Geisha Shikomi
The first step toward geisha training started when the girl became shikomi, an observer and servant for the okiya and the working geisha of the household. Shikomi were given a heavy load of household chores to instill discipline and obedience. Shikomi had to be ‘on call’ for the working geisha in case they needed anything, no matter how late at night.
They had to learn how to sit, stand, kneel, speak and control their expressions and emotions the “right way,” to learn the discipline it took to perform geisha duties. According to former geisha Fumika Tamura, she could not cry or contradict her ‘older sister,’ her geisha mentor. When senior geisha passed, they were to bow, kneel, or otherwise greet them respectfully. After a certain period, the shikomi would enter the training school and begin training for their debut as a working geisha.
