Quote:
Originally Posted by Suki
There are many types of geisha. Some of them sell their body for money, those are called shomben geisha or yujo, also referred to as shirōto (non professional). There's also the odoriko kind, which are the ones specialized in dance, and so on.
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Shomben (meaning "piss")
geisha,
yujo (prostitutes) and
shiroto (maids) were not and are not geisha.
There remains some confusion, even within Japan, about the nature of the geisha profession. Geisha are frequently depicted as expensive prostitutes in Western popular culture. Geisha are entertainers, their purpose being to entertain their customer, be it by reciting verse, playing musical instruments, or engaging in light conversation. Geisha engagements may include flirting with men and playful innuendos; however, clients know that nothing more can be expected. In a social style that is uniquely Japanese, men are amused by the illusion of that which is never to be. Geisha do not engage in paid sex with clients.
REF: Henshall, K. G., 1999, A History of Japan, Macmillan Press LTD, London, ISBN 0333749405, page 61