Maiko vs. Geiko: How to Tell Kyoto's Apprentices from Geisha

We operate the Maiko & Zen Kyoto experience mentioned in this guide.

A maiko is an apprentice; a geiko (Kyoto's word for geisha) is a fully trained professional. The difference shows clearly in how they dress: a maiko's hair, hairpins, collar, obi, and footwear all mark her as an apprentice, and they change when she becomes a geiko. Here is how to tell them apart, based on the Kyoto Traditional Musical Art Foundation and the City of Kyoto.

Maiko vs. Geiko at a Glance

Hair: Her Own Hair vs. a Wig

The clearest difference is the hair. A maiko styles her own hair, which the foundation calls the big difference from geiko, most of whom wear wigs. A maiko's hairstyle also changes as she gains experience:

• Wareshinobu: the style of a new maiko, with red tie-dyed cloth showing at the front and back.
• Ofuku: after about two years (two or three in Miyagawacho, for example), the tied cloth shows only from behind.
• Sakko: worn just before she becomes a geiko.

Her flower hairpins change every month to match the season. Our guide to maiko hairstyles and kimono explains what each style and month means.

Obi, Collar, and Footwear

• The darari obi. A maiko's obi is much longer than an ordinary obi, and its two ends hang down almost to her feet. The bottom of the obi bears the crest of her okiya (the house where she lives). During the month of training before her debut, she wears a half-length version.
• A geiko's obi. Shorter than a maiko's, it is tied in a box-shaped taiko knot and does not hang down.
• The collar. A maiko's collar is red. When she becomes a geiko, it changes to white.
• Okobo. These tall wooden sandals, typically about 10–15 cm (4–6 in.) high, are worn only by maiko; geiko wear lower sandals.
• Pocchiri. With kimono other than formal crested ones, a maiko wears a large ornamental obi clasp, often of coral or jade, and often passed down through generations within an okiya.
• The basket. Maiko carry a small basket (ozashiki kago) with essentials such as lipstick, paper, a dance handkerchief, a fan, and name cards.

Each of Kyoto's five geisha districts has its own customs, so some details described here may differ from one district to another.

Makeup

Maiko wear white makeup, applied as a paste with a brush and patted down with a puff. A newly debuted maiko paints only her lower lip. Not every geiko wears white makeup: geiko who specialize in music and song (jikata) wear neither wigs nor white makeup.

Erikae: When a Maiko Becomes a Geiko

The step takes its name from the collar: a maiko's red collar becomes a geiko's white one, so it is called erikae, "turning the collar." It comes after five to six years as a maiko, at around age 20, when she decides whether to become a geiko or leave the district. On the day she puts on a new wig and a black crested kimono and pays courtesy calls to the teahouses that support her. For about two weeks before (two to three weeks in Miyagawacho, for example), she wears the sakko hairstyle and blackens her teeth.

As a geiko, she is expected to stand on her own talent, and a geiko who becomes independent can keep working for life. Read more about their work in what geisha actually do.

Seeing the Difference in Person

Both maiko and geiko perform in the annual dances. See our Kyoto geisha dance calendar.

Frequently asked questions