A 32-year-old woman who used to serve in the Air Self-Defense Force debuted last month as a geiko — another term used to refer to geisha — in Gifu, a city known for having a unique tradition of entertaining guests on riverboats with geisha performances and ukai cormorant fishing.

"I hope more people will become interested in me and also in karyūkai (the world of geisha)," said Miho Koketsu, a native of Mino, Gifu Prefecture, who goes by the name Kikumatsu.

On Dec. 2, Kikumatsu made her debut performance at a hotel in Gifu. As she danced to shamisen music wearing a black kimono and holding a fan in her hand, she received a warm round of applause from the audience.