Kyoto Geiko offer early New Year greetings

In the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, traditional female entertainers made courtesy calls on their dance masters ahead of the New Year.

Apprentice geisha, called geiko and maiko, traditionally visit their masters on December 13th to thank them for the past year and to offer early New Year's greetings.

Yachiyo Inoue was among the masters receiving such visit.

Inoue offered her apprentices words of encouragement and presented each of them with a new fan to use when they dance.