You have to remember that the whole concept of patronage in Japan is a bit different from here. And if you add up all those figures, it comes to about 2,000. In Kyoto I think the figure is about 180, of whom 50 are maiko. And Tokyo has about the same number. But the main problem is the customers.
Most customers are now very old, and being a customer is also a skill.
But more than that, the customers should be able to join in. In the past they would know the songs, they would sing, they would dance. They might, because people do. I mean that as people get older their tastes change, and they might decide that that's what they want to do. But geisha numbers are definitely declining, and the old ladies are saying that they think this is the end.