Japan : Maiko (apprentice geisha), a photo by momoyama on Flickr.

Japan

舞妓 梅らくさん　

A smile from the maiko (apprentice geisha) Umeraku. Together with other maiko and geiko (geisha) of the Kamishichiken district, she was hosting an open air tea ceremony at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto, Japan.

Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794 until 1868. It is now the seventh largest city in Japan. In Kyoto geisha are known as geiko and trainee geisha are known as maiko.