"Maiko undergo rigorous training in classical Japanese arts," Tomitsuyu tells FestMag. This includes learning skills related to the tea ceremony, singing, dancing and instruments such as the shamisen and Japanese bamboo flute. Beyond mastering these arts, geisha must also learn etiquette, customs, the Kyoto dialect and the art of entertaining guests.

Tomitsuyu says her five years as a maiko were demanding. Days typically began at 8am or 9am, followed by a full schedule of lessons. Evenings were reserved for attending banquets at teahouses or ryōtei. Her busy schedule left little room for typical leisure activities. "There was so much to learn; we were always occupied," says Tomitsuyu, who will be performing at the 2025 HKAF programme Nagauta and Geisha: Treasured Traditions of Japan. "We hardly had time for phones or the internet."