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Geisha: Protectors of Japan’s Traditional Music and Dance

  • Geisha in Tokyo’s Akasaka district in the 1960s. (© Jiji)

    Geisha in Tokyo’s Akasaka district in the 1960s. (© Jiji)

  • Geisha wearing the prescribed dress and hairstyle at a rehearsal before the annual Azuma Odori dance and music performance at the Shinbashi Enbujō in May 2019. The Azuma Odori is a yearly recital where geisha showcase their singing and dancing. (© Jiji)

    Geisha wearing the prescribed dress and hairstyle at a rehearsal before the annual Azuma Odori dance and music performance at the Shinbashi Enbujō in May 2019. The Azuma Odori is a yearly recital where geisha showcase their singing and dancing. (© Jiji)

  • Geisha play an important role in preserving and passing down shamisen music. At a rehearsal for the Azuma Odori, May 2019. (© Jiji)

    Geisha play an important role in preserving and passing down shamisen music. At a rehearsal for the Azuma Odori, May 2019. (© Jiji)

  • Japanese dance would not have developed without geisha. At a rehearsal for the Azuma Odori, May 2019. (© Jiji)

    Japanese dance would not have developed without geisha. At a rehearsal for the Azuma Odori, May 2019. (© Jiji)

  • Geisha from Shinbashi add glamour to the opening of the new Kabukiza theater in April 2013. (© Jiji)

    Geisha from Shinbashi add glamour to the opening of the new Kabukiza theater in April 2013. (© Jiji)

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