Yoshiwara Hanairi and Tayu Michu: The Institution and Splendid Rituals of the Edo Brothels - Edo Period

Yoshiwara Hanairi and Tayu Michu: The Institution and Splendid Rituals of the Edo Brothels - Edo Period

During the Edo period, Yoshiwara brothels were established as pleasure quarters officially recognized by the Tokugawa shogunate, and the lives of prostitutes were bound by a strict system. At the top of the hierarchy were oiran (courtesans) and tayu (courtesans), who were expected to be cultured and well educated in the arts in addition to having good looks. Their symbolic appearance is represented by the "Tayu Michu," in which they paraded in luxurious costumes accompanied by bald or shinzo (young men), which was a major spectacle for the common people of Edo. Famous tayu such as Takao Tayu and Yoshino Tayu were widely known, and their prestige was talked about beyond Edo and Kyoto. As seen in the "Yoshiwara Pillow" and "Five Articles of the Yoshiwara Brothel," prostitutes were required to go through a strict procedure to become familiar with the brothel, and their freedom to leave the brothel was also restricted. As Edo expanded into a city of a million, and the sex ratio b
ecame more uneven, Yoshiwara became more than just a place for entertainment, but also a place for socialization and culture. Oiran (courtesans) enjoyed waka poetry and the tea ceremony, and engaged culturally with samurai and wealthy merchants, and were depicted by ukiyoe artists such as Utamaro Kitagawa and Kunisada Utagawa. Thus, oiran and tayu reigned as symbols of Edo culture, supported by a strict system and splendid rituals.