Contrary to perceptions that geishas are prostitutes, they are entertainers. While some in the past had patrons, and perhaps married them, most now live independently on modest incomes.

With their clientele of elite businessmen and powerful politicians shrinking, geishas are grappling with the need to branch out of their exclusive, so-called “flower and willow world” and look for new clients such as tourists.

Alarmed that geishas are headed for extinction, community groups in Tokyo and tour companies have started making the entertainment more accessible in a trend already seen in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital and the centre of the geisha world. In Kagurazaka, central Tokyo, a non-profit organisation began offering performances by geishas two years ago, unthinkable in a neighbourhood where geishas were rarely seen on the streets and were shrouded behind the gates of the ryotei.

“The geisha’s tradition will survive within the ryotei for people who are willing to pay high prices,” said Keiko Hioki, vice president of the group, Ikimachi Club. “But to preserve the geisha’s world as part of our culture, it must be better known to the general public.”

Ryotei are also under pressure to change. The restaurants, complete with rock gardens, rare art works and exquisite tableware, have traditionally pampered only “onajimi-san”, or regular customers. Like the geishas, they too have found that business has become slow and unprofitable.