GEISHA'S INFLUENCE

For most of westerners it is very difficult to understand why Japanese men pay so much money only for women's company that doesn't involved sex. In Japanese society women didn't used to socialize with men, the marriages were arranged. So a trained geisha was the perfect company for men.

One of the most important geisha's attribute was discretion: For many years (until nowadays) their lips are sealed, in so many ways there still are, a proper geisha is not known for gossiping. Politicians discussed schemes and secret plots in front of geisha girls without fearing that there will be a leakage. The only occasion when a geisha girl exposed her client was the Uno affair, which involved Japan's former Prime Minister Uno (New York Times June 10, 1989).

Geisha's witty conversation and verbal skills and discretion made them for many years the only women able to speak like an equal with men, members of the government discussed matters of state in geisha's houses, and not only Japanese politicians, VIP politicians of Singapore as well, even European royalty. (John, D. 2006)

Geisha's had an active participation in the Meiji restoration, and supply information to samurai's in the nineteenth century. The "Meiji" geisha proved that those who had helped the imperial cause were feted as heroes (John D, 2006), In the begging of the 20^th century was a large demand on geisha's and poor families sale their daughters (it is registries more than 80 thousand geishas), but many geisha's was choice prefer to be a geisha because it not only gave education to these young girls, it also give them the access to influential and wealthy men, with whom later married. A Geisha was the perfect wife.

They prove to be heroes again after the Second World War in the United States intervention in Japan, geishas were the key to attend American military men, although many prostitutes dressed like geishas give them the wrong reputation in America.

With the economic crisis in Japan the next years the demand of geishas decreased, so they did. Now there less than thousand geishas in Kyoto, they still are influential with powerful men, and more than never being a geisha is considered national proud for preserve the ancient traditions and costumes.