ebisu' festival

OSAKA, Japan - A dazzling good luck palanquin parade, featuring kabuki actor Nakamura Ganjiro (C) and other celebrities as well as geisha female entertainers, march through downtown Osaka in western Japan on Jan. 10, 2015, the main day of the annual "Toka Ebisu" festival, during which people pray to Ebisu, the patron deity of commerce, for business success.

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"Geisha" attend New Year ceremony to kick off work

KYOTO, Japan - Japanese "geisha" entertainers and apprentice geisha drink sake in Kyoto on Jan. 7, 2015, after a New Year ceremony for the start of work.

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Kyoto geisha start work in 2015

KYOTO, Japan - Geisha in Kyoto, Japan, wearing family crest-bearing kimono, attend a ceremony on Jan. 7, 2015, to start work for the year 2015.

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Kyoto geisha start work in 2015

KYOTO, Japan - Geisha in Kyoto, Japan, wearing family crest-bearing kimono, attend a ceremony on Jan. 7, 2015, to start work for the year 2015.

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Apprentice geisha start preparing for new year

KYOTO, Japan - An apprentice geisha greets her mistress at their training room in Kyoto, Japan, on Dec. 13, 2014, as they started preparing for ringing in the new year.

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Apprentice geisha start preparing for new year

KYOTO, Japan - An apprentice geisha greets her mistress at their training room in Kyoto, Japan, on Dec. 13, 2014, as they started preparing for ringing in the new year.

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Tokyo geishas receive cardiac massage training

TOKYO, Japan - A Tokyo Fire Department official (L) teaches a geisha how to give a cardiac massage by using a mannequin in Tokyo's Kagurazaka district on Nov. 7, 2014. A group of five geishas in the district received anti-disaster training the same day.

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Tokyo geishas learn how to use fire extinguisher

TOKYO, Japan - A geisha tries out a fire extinguisher after receiving a lesson on how to use it in Tokyo's Kagurazaka district on Nov. 7, 2014. A group of five geishas in the district received anti-disaster training the same day from the Tokyo Fire Department.

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Classic Japanese dancers practice for performance

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" apprentice geisha girls conduct a final practice in Kyoto, western Japan, on Sept. 27, 2014, ahead of performances by the Inoue school of "Kyomai" or Kyoto-style classic Japanese dance to be held on Oct. 1-6.

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Cup of new Starbucks coffee costs 1,998 yen

TOKYO, Japan - Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. unveils the Panama Auromar Geisha coffee brand in Tokyo ahead of its launch on Sept. 17, 2014. A cup of the coffee sells for 1,998 yen ($18.7). It will also sell a 250-gram pack of the same coffee for 10,800 yen, as shown in the file photo taken on Aug. 12.

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Maiko at photo session for Nov. Gion Dance

KYOTO, Japan - Colorful kimono-clad maiko of Gion Higashi, one of the five geisha districts in Kyoto, attend a photo session for posters and pamphlets on Aug. 29, 2014, for the annual Gion Dance to be held Nov. 1-10, in Kyoto.

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'Oiran' courtesan parades in Sapporo, northern Japan

SAPPORO, Japan - Geisha entertainer Botan (R) walks down the street at a festival in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, northern Japan, on Aug. 6, 2014, performing as an "oiran" traditional courtesan of the highest rank from the Edo era (1603-1867) during an "oiran parade."

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Inaugural members of 'Akita Maiko' program debut

AKITA, Japan - Three young women perform at a hotel in the city of Akita in northeastern Japan on Aug. 1, 2014, after completing a training program as "Akita Maiko" to revive the local tradition of "Kawabata geisha." Maiko is an apprentice geisha.

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3 women certified as 'Akita Maiko'

AKITA, Japan - Three young women hold a certificate after completing a training program as "Akita Maiko" to revive the local tradition of "Kawabata geisha" on Aug. 1, 2014, at a hotel in the city of Akita in northeastern Japan. Maiko is an apprentice geisha.

