Her older sister has some of the kindest eyes I've ever seen

She looks so sad and lonely :( but at least she's following her dream, something a lot of people are scared to do or they're just afraid they're not gonna make it so they give up.

Wow I could NEVER be a geisha. Although they are beautiful and it is such a fascinating part of Japanese culture, Yukina said it herself. She had to leave behind her family and friends, she had to change her personality and surpress who she really was, and its so largely based on appearance. Props to all the geishas! So many people say they wish they could do that, but I never would. It seems so difficult! So happy Yukina followed her dream though, and I hope shes doing well, 7 years later.

Those are kago (bags) that hold two fans, a comb for their hair, makeup for fixups, their hanameishi (flower name cards) that they hand out to clients, their cell phones (if they have one) and sometimes may even hold a notepad and pen.

When I was watching, she said she passed and my heart burst with her emotions. I felt so happy and excited for her! She will be an amazing Geiko.

“I thought it was a vegetable for winter dishes”

I was so nervous for her as she went to take her exam, but I was so happy when she passed! I'm sure she did a great job. She was so nervous when she went to entertain for the first time, the poor thing. But she was so lovely!

the okaasan is so pretty. One can tell that she was even more beautiful when younger.

I remember when I was young I wanted to be geisha. Looking at the training reminds me of ballet training, learn the technique, etiquette and grace. In some ways I'm glad I kind of wandered from that path but also I think of all the knowledge I would've gained and how I would be preserving my country's culture and I wish I had. Oh well, xD maybe it really wasn't for me anyway.

余裕の無い時もカメラが常に向いてるのは　尚更辛いよね・・・ 慣れない環境の中健気に頑張っている姿に感動しました。

you could see her looking at the alchol like "do i realy have to drink this?"

It most certainly does! I remember I tried to practice, and only after twenty minutes my legs were aching. It takes much practice and control. Just goes to show how skilled maiko and geiko are, putting such work and control into such a simple thing.

I got so emotional when she made the call home :(

Kikuyu san had her erikae (became a fully fledged geiko) on 22nd December 2009. UNFORTUNATELY she left the profession in December 2012

That guy who toasted to her was so sweet :))

It makes no difference about the moles! they wear the "white face" so the y lose all there own personality and looks, Geisha isn't all about the looks as well as combining the the Social etiquette, Conversation, and the art of singing and Dancing. Very Beautiful in their Knowledge and art of there skill. Please Understand this is a Tradition that's intriguing, and not something to be slighted by some stupid comment!

The geisha family is so supportive! :)

God I am watching this again and I get all emotional when Yukina starts crying at 4:50 haha I'm such a sap! But hell Kikuyu is now my favourite Geisha and she looks so beautiful and has fulfilled her dream and oh god it's so stupid lol but I'm really proud of her!

i wish kikuyu be happy cause she made her dream come true, congratulations!!!

I have watched this 3 times! It never gets old.

That has to be that most graceful way of eating spam

aw when I saw her in the maiko make up seeing herself for the first time I was like YOU GO GIRL

2005年とはいえ、16歳でも舞妓ちゃんはお座敷でビールを飲まされてるなあ

The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. I don't know, maybe there is a legal provision or something that excuses under age geisha. If not, then I'm pretty sure what's illegal in for the average Japanese is illegal for geisha too. I have heard one Japanese describe not taking legally mandated breaks at work as "illegal, but natural". It's just something everyone does and no one reports it. Maybe this is similar.

I know the feeling, I also got grief over my own voice because my pitch is low and due my accent the end of my sentences in whatever language I speak in tend to trail where there should a statement. I don't know how many times I've been scolded for being sarcastic. But if anything I love my voice all the more because of its uniqueness it is even more beautiful to me

Thanks this video made me recognize more geisha. Geisha is beautiful elegant and ravishing. I dreamed of becoming a geisha but I can not speak Japanese(I know Hiragana and Katakana) and I do not have Japanese nationality. I keep practicing the Odori dance and fan(Ogi) dance from the video every day. But I also wanted a trained from teacher(Sensei) I want to have onee chan. Thank you for reading my story. haha P.S I hope someday I meet Kikuyuu my idol.

