Japan Incentive Group

There may be nothing truly more Japanese than an experience being entertained by a geisha in a tea house. It is the quintessential experience and there is nothing planet-wide that can compare.

A geisha visit is called “ozashiki” and often takes place in a tea house or a “ryotei”, which is a traditional Japanese restaurant. During the encounter, the geisha will introduce herself and then host the guests at the table, ensuring that no sake cup remain empty for long.

There may also be time for a performance, often with two geisha. One will dance as the “tachikata” and the other will play the shamisen (a three-stringed instrument) as the “jikata”. The visit will be full of song, witty conversation, and drinking games as well. It is a true delight, and meant to be a very fun and meaningful exchange.

Regarding the interaction between guests and geisha, while photos are usually fine to take, and questions may be freely asked, it is completely forbidden to touch the geisha’s clothing or hair, or the geisha herself. The sense of “personal distance” is not one of aloofness, but rather, a very Japanese sense of mutual respect – and it flows in two directions, as a true Japanese host never invades the space of the treasured guest as well.