were the highest rank of female entertainers in early modern Japanese licensed quarters. were distinguished historically from other courtesans (yūjo; women of pleasure) and entertainers (Maiko, Geisha/Geiko) by their intensive training in numerous traditional artforms from a young age. The prestige this education conferred on them allowed them to refuse clients. They were the only entertainers to attend the Imperial banquets. were known for their training in

Japanese tea ceremony The Japanese tea ceremony (known as or lit. 'Hot water for tea') is a Culture of Japan, Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of , powdered green tea, the procedure of which is called . The term "Japa ...

, , ,

Japanese calligraphy , also called , is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. Japanese writing system, Written Japanese was originally based on Man'yōgana, Chinese characters only, but the advent of the hiragana and katakana Japane ...

, poetry,

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, singing, and the playing of traditional instruments, such as the .

History

differed from lower ranks of ''oiran'' by the social class of their customers and the services they offer. Traditionally, catered for the uppermost echelons of society, including the nobility and the imperial court. were recognised as a group in the beginning of the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. Due to the limited size of their clientele, they were never numerous; during their peak there were approximately 40 working in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

in the Shimabara district. After the outlawing of prostitution in 1957 continued practicing the cultural and performing arts traditions of their profession in Shimabara and are considered a "special variety" of geisha. The most famous in history was , who lived in the 17th century. Trained from the age of 7, she quickly mastered the many arts required to be a , and made her debut at the age of 14, immediately becoming a sensation. Yoshino was well-known for her beauty, skill and erudition. Yoshino is buried in the Jōshō-ji temple in Kyoto. Every year on the second Sunday in April, near the anniversary of her death, there is a procession of to the temple, where a ceremony is held.

Appearance

While entertaining, wear elaborate

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...

and hair ornaments weighing more than . Unlike modern-day and

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, but similarly to some apprentice geisha, they do not use wigs for their traditional hairstyles, but instead use their own hair. wear white face makeup and blacken their teeth. are accompanied by an older female attendant and two (young girls wearing red livery bearing the 's name). When outdoors, wear distinctive extremely high platform sandals, which require a special mode of walking in order to look elegant, and also an attendant for support. This and many other aspects of the 's appearance were copied by the , most notably in the , a procession where the processes to meet a customer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tayu Prostitution in Japan

History

Appearance

See also

References