The geisha, or, “person of accomplishment” date back to 1751 in the mid-Tokugawa period in Japan. Geisha’s were originally men, but eventually became women.

Deep in thought by Ami James.

Geisha’s were trained artists skilled in tea ceremony, flower arranging, and as singers, dancers, storytellers, servers, and conversationalists. These women were all literate and were familiar with poetry and tales of warriors in order to entertain their patrons. Geisha’s were not prostitutes, but worked in the pleasure districts, also called “the floating world” and while not they were not sex workers, some did become concubines or mistresses for men who would buy their contracts from their masters.

Black and grey neo Japanese geisha with cherry blossoms by Andrew Mcnally at Northside Private Rooms in Newcastle, UK.

Realistic side/stomach piece with cherry blossoms by Anna Yershova.

Brilliant Japanese back piece by Horiyasu.

Geisha’s are known for their musical prowess, particularly with an instrument called samisen, which today is also used in kabuki plays and has an inherently “Japanese” sound. As for appearance, while working a geisha would wear a kimono tied from the back, which is another difference between a geisha and a prostitute as a prostitute would have her kimono tied in the front. A thick white foundation of makeup is applied to the face, neck, and upper chest, with a line around the hairline creating a mask like appearance. Other makeup includes black around the eyes and eyebrows with bright red lips.

Fantastic neo traditional neck piece also with cherry blossoms, by Daniel Gensch in Berlin, Germany.

A more Westernized neo traditional geisha by Emily Rose Murray in Melbourne, Australia.

Blackwork Japanese piece of a sly looking geisha by Gakkin in Amsterdam.

Another traditional Japanese back piece with cherry blossoms, skeleton, and Buddhist imagery by Horihana in Brazil.

Dark American traditional geisha and flower by Jarrad Serafino at The Sweet Life Tattoo in Melbourne, Australia.

Geisha’s still exist today, though due in part to the rigorous training in order to become one, are much less frequent. Today, geisha’s mainly entertain politicians at parties.

Neo traditional namakubi or severed head geisha with peony by Kevin Nocerino at Still Life Tattoo.

Realistic black and grey geisha by Mark Wosgerau at Sinners Inc in Denmark.

Bold mix of black and grey and colour in a realistic style by Michael Litovkin.

Soft, colourful, realistic geisha by Pavel Krim in Stockholm.

American traditional black and red work by Reuben Todd at Kapala Tattoo in Winnipeg.

As a tattoo a geisha will generally be done in Japanese traditional style, neo Japanese, American traditional, neo traditional, black and grey, or realism.

American traditional work by Shon Lindauer in Hollywood.

Fantastic Japanese piece by Thomas Pineiro at Black Garden Tattoo in the UK.

Bold American traditional piece by Tony Nilsson in Norway.

Modern watercolor piece by Victor Octaviano in Brazil.

tiny blackwork geisha and hannya by William Roos in Stockholm.

Geisha head and fan by Zak Partak in Toronto.

Geisha’s are an important part of Japanese history and make a fantastic design!