I've been thinking the same thing while watching this. Okaasan is so beautiful. ^_^

Air - alone in Kyoto :) What a choice in music!

She looks beautiful, not only with the make-up.

Ahh i love her attire as a first geisha

They are so elegant in everything! They are absolutely beautiful! I cannot even imagine going through the training they've had to and my dad's a drill sergeant. When I was 13 I got grounded for 2 weeks for having a water glass in my room. I learned after that one! But I still could never do what these women do. Kudos to those ladies because they have more will power and strength than I ever will!

The food looks so yummy! 😋

Yukina is one tough girl, She has the exam plus a camera crew following her. D#$@...just having camera crew following me would make me nervous.

I think it is a neat note that about 9:14 we can see the Ume (plum blossom) kanzashi in the maiko's here which is used during February.

When she started crying after tell her mom she passed awww 😭

Oh my gosh!! i'm itching to know what's going on in the exam room!!

@attackofdameepits thank you. i never knew there were so many different kinds.

;w; I'm so happy for Yukina!

GO YUKINA GO! shes a great girl and a very brave one, DONT STOP YUKINA!

:D I could feel her happiness about passing her exam! :D

I believe that the Japanese Geisha are a beautiful part of Japan's culture. However, after watching this documentary, I would never want to be a geisha myself. They aren't allowed to speak and act freely and can't even eat what they want cos their career is so largely built on their appearance! It's quite a challenging life to lead...

Its what she chose to be and its part of the tradition.

I don't think it's inappropriate in general to find maiko "kawaii", especially the beginners. They are supposed to be childish, as is emphasized by some of the particularities of their costume. After that, you can adjust based on your own perception of what is kawaii and what is kirei.

so beautiful !!

the sacrifices one has to make to pursue a dream

Two-three hours to get ready. It just depends on how fast and good you are at doing your makeup. The dressing only takes 5-15 minutes depending on the otokosu (dresser) some speed through in 5 minutes but make them look ten times more beautiful in kimono than even the ones that take 15 minutes.

@SauryGirl1 True. They did show her just before exams in the closest to minarai komon with possible rice powder on her face (though its very hard to tell).

Minarai = probation; apprenticeship; a probationer Maiko is an apprentice to a Geisya.

I love being a geisha!

Too bad they didn't add footage from her being a Minarai, but I did enjoy this. (:

Funny you say that, I'm actually going to school now for acting and hope to be an actress! Where I definitely see similarities - geishas are trained to perform like actors, it can be based largely on looks as well - i still think being a geisha is far harder. Just very strict rules and limited contact with family members. But good point! Still mad respect to all the geishas in the world :3

I like watching what the geisha eat.

her older sisters are all so pretty :O

I was thinking the same thing!

They are eating spam with class hahah

I thought that I was the only one that had noticed, lol!

Depends of whow you mean, there is Kikuno, the other maiko sitting next to Kikuno is Kikutsuru and then the geiko Kikumaru.

If by chance someone likes the background song ( as I did ) :D the name of it is Alone in Kyoto by Air :)!!!

Eeek, was so nervous for Yukina! Go girl go! -jumps around and waves pom poms- You can dooooooo it!

the geisha exams are so private that even the NSA doesn't know about them

I'm sure she was nervous! I was nervous for her just watching!

dont think of it in that fashion, she is working hard for a lifestyle that is well respected and honored in her country. you cant get anywhere doing nothing and not working hard. she will be in the place of her big sisters if she can make it through, and be respected and soon have to look after a maiko herself

me too!! god i kinda cried too... :S

lol why am I so nervous watching this???? D:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... their skins are relly beutiful :0 ....

she made me cry thats how i am with my daughter

The geisha at 9:36 is stunning

*drooling when they're eating*

The way she pats her face with the foundation hurts me. Haha

I think her skin is fine, she is still just a teenager once she is older I'm sure her skin will be better. We all get acne as teens.

