MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Though it still exists in certain limited circles, the world of geisha - where women were trained in the arts of music, singing, poetry, dancing and social graces to entertain wealthy men, has all but disappeared from the modern Japanese landscape.
The same cannot be said for geisha dolls, which have been produced since the 18th century in Japan, and are now probably more populace than the real life geisha's ever were.
"You can find geisha dolls almost anywhere in Japan," said Mitsuko Sumii, whose been making the dolls for more than 40 years. "People display them in their homes and also businesses. The dolls take you back to a time and place that's gone, but not forgotten."
Geisha dolls can be put into three categories, oiran, geisha, and maiko, according to Sumii.
"The oiran is the highest class of geisha," said Sumii. "You can always pick out an oiran doll, because her kimono is brighter and more elaborate, and her shoes are bigger so she can stand taller than the others. She is dressed the most elegantly. A geisha is usually dressed in a darker shade of kimono with a simple obi, and often has a shamisen with her to show she is ready to play the instrument and entertain her customers."
Maiko are geisha in training, and these dolls usually have an umbrella with them, according to Sumii.
The dolls are most often displayed behind glass cases in a fixed pose.
"I've had some of my dolls since the 1950s," said Sumii. "I never tire of looking at them. Their beauty is timeless."