The ladies, wearing silk kimonos, white socks, white make-up and painted red lips, flew to West Yorkshire as part of a festival celebrating Japanese culture.

The glamorous pair, senior 'geiko' Fukuwaka and trainee 'maiko' Miehina, entertained more than 100 guests at Redbrick Mill with a shamisen (three-stringed lute) recital and a dance.

The tradition of geisha goes back many centuries in Japan, and the girls train for many years in special academies to master musical and artistic skills, including the famous tea ceremony. The word 'geisha' translates literally as 'person of art'.

Peter Macintosh, a renowned expert on the art, was at the event to act as interpreter and to help lay the myths to rest. He said the image of geisha girls as high-class courtesans was a misleading one.

Mr Macintosh said the girls were pure entertainers. "It's like having a ballerina who likes to drink with you, or a flight attendant who takes care of you," The visit was organised by Chris Battye, owner of Japanese furniture and antique shop Tansu, with the new Northern Academy of Art.