Why Geisha? There is a huge Misconception Concerning Geisha. Some people believe that geisha are prostitutes, this however is false. The term "geisha" is made of two Japanese words, 芸 (gei) meaning "art" and  (sha) meaning "person who does" or "to be employed in". The most literal translation of geisha to English is "artist". The geisha system was founded, to promote the independence and economic self-sufficiency of women .