Silence and "ma" exchanges at the Hatsu Oirankai: Stylishness and Institutional Performance in the Mid-Edo Period (Late 18th Century)

Silence and "ma" exchanges at the Hatsu Oirankai: Stylishness and Institutional Performance in the Mid-Edo Period (Late 18th Century)

In the mid-Edo period, Yoshiwara was a place for socializing officially recognized by the shogunate, and oiran (courtesans) were symbols of the upper class with their entertainment and education. At the "first oiran meeting," when a courtesan met a customer for the first time, the oiran maintained silence without exchanging a glance or a word, a gesture of pride in being a "woman without flirtation" and a business tactic. The longer the silence, the stronger the man's interest, and it functioned as a love trick. To keep the place from freezing over, the drummers and geisha would break the atmosphere with light banter and songs, and a single smile from the oiran (courtesan) would dominate the performance. This "pause" between tension and relaxation was the very essence of Edo chic. At that time, Yoshiwara was also an intellectual salon where writers and wealthy merchants gathered, and the aesthetics of silence, which conveyed emotion without exhausting words, was highly esteem
ed. The silence of the first meeting was a stage set reflecting the restraint and aesthetic sense of Edo society, and was the beginning of a "staged love" in which the oiran (courtesans), guests, and drummers all played their respective roles.