I can identify the exact moment when things began to change. It was a cold winter afternoon. I had just turned three. Emerging shyly from her hiding place Mineko encounters Madam Oima the formidable proprietress of a prolific geisha house in Gion. Madam Oima is mesmerized by the childs black hair & black eyes: she has found her successor. & so Mineko is gently but firmly prised away from her parents to embark on an extraordinary career of which she will become the best. But even if you are exquisitely beautiful & the darling of the okiya the life of a geisha is one of gruelling professional demands. & Mineko must first contend with her bitterly jealous sister who is determined to sabotage her success.. . Captivating & poignant GEISHA OF GION tells of Minekos ascendancy to fame & her ultimate decision to leave the profession she found so constricting.