Voiceless Voices Picked Up by the Brush of SANDO Kyoden - Signs of Conversation in the Speech and Gestures of Yoshihara

Voiceless Voices Picked Up by the Brush of SANDO Kyoden - Signs of Conversation in the Speech and Gestures of Yoshihara
Around the early 1800s

The pun books of SANDO Kyoden are one of the most vivid sources of information about the world of Yoshiwara. Although no direct lines are written, they contain detailed descriptions of how prostitutes and customers spoke, what their habits were, and what actions they used to show their emotions. The period from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, when Kyoden was active, was a time of maturing townspeople's culture, and yugaku literature and genre caricatures were popular among readers. Yoshiwara was a center of cultural interest, and for the common people who wanted to know the atmosphere of the area, the fashionable books were an important window into the appearance and voice of Yoshiwara.

The characters in the works each have their own unique way of speaking, and even their habits of speech and endings are expressed in Kyoden's unique style. The soft tones of prostitutes addressing their customers, the curt replies of seasoned operators, and the stylish phrases used by patrons are all portrayed as the rhythm of the characters' voices themselves. Kyoden was a master at portraying the character's personality and position in terms of voice, allowing the reader to picture the character just from the way he or she speaks.

In addition, his descriptions of actions were truly voiceless conversations. Each gesture, such as lightly opening a fan, handling the plectrum of a shamisen, hiding a smile with a sleeve, or adjusting one's posture in front of the audience, conveyed emotions and relationships. Because overt expressions of emotion were difficult in the Yoshiwara, gestures and eye contact often conveyed feelings more eloquently than words. Kyoden understood the cultural context well and conveyed the atmosphere of the place to the reader through the details of his movements.

Since many of the readers of the pun books were common people who did not actually visit Yoshiwara, the quips and gestures in the works were also clues that supported their imagination. The characters created by Kyoden's pen are so realistic that it is as if we can hear their conversations from the corner of the tatami room, even though they do not speak.

Thus, as a record of conversations without dialogue, SANDO Kyoden's plays are a valuable source for conveying the breath of Edo's prostitutes' culture to the present day.