Geisha Women's Role In Japanese Business Culture

Japanese cultural values and their aspiration for being a united society have grown out of the nation's unique history and cultured philosophy. These ancient roots have touched every aspect of Japanese business from the way formal gatherings are conducted to the significance placed on after-hours socializing. By realizing and adjusting to this business culture, Western executives keen to do business in Japan will be able to be more productive in associating with their Japanese colleagues and will increase the likelihood of achieving the objectives of their conferences. It is important to comprehend the role of the female entertainer in Japanese culture, which is why the Geisha has a particular role. However, geisha women are often confused with prostitutes.
Geisha are experts in the arts, trained in music, calligraphy, tea ceremony, poetry, conversation and social graces. Dalby (1983) stated:
Around 1770, the former dancing girls (odoriko) of the feudal towns began to be called machi geisha, “town geisha,” as opposed to the geisha who appeared within the licensed quarters of the more sophisticated cities. Machi geisha in turn had other nicknames, such as neko, “cat,” a word that could be written with characters implying the possibility of pussy from these cats.