make-up]] or are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance. Geisha are not prostitutes although in American culture they are expected to be. Terms , Kyoto.]] "Geisha," pronounced , is a proper noun. Like all Japanese nouns, there are no distinct singular or plural variants of the term. The word consists of two kanji, (gei) meaning "art" and ? (sha) meaning "person" or "doer". The most direct translation of geisha into English would be "artist" or "performing artist". Another term used in Japan is geiko, a word from the kyoto dialect. Full-fledged geisha in Kyoto are called geiko. This term is also commonly used in the region to distinguish geisha practiced in traditional arts from prostitutes who have co-opted the name and attire of geisha (see below). Prostitutes wear the bow of their sash, or obi, in front of their