 Image search results - "courtesan" |
Oiran courtesan. Also see my photos of an oiran show here. My oiran video at YouTube here.The highest-ranking geisha is called an oiran or tayu. She is escorted by two little attendant girls called kamuro. Notice her high clogs. It takes some skill to walk in those and she usually requires someone's shoulder to hold onto while walking. Sometimes at festivals or special events, you can see the Oiran Dochu procession where she walks in a parade together with geisha attendants.
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This time I focused on the Oiran Show and didn't chase the procession heading to this stage. The opening act were these musicians playing festival music.
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The first oiran group arrives in front of the stage.
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Kamuro. They might be high school age.
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The oiran herself. This year, the oiran and other women were portrayed by women who applied for this job voluntarily. I don't think they performed professionally in any oiran shows.
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Kamuro attendants.
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The tekomai geisha first appeared and posed for photos.
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Tekomai geisha posing for photos.
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Oiran
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The show was almost the same as before. She leans back like this.
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Then leans sideways mimicking the slope of Mt. Fuji.
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End of the first oiran show.
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The second oiran then appeared on stage.
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Spreading her wings. She did almost the same thing as the first oiran, except for the latter part of the show.
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Leaning right, then...
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Leaning left.
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She receives a smoking pipe from her kamuro.
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Lots of eye candy in this show.
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She gives the pipe to her customer.
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She gives an approving (seductive?) glance at him.
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Then they got up and left the stage.
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They pose for pictures.
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Oiran
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The person in black is the kurogo attendant.
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Oiran and her court pose for pictures.
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On the way back, both oiran did not wear the high geta clogs as they did when they arrived. Too tiring...
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Tekomai geisha
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Kamuro and oiran
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A beautiful day for an oiran matsuri.
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She posed for me too.
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Kamuro attendants and oiran courtesan at the Ichiyo Sakura Matsuri Oiran Dochu Procession in Asakusa, Tokyo.
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Ladies in waiting.
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Back of oiran.
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She wears normal footwear and not the high clogs. Too bad...
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Oiran stopped and posed for me. How nice of her...
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The day's entertainment was capped by taiko drummers.
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