Maiko



A maiko (舞妓) is an apprentice geisha in Kyoto. Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the or other traditional Japanese instruments for visitors during banquets and parties, known as.

are usually aged 17 to 20, and graduate to geisha status after a period of training that includes traditional dance, the, lit. 'short songs', and, in Kyoto only, learning the Kyoto dialect. The apprenticeship ranges from a few months to a year or two years, although apprentices too old to dress as may advance to geisha despite still training.

Apprentice geisha in other locations in Japan are known by other terms, such as lit. 'half jewel', referring to a term for a geisha's wages, 'jewel money' (半玉) for apprentices in Tokyo. The traditions of apprentice geisha in these areas diverge from those in Kyoto, sometimes to a considerable degree, including an apprentice's appearance and the structure of her apprenticeship.

Work
In the morning, take lessons in the traditional arts. At night, they dance, sing, play the, and serve visitors at exclusive (teahouses).

Origin
originated from women who served green tea and (Japanese dumpling made from rice flour) to visitors to the Kitano Tenman-gū or Yasaka Shrine in teahouses in Kyoto about 300 years ago.

Hair
During their career, will wear different kinds of  (traditional Japanese hairstyles) depending on rank, formality and occasion. These hairstyles are then decorated with seasonal and occasional (traditional hair ornaments).

Most, unlike geisha, use their own hair with the addition of extensions, though apprentices in different areas of Japan may also use wigs. using their own hair have their hair restyled every week, requiring them to sleep on a special pillow known as a – a raised wooden block with a pillow – in order to maintain it.

Most wear a style of kimono known as a lit. 'trailing skirt' (引きずり). are typically anywhere from 200 – long, and often feature a lightly padded hem to create weight allowing the skirt to trail along the floor. When walking outside, hold their  up either with their hands, or by tying it in place with a small cord so that it does not drag along the ground. The style of worn by most  features long, -style sleeves, and may feature tucks sewn horizontally into the sleeves and vertically along the shoulders; this is a holdover from before WWII, when  often began their training at a young age, and would remove the tucks as they grew.

For formal occasions, wear a black -style  featuring 5 crests  to signify the  they belong to.

wearing kimono typically wear it with an  known as a lit. 'dangling' (だらり帯). The is 6 – long, is roughly 30 cm wide, and is worn exclusively by. Due to its length and weight, a male dresser (known as an ) is needed to tie it; can dress a  in as little as five minutes, and may dress a number of  each night. The crest of a 's is either dyed, embroidered or woven onto the end of the, below the  (end lines). For formal occasions, gold brocade are worn.

Kimono
Some outside of Kyoto, and in particular in Tokyo, wear  instead of. These apprentices (sometimes known as ) may also wear a wig instead of having their own hair styled.

outside Kyoto may also wear a instead of a, which is easier to tie and wear, Apprentices in Tokyo typically tie their  in the  style.

In media

 * The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, Japanese live-action television series on Netflix starting 12 January 2023