But that could change. Compared to 25 years ago, there's a new glamour attached to being a geisha. Nowadays, young girls are starstruck by maiko. I've heard the Kyoto registry office is having a hard time weeding out those who aren't serious. I'm sure the lousy economy doesn't help sustain the geisha business.
Corporations are the geishas' major clients.
If companies aren't doing well, they're not going to pay for geisha services. In the '80s, the numbers shot up because times were so good. They dropped again in the '90s. Not in my experience, but that's probably because I worked in Pontocho. There's a sharp difference in status among the five geisha communities in Kyoto.