Japan is reeling from a 20-year economic slump, and has recently been surpassed by China as the world's second-largest economy.

What the Japanese call the "lost years" have taken a serious toll on some of the country's most beloved cultural icons, including the Geisha.

Instead of charging several hundred dollars for tea, dancing and artful conversation, many now have to look for other ways to make a living.

Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Kyoto on the changing world of the Geisha.