How do I book a geisha in Japan?

It seems to be a fairly insider's affair. I've recently seen this video about geisha banquet (www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6ymVTPblLk&feature=player_embedded) and was wondering where I can enquire about the costs etc...

Why would you want to do that man? Its a complete waste of money..

The "geisha" in that video, Sayuki, is not recognized by the association as being a genuine Geisha.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8556540/First-eve...

I agree but if you must to burn some money, check here.
http://www.sayuki.net/

I don't understand that negativeness towards geisha culture displayed by some of the posters in this thread. I have the feeling they don't judge based on a personal experience. I personally think it is an wonderful part of Kyoto culture. And I can highly recommended a dinner with a maiko or geiko if you can afford it.

However, I am not familiar with the Asakusa geisha scene. It does not seem as refined to me as the Kyoto one. And Sayuri is not improving the situation, either. I strongly recommend to have your experience in Kyoto.

There are various travel agencies and Kyoto hotels that can help you arrange a meal with a maiko and/or geiko. Most of them don't target foreign visitors without Japanese language skills, though. But a few do. I think the Granvia Hotel Kyoto still does, although the following page is two years old:
http://www.granviakyoto.com/rooms/special/2009/01/000081.html

I stayed in Kyoto about 5 years ago at Shinmonso Ryokan, it is not as expensive as Uji's link (though if you can afford it, the link looks great!). Anyway, at Shinmonso in the summer they have a Maiko performance at the rooftop bar every night (except Sundays) and the Maiko will come to all the tables and chat and you can take pics. Then she does a dance performance on the stage. It is only summer though. I bet there are a lot of hotels, etc in Kyoto that have Geisha themed packages if you search too. It depends on your budget, but I would also recommend Kyoto over Tokyo if you can make it down there.
http://www.shinmonso.com/english/maiko/index.html

Tokyo geisha are just as cultured as Kyoto geisha and have been around for as long. They are just less known because they are not involved as much in the tourist scene as Kyoto geisha.
Having a banquet with Sayuki there is the only way you can have a banquet in Japan without having to pay to have an interpreter there. Sayuki works with geisha from districts all over Tokyo, including Asakusa geisha, even though she is currently in between districts. It is not Sayuki's fault that the Asakusa district decided not to allow foreigners to own their own geisha houses, something that is normally allowed for Japanese. That is just what happens when you are the first foreigner to formally become a geisha in a town district where it is very strict and very traditional.

I don't know what you are expecting but do you really think you can have an intelligent conversation with Japanese Geisha & Maiko just for little time spent in between pouring you sake, dancing & playing silly games? They have been answering the same bah humbug questions & giving cookie cutter replies due to their lack of English capability or even the lack of common knowledge. It is best to see them dance and explore your wild imaginations, which you can do at no or little cost if you go to those places in Gion, Kyoto Kokusai Hotel, and other ryokans/hotels or just on the street.
Also those you may be able to book are Maikos, not Geishas who are very expensive & you need to have a contact for an introduction in the old red light escort service districts in Asakusa, Tokyo or Gion, Kyoto. They need to keep secrecy, reputation and high prices to keep their house going & train Maikos.
Many foreign tourists are value disappointed with private group dinner sessions w/ Maikos.

Many foreign tourists are value disappointed with private group dinner sessions w/ Maikos.

Myself and everybody I know and have been to a maiko dinner have not. And you certainly should not expect to have an intelligent conversations with maiko and geiko. That is the last purpose of the event. Wrong expectations will result in disappointments. I am baffled by this negativity.

Geisha adjust their conversation to the level of the guest - that is why they are usually playing games with non-Japanese speakers. Japanese guests would very rarely call a single maiko by herself; what kind of conversational skills does a teenager have? They would call one of the more sophisticated geisha who are usually witty and intelligent. As someone else said the only way you get the real experience without the language problem is with Sayuki. Sayuki works with geisha from all over Japan so she is obviously accepted as a geisha by them. She says she will rejoin another district anyway.

I feel the promotion team of Sayuri is at work in this thread... As for myself, I recommend to get an interpreter for the real experience if you do not speak Japanese.

do you really think you can have an intelligent conversation with Japanese Geisha & Maiko

What kind of conversation are you loking for with geisha? Art? Culture? Geography? Science? Whatever you choose, you know good manners tell you to avoid talking about politics and religions. ;)

I've got to agree with Uji here, if we travel to Japan and decide immerse myself in real Japanese culture we wouldn't want to visit a Maiko or Geisha who is a foreigner born overseas. I have the same view of Sumo and the way that's going/gone too :(

Frequently you see western female tourists in Japan that dressup/makeup in the Geisha/Maiko outfit for a holiday photo.
They really do look ridiculous (the eyes) - westerners in Geisha/Maiko makeup - it just looks so wrong! But that is just my opinion.

You guys are all so racist its incredible. Do you think black people and Asian people in the West in the States should be excluded from being opera singers or ballet dancers?
No? Then why shouldn't white people who grow up in Japan do the same things that Japanese do? Wake up. There are white Japanese and black Japanese. That is a fact and all you racists need to get used to it.

I consider Stewy63's last remark somewhat racist, but apart from that I cannot detect any racism in this thread. I personally think foreign women can looks very good when dressed up as maiko, but that is not what the thread is about.

It is about how foreign tourists can book a geisha. My recommendation is to do so in Kyoto. It is where the geisha culture has always been most elegant and sophisticated. And it is the only place where the culture is still relatively thriving.

Some other people suggest a meeting with Sayuri and provided their reasons. Let's just provide the thread readers with various options and arguments for them to decide themselves.

Karen, trust me racist is the LAST thing I am, although perhaps I could have written my post a little differently.

BTW my wife is Chinese/Malaysian, my darling sister in-law is Japanese, my best friend is 1/2 australian aboriginal
and my other best friend's wife is from Ghana. (Many of my wife's family in Malaysia are muslim) I love them all and treat them all equally and with genuine respect.

Now... this is not a racist thing, it's a cultural thing but I still think a westerner trying to emulate a Japanese Geisha/Maiko in white makeup looks 'strange' - that is not a racist remark - it is a cultural remark. No I am not confused. (And yes anyone can become anything they want whether they are black, white what ever...)

Now if I (or a Japanese tourist visiting the US) who likes to sing/listen to Blues music were to put on black makeup and wander around New Orleans or the Harlem - I too would find that look 'strange'. In fact there would be outrage in the US!

Peace...

Only happens in Tokyo I suppose. No hard feelings but Sayuri doesn't look authentic. Looks to me a foreign person dressed as geisha and also can't tell whether this person is she or he draped in geisha. Creepy huh? Sayuri may catch curiousity of Japanese men but for the foreign people I think will prefer to see genuine Geisha in Kyoto areas in nice places. One poster said the foreigners are usually not happy with turn out of geisha, I would think it's probably because they picked a place that aren't paid well or simply went to the wrong place which some of these places are usually performed by resident ladies (grandmothers, etc). I also would think that authentic geishas will prefer to serve the foreigners happily if they are accompanied by the Japanese. I would think they feel apprehensive to serve the foreigners alone because of uncertainty of mannerism and customs.