The geisha is an assistant to the Oirans, the geisha were forbidden of having former personal relation with the customers.
They usually use white power to cover their face and the front & back of their neck. This white powder contained lead which would cause serious health problems, they finished the look by wearing black eyeliner and red lipstick.
To see a Geisha in Okiya, you have to know someone who has connections to the Okiya. You cannot see a Geisha face to face. To call a Geisha to your banquet you have to tell the Ryotei where you are having it. The Ryotei is a high class Japanese restaurant furnished with a large private rooms.
The Ryotei will then arrange the number of geisha according to the budget of the guest wishes. A geisha has a patron, who is called Danna, a Danna is a powerful wealthy man that pays for all the expenses of a geisha, to be become a geisha requires a lot of time and money. The donna would pay and take care of the geisha throughout her life. It was high society to become a Donna, it showed that you had enough money to be Patron of a geisha, their relationship was not inherently sexual.
Many people confused geisha with oiran, oiran were high class sex workers while geisha were not sex worker they were technically entertainers, they were trained hostess in the art of entertaining, they were skilled in music, dance and conversations. Geisha were known for their refined and artistic style of hospitality.
Oirans were extremely ornate sometimes wearing as many 5-7 kimonos and wigs that would weigh op to 10 kg bare foot or in scandal that were as high as 20 cm. One night with an oiran could cost someone as much as a year income during the Edo period.
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