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A window into Shimabara.
This is the 6th Hanamachi in Kyoto.
There are no geishas here, only Tayū.
Shimabara (嶋原) (often simplified to 島原, sometimes styled 嶌原), established in 1640, was the designated red light district (yūkaku) in Kyoto. Following the outlawing of sex work in Japan, it went defunct as a red-light district in the 1950s but continued as a geisha district (hanamachi) for a few more years. By the 1970s, geisha were no longer registered in Shimabara. Tayū, who never disappeared entirely from Shimabara, were allowed to register as a special type of geisha following the outlawing of prostitution, and continue to perform in the district to this day. Shimabara continues to operate as a tourist district, and operates one ochaya.
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The Meiji restoration and resulting move of the imperial court to Tokyo caused economic difficulties to many traditional businesses in Kyoto that catered to the aristocracy. While the other five hanamachi adapted and have continued to this day, Shimabara entered a slow decline over the following hundred years, finally ceasing as a geisha district in the 1970s, though traditional activities continue at a low level to the present. This decline is largely attributed to Shimabara's isolation — it was originally established on the outskirts of town and remains relatively isolated and inconvenient, compared to the other districts, which are more centrally located.
As with other Kyoto geisha districts, from the late 19th century Shimabara had a dance hall and an annual dance show, known as "green willow dance" or "dance of the willow in leaf" (青柳踊, Aoyagi odori). This was staged from 1873 to 1880 but ceased in 1881, together with a general decline in the dancing of the district. The dance hall was established in 1873, moved to another location in 1927, but after World War II (post-1945) it was instead used as offices and was eventually torn down in 1996.
Tayū (太夫) are the highest rank of female entertainers in early modern Japanese licensed quarters. Tayū 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.
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Tayū were known for their training in Japanese tea ceremony, kōdō, ikebana, Japanese calligraphy, poetry, dance, singing, and the playing of traditional instruments, such as the koto. In general, it takes about 10 years training to become a Tayū.
Tayū differed from lower ranks of oiran by the social class of their customers and the services they offer. Traditionally, tayū catered for the uppermost echelons of society, including the nobility and the imperial court. Tayū were recognised as a group in the beginning of the Edo period. Due to the limited size of their clientele, they were never numerous; during their peak there were approximately 40 tayū working in Kyoto in the Shimabara district.
While entertaining, tayū wear elaborate kimono and hair ornaments weighing more than 2 kg (4.4 lb). Unlike modern-day oiran and geisha, but similarly to some apprentice geisha, they do not use wigs for their traditional hairstyles, but instead use their own hair.
Tayū wear white face makeup and blacken their teeth. Tayū are usually accompanied by an older female attendant and two kamuro (young girls wearing red livery bearing the tayū's name).
When outdoors, tayū 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 tayū's appearance were copied by the oiran, most notably in the oiran-dōchū, a procession where the oiran processes to meet a customer.
I had a wonderful day with my friend Aoi Tayū 葵太夫 and her mother Tukasa Tayū 司太夫.
Tayū (太夫).
Currently there are only 4 Tayūs in the world.
These are the 2 most popular and active ones, both are legendary figures. (If anyone has gone to that very expensive Japanese restaurant at MBS in Singapore, they have a portrait of a geisha in there - that is actually Tukasa Tayū during her younger days…).
Tukasa Tayū hopes to make Shimabara great again.
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