Where the HELL did they come from, Caity?

Well, my sweet little implicated adherent bookworm, I will tell you. Geisha's appeared in the 600's. Some of these young geisha sold sex services, while others became entertainers for high-class meetings. After the imperial court moved to Kyoto, Japan in 794, it became a perfect breeding grounds for these soon-to-be Geisha's. The country became a beauty-obsessed elite. Skilled female performers thrived. Soon, sexual services from Geisha's became outlawed, and became a purely business transaction between the performer and client. Geisha's became sold for their beauty, not for sexual favors.  
 The tradition has continued on to present day, however, there are only a few still in practice in Japan today.


Source.
"Question On Japanese Geisha. Do They Still Exist Today And Where In The United States?? - Yahoo! Answers." Yahoo! Answers - Home. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080327201628AAU9k3z>.