To become a geisha, you had to be the daughter of a geisha or accepted by an O-chaya. Usually beautiful little girls who were orphaned or from poverty stricken families were sold to an O-chaya by relatives. The O-chaya would invest a lot of money to train these girls and dress them in brightly colored kimonos. In the O-chaya, the okamisan ("mother" who runs the house) taught the girls. They performed various chores while observing the geisha. When they reach a certain level, the girls become "Maikos" (15-20 year old girls) which are apprentices to geisha. A maiko accompanies a geisha on her appointments to learn and become accustomed to the job. Usually at the age of 20, a maiko girl decides if she is going to become a geisha. If she gets married she must quit. The initiation ceremony is called "erigae" and means "changes of collars". At one time this was when the collar of a maiko changed from red to white. Also, this was when a girl underwent mizu-age, a ceremony that revolved around the girls losing her virginity to the "highest bidder." This does not take place anymore.

 

These are some more examples of  a Maiko!  

These are pictures of Geisha and Maiko together!