艺ish是日本专业妇女阶层的一员，其传统职业是在近代，尤其是在餐馆或茶馆的商人聚会上，招待男人。日语中的“艺妓”一词的字面意思是“艺术人物”，唱歌，跳舞和弹奏萨姆森（琵琶般的乐器）是艺妓必不可少的才能，同时也具有交谈的能力。许多艺妓还擅长插花，进行茶道或书法。艺妓的主要功能是为富有的客户提供别致而轻松的氛围。艺ish通常身着传统和服，穿着精致且举止优雅，不仅了解过去，而且了解现代八卦。
测验
探索日本：事实还是虚构？
日本从未经历过地震。
据认为，艺妓制度是在17世纪出现的，目的是提供一类与妓女和妓女分开的艺人，妓女和妓女分别在贵族和武士之间从事贸易。传统上，艺妓制度是契约劳动的一种形式，尽管有些女孩被生活的魅力所吸引，是自愿的。通常，一个年幼的女孩被父母以一笔钱花在艺妓的房子里，这所房子教，训练，喂养并给她穿了几年衣服。然后，她进入了一个名为karyūkai（“花和柳世界”）的社会，并开始赚钱偿还父母的债务和过去的生活。最抢手的艺妓可能会从他们的客户那里获得大笔款项。除了提供娱乐和社交陪伴外，艺ish有时与客户保持性关系。
In the 1920s there were as many as 80,000 geisha in Japan, but by the late 20th century their number had dwindled to only a few thousand, almost all confined to Tokyo and Kyōto, where they were patronized by only the wealthiest businessmen and most influential politicians. This decline in numbers was chiefly due to the easier availability of more casual forms of sex in postwar Japan; bar hostesses have taken over the geisha’s role with the ordinary Japanese businessman.
When a geisha marries, she retires from the profession. If she does not marry, she usually retires as a restaurant owner, teacher of music or dance, or trainer of young geisha.
