What does a geisha do with spare time? Read manga, play with cats

Koiku and Maki, who are geisha, clean Ikuko's living room before they have lunch together at Ikuko's home, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Tokyo, Japan, July 11, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO (Reuters) - Koiku lives in a Tokyo apartment, loves to read manga comics, and to play with her Scottish Fold cats. But as evening nears she paints her face with white makeup, dresses in a layered silk kimono, and goes to work - as a geisha.

Long a student of classical ballet, a passion for kimono that took her to a shop frequented by geisha eventually led to her apprenticing at 28 as one of the elegant female entertainers famed for their wit, beauty and skill at traditional dance and music. She formally debuted a year later.