芸者と舞妓は、日本の伝統芸能を守り続けてきた女性たちです。海外では「ゲイシャ」が日本文化の象徴のように扱われることもありますが、その実像は意外なほど知られていません。映画やアニメに描かれる華やかな姿の裏側には、何年にもわたる厳しい修行と、独自の社会の仕組みが存在します。京都の花街は、その文化の中心地として世界的に知られています。
Geisha and maiko are the women who have carried Japan's traditional performing arts forward. Overseas, "geisha" is sometimes treated as a symbol of Japanese culture, yet the reality of the profession is far less well known than people imagine. Behind the dazzling figures portrayed in films and anime lie years of rigorous training and the workings of a unique society. Kyoto's hanamachi, or "flower towns," are known around the world as the heart of this culture.