In fact, these laws forbade geisha from forming personal relations with customers, and they were not even allowed to sit near guests. So, despite some popular misconceptions, the geisha are traditionally not considered sex workers. However, patrons of the oiran gradually began to gravitate towards the less expensive and much more socially acceptable geisha.

By the 1800s, the popularity of the oiran had waned. While the geisha had now become vital providers of hospitality and entertainment at dinner parties for large companies and government officials, the geisha developed a reputation as dedicated purveyors of traditional Japanese entertainment, performing various ancient Japanese arts encompassing music, song, dance, tea ceremonies, calligraphy, flower arranging, poetry, and, of course, the art of conversation.

We all know what the original, traditional geishas looked like thanks to old scrolls and prints, as well as through the words of the poet Ihara Saikaku, one of the most prominent figures of the 17th century revival of Japanese literature. He described their red lips and white skin, and how their demeanor was quiet, passive, and demure, yet sensual and seductive. The geisha's appearance was deliberately striking, partly to make her stand out from the typical crowd of married Japanese women who practiced ohaguro, the custom of blackening one's teeth, as well as whitening their skin and replacing their natural eyebrows with smudged paint. Creepy, right? Hardly surprising that the extraordinary beautiful geishas were so envied and desired.

Quite often, the daughters of lowly peasants would become geisha, as their parents were typically keen to not have an extra mouth to feed, and at the same time would receive income from their daughter's work. Young apprentice geisha were and are known as maiko, a term roughly translating to woman of dance. Maiko do not entertain guests and are easily recognizable by their style of dress.