Male geisha were very low-class entertainers, but were thought to be upper class. Every man who wished to be with an had to follow difficult rituals and etiquette, as well as having enough money to pay for her time. Because of this, only the richest nobility got to be entertained by . Because of this, many tea houses () appeared outside , offering entertainment that was not offered inside . At some of the tea houses, some women practiced cheaper prostitution; these women were called . However other women, who were called ('dancing girls'), acted as dancers and musicians. These women soon became very popular. They started calling themselves 'geisha', like the male artists who worked in .