Onsen Geisha - Post-World War II

Post-World War II

In the period following World War II, the abundance of prostitutes in onsen towns—such as Atami—who marketed themselves to tourists as "geisha" caused some misconceptions. However, true modern-day onsen geisha are in fact accomplished dancers and musicians.

In Atami, the official registry office regards long-time, proven geisha as separate from those who have not yet completed their first year.

Geisha banquets in onsen towns are markedly different from geisha engagements in the traditional hanamachi of Kyoto and Tokyo. Whereas geisha parties in Kyoto are usually small affairs in teahouses with five or six geisha, onsen geisha usually entertain tourists in the banquet halls of large hotels, often with sixty or seventy geisha in attendance. The modern surge of tourism, expendable income, and capitalization has caused onsen geisha, who historically entertained groups similar in size to those in Kyoto and Tokyo, to increase to these large affairs.