maiko; apprentice geisha (in Kyoto)
Specifically refers to young women training to become geisha in Kyoto. Distinct from geisha (芸者) and from hangyoku (半玉) in other regions.
See also: 芸者
京都の花見小路で舞妓さんを見かけました。
I saw a maiko on Hanamikoji Street in Kyoto.
舞妓
Maiko undergo rigorous training to become geisha.
舞妓 refers specifically to an apprentice geisha in Kyoto who performs traditional dances, while 舞姫 is a broader, more literary word for any female dancer.
芸者 refers to a fully trained entertainer, while 舞妓 is a younger apprentice who has not yet completed her training.
Standard kanji spelling for apprentice geisha in Kyoto. High priority in news and frequency.
Alternate kanji spelling, less common but still used.
舞 (dance) + 妓 (female entertainer). The reading まいこ is a kun'yomi compound. The alternate reading ぶぎ is on'yomi and rare.