What is the difference between maiko and geisha in Japan?

Japanese Geisha and Maiko are a unique culture in Japan. As well as arose in the 17th century in Tokyo and Osaka. But Geisha and Maiko are essentially different. Geisha is just a display of talent, but rarely sell their bodies, and it is common to think of Japanese Geisha as entertainers. And the female character for prostitute and the single character for kabuki are just to distinguish the gender of the entertainer, not to represent that they are sex workers engaged in sex work.

Maiko to Geisha is a progression in rank from high to low. The contrast between the two is the difference in appearance and dress. The more elegant the dress, the higher the rank. The higher the rank, the more they are attracted by their talent, not by their appearance. The ones who are dressed up are usually courtesans. They are of a lower rank. And you can really tell the difference between a maiko and a geisha from the decorative dress of their appearance.

It can be seen from the hair jewelry. A maiko's hair is very ornate and has flower curtains. Geisha rarely wear hair accessories, and will have a large comb on their head, with at most two more small ornaments for embellishment.

The second is the hairstyle. The maiko's hairstyle looks very much like a peach when viewed from the front. The top part of the head is tightened. The hair at the temples is real hair and it shows their ears. The geisha's hairstyle, however, is the same width at the top and bottom when viewed from the front. The hair next to the ears is a wig, and it covers the ears.

The third thing is that the color of the lips is different. A maiko's lips will only have the lower lip or half of the upper and lower lip painted. A geisha's lips are painted all red.

There is also a difference in the collars. Geisha's clothes have very plain collars, whereas most of the maiko's collars are red and have a lot of intricate patterns.

The obi of a maiko is very long and will be made very ornate and complex, while the obi of a geisha is short and elegant.