艺伎的真实生活

艺伎，字面上的含意为"以艺术为生"。每个艺伎都要经过严格的训练，学习茶道、书法、乐器、舞蹈、礼节等等。男人们用餐时，她们跪在旁边斟酒上菜，微笑着和他们聊天。待到酒过三旬后，艺伎开始表演以活跃气氛，不论是弹奏乐器或是演唱情歌。最令人称赞的是艺伎的谈话艺术，无论是国际新闻，还是花边消息，她们都了若指掌。 但是艺伎这一古老的文化行业，是否能够在现今充满竞争、科技日新月异的现代日本社会保存下来？十九世纪20年代是艺伎行业的全盛期，有将近80,000名的艺伎，而今却剩下不到1,000名。
　　艺伎的世界始终保持着一种神秘感。她们浓妆的脸上几乎看不出喜怒哀乐，她们是日本文化与艺术的缩影，这也是她们为之骄傲的。艺伎一生就是为了服侍日本上流社会中的达官显贵、富商阔佬，人们只能在那些豪华的茶店酒楼和隐密的日本料亭中看到她们的身影。所以基于上述的种种原因，艺伎一直被笼罩在一层神秘的面纱之下……
　　Dismissed by Western society as little more than high-priced call girls, the Japanese women known as Geisha are part of a centuries-old tradition that made them a vital part of that country's society. See how they were trained from childhood in music, the arts, conversation and "massaging the male ego," and visit with modern-day Geisha, in this revealing program.