# Japan’s oldest geisha uses AI hologram to save dying tradition

2026-08-10T14:14:42+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Times of India reports that 86-year-old geisha Ikuko, Japan’s oldest and first to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, is using a hologram and AI projections in a Tokyo mall to attract interest in the fading tradition. Geisha numbers in her Akasaka district have fallen from 200 to about 20, and nationally from 13,000 in 1940 to around 200 today. Ikuko admitted AI is not yet skilled enough for the dance but felt she had to embrace change to preserve the culture. Geisha are professional entertainers skilled in music, dance, and conversation, historically operating in exclusive teahouses. The decline accelerated after 1993 when then-prime minister Hosokawa Morihiro barred politicians from using ryotei restaurants. Today, some geisha districts market to tourists via social media and online bookings. Ikuko said her greatest regret is that she hopes Tokyo’s geisha districts will survive another few decades.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/tokyos-geisha-population-fell-from-about-13000-in-1940-to-around-200-today-one-86-year-old-geisha-is-turning-to-ai-and-holograms-to-keep-the-culture-alive/articleshow/133104314.cms>

Tags: AI, cultural preservation, geisha, hologram, Japan, tradition
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