The Woman Who Carried On the Name in a White Wedding Kimono: Matsubaya Segawa and the Famous Name of Yoshiwara, 1716–the 1780s

Segawa is known as the prestigious name of a courtesan representing Matsubaya, a major brothel in Edo’s Yoshiwara district. At Matsubaya, which had been in operation since the Genroku period, the leading courtesans bore the name Segawa, and the first through sixth generations are said to have been particularly renowned. Among them, the Segawa of the fourth year of An’ei (1775) became the talk of all Edo when she was purchased by Toriyama Kengyō, a blind moneylender. Ōta Nanpo also recorded this event from that year, noting that Segawa of Matsubaya was purchased by Toriyama Kengyō. Segawa was not only renowned for her beauty but also served as a symbol of Matsubaya’s prestige. On the day of Hassaku, it was customary for Matsubaya’s top courtesans to wear layered white wedding kimonos, and Segawa’s attire drew attention as an indicator of fashion trends in Yoshiwara. Furthermore, Segawa’s name appears in the *Yoshiwara Hosomi* from the An’ei era, where she is identified as a high-ranking courtesan of the time. Her likeness also appears in ukiyo-e prints, demonstrating how Yoshiwara’s renowned courtesans evolved from real women into cultural symbols admired by the people of Edo.