Because in ancient times, the Japanese believed that especially white women were the most beautiful, and exposing their necks can make people look very sexy and attract men who are watching the show. Although geishas are now considered artists, in ancient times geishas were actually just entertainment tools for nobles. Therefore, these geishas wore such makeup just to win the favor of these nobles.
We often see Japanese geishas on TV wearing very thick makeup and pale faces. From our aesthetic point of view, they should be scary, but the ancient Japanese liked them. Whiter women, and there were no electric lights in ancient times. Usually these geishas could only light candles when performing. If you don't make your face whiter, the geisha's face will look very ugly under the dim light. Dull, at this time, you can only use makeup to make up for this defect.
Another one is that the status of women in ancient Japan was very low. They were not even allowed to show their teeth when they smiled. The requirements for geishas must be higher. In order to exercise restraint, these geishas For myself, using this kind of very white makeup can have a certain restrictive effect, and because the face is too white, if the teeth are exposed when smiling, the contrast will be particularly large, so that they can be reminded at any time whether to smile or not.
As the career of geisha has developed to this day, it should be said that its status is slowly improving and it has become a traditional performance in Japan. It is no longer just an entertainment project for others like in ancient times. However, these geishas are still subject to many restrictions. For example, they cannot get married while engaged in the geisha profession. If they want to get married, they must quit the profession.