girl's virginity a number of times to customers who would be none the wiser. Some geisha would compete amongst themselves for their standards and who they would sleep with, but, as Masuda details, this likely originated from making the most of a poor and sometimes exploitative situation, in some ways further bolstering the perception of geisha as sex workers: Karuta was a first-rate Elder Sister: she had standards and would never sleep with any man other than her . This was not from a sense of feminine virtue; it was a sad sort of pride. This "geisha's pride" wasn't worth a broken straw sandal, of course, but - under the influence of Karuta, I suppose - its hollow conceits took root in my mind. Masuda notes that many geisha of this time has serious problems with alcohol due to the drinking contests which frequently formed a significant part of their work through parties. Drinking problems frequently persisted in many geisha even after retirement. Post-World War II In the period following World War II, the abundance of sex workers in towns such as Atami marketing themselves to American GIs and tourists as "geisha" led to misconceptions surrounding geisha and sex workers. Many foreign visitors to Japan, unfamiliar with the traditions of appearance separating geisha from sex workers, were unable to distinguish between the two, as both wore kimono and were seen to entertain men. Following the passing of the Prostitution Prevention Law in 1956, and its enforcement in 1958, sex work became illegal to practice in Japan, preventing geisha from practicing or being forced into sex work without legal repercussions. In the present day, geisha do not practice sex work as part of their profession as geisha. Modern geisha Though geisha across Japan hold an equal dedication to training in the traditional arts, geisha banquets in towns are markedly different from geisha engagements in the more traditional (geisha communities) of Kyoto and Tokyo. Whereas geisha parties in Kyoto are usually small affairs in teahouses with five or six geisha, geisha usually entertain tourists in the banquet halls of large hotels, often with 60 or 70 geisha in attendance. Instead of being called to teahouses and parties around the area by customers who likely already know them, geisha are employed to work at one establishment, likely a hotel in the area, and are called upon by guests who do not know them,