Bagua Wind rustling in Yoshiwara in the afternoon (Late Edo period)

Bagua Wind rustling in Yoshiwara in the afternoon (Late Edo period)

The daytime in Yoshiwara was a time of tranquility, quite different from the splendor of the night. There were few customers, the three-stringed Japanese banjo was silent, and the sound of rustling robes and the voices of peddlers could be heard from afar in the rooms. This "idle time" was the most precious time for prostitutes to regain their humanity. Even though there are chores to be done, such as changing makeup, inspecting costumes, and organizing documents, the time passes more leisurely than at night, and moments of relaxation occur. Such a moment would occur when they would stop a fortune teller walking down the street and ask him to do a bagua reading for them.

In those days, fortune tellers carrying mats called matsutake (bamboo mats) were common in the Yoshiwara area. The mats were simple divination tools that could be quickly spread out on the spot, and the diviner used a bagua board and a piece of wood to quickly tell fortunes. The prostitutes would stop by the fortune tellers to relieve the boredom of the day, or simply out of curiosity. Many of the fortunes told were about such familiar matters as love, the movements of familiar customers, career prospects, and future fortunes. The small amount of money given to the fortune teller as a token of gratitude was a mere token of appreciation, and the scent of a lifestyle rooted in the culture of the common people wafted through the air.

Unlike the glamorous faces of nighttime prostitutes, daytime prostitutes often showed their "real" faces. They were not bound by strict rules of etiquette, and their interactions with fortune tellers were soft and friendly. They were not bound by strict etiquette, and their interactions with fortune tellers were soft and friendly. In Yoshiwara literature and historical records, there are several descriptions of women calling out to fortune tellers in the daytime, suggesting that this scene was not unique.

Fortune-telling was widely practiced throughout the culture of the common people in Edo. Samurai, townspeople, and travelers alike enjoyed fortune telling, and the prostitutes of the Yoshiwara were no exception. The Yoshiwara prostitutes were no exception to the rule, as they were in a position where their fate could easily be influenced by the arrival of customers and the future course of their lives. The quietness of the daytime and the fortuneteller who suddenly appeared in the quiet were symbolic of the connection between the inside and outside of Yoshiwara, and were like a light that shone for a moment deep into the hearts of the prostitutes.

This depiction of the daytime bagua-mei shows another side of Yoshiwara that hides behind the splendor of the night. The scene of prostitutes listening to fortune-telling in a state of boredom and anxiety is softly imbued with human breath, modest wishes for the future, and a heart that cherishes the quiet moments.