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Maiko greet teahouse owners, teachers

KYOTO, Japan - Two Maiko, apprentice geisha, pay a round of visits to their teachers of traditional Japanese arts and teahouse owners during the annual summer "hassaku" event in the Gion district in Kyoto, western Japan, on Aug. 1, 2014.

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Kyoto geisha pay courtesy calls in summer greeting custom

KYOTO, Japan - Geiko, Kyoto's term for geisha, and maiko, apprentice geisha, bow as they pay a courtesy call at a tea house in the Japanese ancient capital's Gion district for the "hassaku" summer tradition on Aug. 1, 2014. It is customary during the season for geiko and maiko in Japan's renowned geisha district to make the rounds to express their gratitude to tea house owners and others who have supported them.

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'Geisha' girls entertain guests at beer garden in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" and "geiko" girls, collectively known as "geisha," entertain guests specially invited for a preview of a temporary beer garden opened next to a music and dance training theater in Kyoto, western Japan, on July 31, 2014, on the eve of its official opening.

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'Geisha' girls entertain guests at beer garden in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" and "geiko" girls, collectively known as "geisha," entertain guests specially invited for a preview of a temporary beer garden opened next to a music and dance training theater in Kyoto, western Japan, on July 31, 2014, on the eve of its official opening.

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'Geisha' entertainers visit shrine for pilgrimage rite

KYOTO, Japan - "Geiko" and "maiko" female entertainers, collectively known as "geisha," clad in the same "yukata" costume for summer visit Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, western Japan, on July 7, 2014, for the Osendo pilgrimage ritual to pray for successful performances and health.

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'Geisha' entertainers in summer kimono gather for ritual

KYOTO, Japan - "Geiko" and "maiko" female entertainers, collectively known as "geisha," clad in the same "yukata" costume for summer gather for the traditional "Osendo" pilgrimage ritual in Kyoto, western Japan, on July 7, 2014, to pray for successful performances and health.

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Japan Expo visitors get commemorative picture taken

PARIS, France - Visitors to Japan Expo 2014 pose with two "geisha" girls from Tokyo, Chika (extreme R) and Momoko (extreme L), on the outskirts of Paris on the opening day of the event on July 2, 2014.

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Tokyo 'geisha' girls dance during Japan Expo 2014

PARIS, France - Two "geisha" girls, Chika (R) and Momoko, from Tokyo's Kagurazaka district harboring fancy Japanese-style restaurants dance during Japan Expo 2014, one of the world's largest Japanese pop culture events, on the outskirts of Paris on July 2, 2014.

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Final rehearsal of 'geisha' dance competition in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Traditional professional "maiko" and "geiko" entertainers clad in gorgeous kimono dance during the final run-through of "Miyako no Nigiwai" (literally meaning "urban bustle"), an annual "geisha" dance competition, at Minamiza theater in Kyoto, western Japan, on June 27, 2014.

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Final rehearsal of 'geisha' dance competition in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Traditional professional "maiko" and "geiko" entertainers clad in gorgeous kimono dance during the final run-through of "Miyako no Nigiwai" (literally meaning "urban bustle"), an annual "geisha" dance competition, at Minamiza theater in Kyoto, western Japan, on June 27, 2014.

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Tourists enjoy riverside terrace in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Tourists have dinner with "maiko," young geisha on waterfront wooden decks along the Komo River in Kyoto, western Japan, on May 1, 2014.

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'Akita Maiko' nurturing company in Akita

AKITA, Japan - Chinatsu Mizuno (R) and a woman expected to be "Akita Maiko," new local geisha in the Akita area, in August 2014 pose for photos in Akita on April 14, 2014. Mizuno has established a company named Sen in Akita City to nurture "Akita Maiko" to resurrect the defunct geisha tradition in the area in northeastern Japan.

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Geisha perform final rehearsal for Kyoto dance fest

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" and "geiko" professional entertainers clad in colorful kimono dance during a show for special guests in wrapping up their rehearsals for the annual Miyako Odori performance in Kyoto, western Japan, on March 31, 2014. The official performance is running from April 1 to April 30, with four shows per day.