I don't know if it's because they're being filmed or what the situation is, but that meal that the four of them had together was cringeworthy & uncomfortable. I could never sit and have a meal where no one is talking, and all they do is keep making eyes at each other like it's secret signals. I can imagine a lot of jealousy goes on in this world, especially if the maiko in training is really pretty. This whole world comes across as a sorority with a lot of mean girls.

LOL at 1:30 it looks like she's shoving rice up her nose!

All you have to do is look around. There are a few but some are less reputable than others so just be mindful when you do look.

did anyone catch that air song? this show has a nice soundtrack :]

i wish i could eat like that. so cool

The one with the sharp eyes? Yes, I agree, she's gorgeous.

I think there is a difference in the way Chinese people hold chopsticks and the way there are used in Japan in general. Korean ones are harder to manage yet (metallic, hence heavy).

@thesecretpathoflife do you think they have a little re-apply kit in their bags by chance?

thats the same thing I was thinking she was so mean to her sometimes

They do seem a little scary. lol. I wonder if they are nice or not. Yukina seems very sweet though.

Yeah! Best choice for every video about Japanese's culture

@NameOfRain Me too I found myself hoping she doesn't screw up

If anyone wondering if she made it or not she did !!!

Why do they have to sit down to open the door? then get back up to only sit down and close the door.

Yes, I wasn't sure if the girl is her, because she has still wareshinobu hairstyle here...

soooo... she's 15-16 and she goes out to parties where she has to drink? ok.....

I wonder how this girl is getting on now since 2005!? I hope she is doing well as a Geisha! :D

Hmm, yeah then I am not sure either. But she is clearly drinking Saki and other beverages...so they have to be excluded or some sort of special law?

@thesebananatrees long hair put more stress of the head when its pulled back with enough force for lack of better words for a epriod of time, but it can also put stress on the head when its down cause the wieght is pulling it down

@xShadowxPhoenix After she passes the test and before her debut, she goes through a job-shadow period in which she is known as a minarai. She goes to parties and talks to clients, play games, but does not sing or dance.

@nana32231 oh wow LOL. They probably spell it like that because of where the documentary was edited. Notic the narrators accent? I think in europe? they spell it like that.

0:49, the girl on the left is so pretty!! o_o

...is that...Kikutsuru?!!!!! omg i believe it is i can recognize her soft voice from a mile away!!! she's a geiko now and a very beautiful one at that! i love all maiko and geiko-they should do another documentary on tayuu-the last 5, and the newest one i dont know her name..i just know Hasagumo(i believe) and thats it...^^

its just how it works. her older sister was once too a trainee and had to crawl around on her knees and fold kimonos. and so will yukinas trainee. but its in every job like that, so i dont get why you became upset. and the fact that they are sisters is a symbolic bond, she is her guide and introduces her into the geisha world(they are her new family). this has nothing to do with serving her, bcoz she must do whoever higher in rank asks her to do.

actually, mizuage was auctioning one's virginity, but that was a long time ago from the earliest geishas, but stopped (I think) after world war two so it is different now

how these girls go to the loo with all that gear on?

試練の時ですね。

It's interesting because I know the building they entered, and saw girls entering it. Now I wonder if they were heading to their exams.

What happens if they fail their exams? Do they get to try again later? And how long is the Shikomi stage? Yukina's is 6 months but I read it can be as long a year. Yikes. Do maikos and geikos go to partys everynight. And what happens when they get sick are they allowed anytime to recover. sorry I have alot of questions.

Why is Yukina's plate different? Is it because of her rank or something? Not trying to sound ignorant, I'm just curious.