A new geisha apprentice ready for work
After the misedashi, with all its ceremonies and celebrations, the maiko’s work really began. And work she did – she needed to start paying back the debts she accumulated for her training. As an apprentice geisha, any money maiko earned belonged to the okiya. The okiya mother recorded all of the money invested in the maikos training. The maiko had to pay back every cent. The maiko had only an allowance given to her by the okiya.
A maiko could earn the okiya substantial income if she were popular enough to book many engagements. To enhance her popularity, she had to keep up the proper appearance. There is a certain expected look to a maiko, a look that has come to symbolize the collective understanding of a geisha. But as beautiful as the maiko appeared, achieving it had lasting consequences for pre-World War II geisha.
