Even today, the geisha epitomize the beauty of Japan’s past. But theirs is a dying profession as the glare of Tokyo neon competes with the more mellow glow of Kyoto. Drawing on interviews with the world-renowned Mineko Iwasaki and other geisha and those who idolize them, this program places the geisha squarely in the context of contemporary Japan. In addition to background on the geisha mystique—the clothing, the makeup, the exhaustive training in the arts—the program dispels the distorted image of geisha as courtesans and illustrates their efforts to retain their significance while adapting themselves to a world of commercialism and technology. (54 minutes)