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koala2all β Follow the Oiran
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Published: 2010-05-03 17:54:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 731; Favourites: 20; Downloads: 12
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Description
The oiran was the top geisha of Edo long long ago. She's walking ahead of these ladies, under the giant red umbrella. These three ladies are her retainers and helpers. They are also geisha, and they were walking along completely in step with her as she went down the street!Related content
Comments: 17
That's right! Have you been there?
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Yes, I have, but only once (it's not so far from my home, but it's better to rent a car). At first we went to Nikko for relaxing our holiday near nature and shrines, but while driving back home we decided to stop there and have a little break. There's not much, but I sure did enjoy views, foods and theater.
After few days I went to Kyoto for the first time in my life and heard they have same kind of themepark, but I didn't go. Maybe I had enough of edo... or that summer heat.
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γγγγΎγγοΌοΌοΌ Tochigi is such a beautiful area... I'm in Okayama, less natural beauty
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Sendai is my actual home city, so I need nature side regularly while living in Tokyo. Kamakura is my favorite, but Nikko is good different way.
Oh, Okayama. I've never even been that side of Japan. But sometime want to go.
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Oooo... wow. That's impressive. Beautiful, too!!
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It's too bad that my photos of the Oiran herself didn't turn out...
But I'm really happy with how this one turned out!
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Great picture, the parade line really helps lead the eye further in.
But Oiran were not top geisha nor are the women walking behind her, and actually the two professions were completely different. Oiran were the highest class of prostitute in the late Edo Period (roughly most of the 19th century) while geisha were hostess/entertainers. Often, a man would go to the pleasure quarters and spend a few hours partying with geisha, which meant drinking sake, singing songs, watching some dancing, and lots of fun conversation. Then he would head over to a brothel to finish the night with entertainment of a different sort. If he was rich, then that meant he would go to an Oiran. She in turn would be surrounded by her apprentices, such as the Furisode-shinzo (the first two following the Oiran) and Tomesode-shinzo (the third one following her), and start out with a party just like the one the man left only this one has a different conclusion. So while people have a tendency to confuse the two, they're actually very, very different.
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Wow! Thanks for the explanation!
What I wrote was what a Japanese friend said to me... she maybe "skipped over" a lot of that information.
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Your welcome. She may have skipped over information, but also most people, whether Japanese or foreign, don't know a whole lot about Oiran, Yoshiwara, and Geisha. It's the sort of thing people research, not very common knowledge, so it's completely understandable that a lot of people don't know the difference 
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I see!
It's very interesting, though!
So, if you don't mind my asking, what are the Yoshiwara?
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Yoshiwara was the pleasure district of Edo, where Oiran worked exclusively. There are a few books on the subject, my favorites are "Yoshiwara" by Cecilia Seigle and "The Nightless City" by J.E. Debecker. It's a fascinating subject
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Thanks! If I have a chance I'll check them out!
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This is so amazing. Back in that time it must be a amazing thing to see all those pretty ladies walking down the street.
But wow. That umbrella must be heavy. I have one like this too but much smaller
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Eek! I can't imagine how heavy it is!
The poor guy carrying it had it braced against his back!
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Just from looking at it I would say something like 40 kg maybe more.
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