Times have changed, but despite regular predictions of their imminent demise, geisha are still to be found in towns and cities across Japan. Their world, however, is a secretive one, a closed society where prospective customers must always be introduced by an existing customer of long standing. Guardians of a unique and fragile tradition, they have declined in number dramatically over past decades and they face an uncertain future. Downer, a writer and journalist, lived in Japan for more than a decade and is author of a number of books on the country and its culture. She now divides her time between New York and London, where I spoke to her at her Islington home.
Westerners commonly assume geisha to be linked to prostitution.
But with geisha there is this question mark. On the other hand, when you meet these grand old geisha ladies, my God, it's like asking if a duchess is a prostitute. But it's that not really knowing that gives geisha their fascination and allure. Something that Westerners don't appreciate is that becoming a geisha involves very serious study. It's like joining the Bolshoi Ballet or studying opera.