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Geisha perform final rehearsal for Kyoto dance fest

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" or apprentice geisha clad in colorful kimono dance during a show for special guests in wrapping up their rehearsals for the annual Miyako Odori performance in Kyoto, western Japan, on March 31, 2014. The official performance is running from April 1 to April 30, with four shows per day.

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Leica Camera's shop in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - A "Maiko" apprentice geisha examines a Leica camera at the German camera maker's store in Kyoto, its seventh directly managed shop in Japan, on March 14, 2014, ahead of the store's official opening the following day. The Leica Kyoto shop is a two-story "machiya" traditional house, originally built some 100 years ago.

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Plum blossom festival at Kyoto shrine

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" apprentice geisha serve tea to visitors during a plum blossom festival at Kitano Temmangu, a shrine in Kyoto, western Japan, on Feb. 25, 2014.

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Plum blossom festival at Kyoto shrine

KYOTO, Japan - "Geiko" geisha serve visitors during a plum blossom festival at Kitano Temmangu, a shrine in Kyoto, western Japan, on Feb. 25, 2014.

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Plum blossom festival at Kyoto shrine

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" apprentice geisha serve tea to visitors during a plum blossom festival at Kitano Temmangu, a shrine in Kyoto, western Japan, on Feb. 25, 2014.

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Kimono fitting session for spring dance performance in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" apprentice geisha pose for photos in Kyoto on Feb. 19, 2014, during a kimono fitting session for the "Kyo Odori" dance performance. The annual event will be held in Kyoto from April 5 to 20.

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Kimono fitting session for spring dance performance in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Geisha pose for photos in Kyoto on Feb. 19, 2014, during a kimono fitting session for the "Kyo Odori" dance performance. The annual event will be held in Kyoto from April 5 to 20.

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Kimono fitting session for spring dance performance in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Geisha and "maiko" apprentice geisha attend a kimono fitting session for the "Kyo Odori" dance performance in Kyoto on Feb. 19, 2014. The annual event will be held in Kyoto from April 5 to 20.

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'Maiko' at traditional arts, crafts lesson

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko," apprentice geisha, in Kyoto learn about "tsuzumi" hand drums from a traditional arts and crafts expert as part of their training program on Jan. 22, 2014.

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'Geiko,' 'maiko' in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" (apprentice "geiko" or geisha) and "geiko" in Kyoto watch traditional Japanese arts and crafts as part of their training program on Jan. 22, 2014.

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'Geiko,'maiko' learning traditional arts, crafts

KYOTO, Japan - "Maiko" (apprentice "geiko" or geisha) and "geiko" in Kyoto receive a lecture about traditional Japanese arts and crafts as part of their training program on Jan. 22, 2014.

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Geiko, maiko in summer greetings

KYOTO, Japan - Geisha called geiko in Kyoto and apprentice geisha called maiko visit a Japanese restaurant in the Gion district of Kyoto on Aug. 1, 2013. In the entertainment area of Kyoto, geiko and maiko pay their respects to teachers and others on Aug. 1.

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Geiko, maiko in summer greetings

KYOTO, Japan - Geisha called geiko in Kyoto and apprentice geisha called maiko make their way to visiting their instructors in the Gion district of Kyoto on Aug. 1, 2013. In the entertainment area of Kyoto, geiko and maiko pay their respects to teachers and others on Aug. 1.

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Geisha establishments court new business

KOCHI, Japan - A female customer (L) enjoys chatting with a geisha girl during a women-only group dinner plan accompanied by "ozashiki asobi," or playing games with geisha girls and watching their dancing performance, offered by a traditional "ryotei" Japanese restaurant in Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, on Dec. 28, 2012.

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Geisha establishments court new business

KOCHI, Japan - Women watch geisha girls (C) dance during a women-only group dinner plan accompanied by "ozashiki asobi," or playing games with geisha girls and watching their dancing performance, offered by a traditional "ryotei" Japanese restaurant in Kochi, Kochi Prefecture on Dec. 28, 2012.