“Niwaka� Dancing.
The performance of “Niwaka� dancing is considered to be one of the most interesting features in the life of the Yoshiwara. It consists of a kind of dramatic representation given by the professional buffoons (h�kan) and singing girls (geisha) of the quarter, and it takes place about August or September each year. When this comic dance takes place the performers visit all the tea-houses giving an exhibition of their buffoonery, and it is said that this entertainment is given in return for the patronage all the members of the troupe usually receive from chaya (tea-houses) and kashi-zashiki (brothels). During the continuance of the “Niwaka� dancing wooden railings are put up on both sides of the Naka-no-ch� for the purpose of demarkation, and in front of the tea-houses lanterns shaped like asagao (“morning glory�), bearing the respective house names, are hung up and lit. On either side of the Ō-mon are placed a pair of very large lanterns (takahari-ch�chin) on which are written the letters 全盛� (Zensei-asobi = Magnificent Entertainment). To carry out this dance involves considerable trouble and much preparation, and the very first step which has to be taken is to obtain the permission of the police authorities. After official sanction has been granted preparations are commenced, and the h�kan and geisha all repair to the manager’s office where they draw lots as to whether they shall take part in the first fifteen days’ performances or the second fifteen days’ dances.
Those older geisha who undertake the “lion� dancing and “kiyari� songs draw special lots for that purpose, but unless a geisha is a masculine looking woman she will not be admitted into this company, and admittance is earnestly desired by many of the professional singers who compete strenuously for the honour. The performance of “lion� dancing and “kiyari� singing is limited to the first half month, and the geisha who are picked out for this coveted company are experts in their line: those who are new to the quarter give way to their predecessors in order of precedence. When their order has been fixed, by means of lots, a dozen women are formed into a troupe, and for ten days the “hiyari� is practiced from morning till evening. For many years a man named “Kichi� (who was also known in the Yoshiwara by the nick-name of Chigeinei no Kichi San) acted as a teacher of the “Kiyari� songs, but at present one of his pupils, named Ch� is undertaking the task of tuition. The mode of training is for the first half dozen geisha to start a song and the remaining half dozen to follow them under the direction of the teacher.
�和哥之圖
The “Niwaka-odori� (Dance) in the Ki�wa period (1801 to 1803).
(After the Picture by Kitagawa Utamaro.)
The dancers of dramatic representations also place themselves under a teacher and train continuously for ten days. It is agreed between the performers that during the training period they will not respond to the invitation of any guest, and no one has ever been found to infringe this rule. It is also a custom—if we may be allowed to mention a mere gastronomic detail—for the performers to eat unagi no domburi-meshi (boiled rice and pieces of roasted eels served up in a deep bowl) at tiffin every day during of the period of rehearsal.
The dramatic representations played by the company include several new pieces, and the training of the dancers is confided to Hanayanagi JÅ«suke. This man was born and brought up in the Yoshiwara, and so the duty of directing the dances is entrusted to him. It appears that new pieces are specially written by playwrights at the request of JÅ«suke, and that all such productions are of a comic nature, because the hÅ�kan generally aim at exciting the hearty laughter of spectators by means of droll extravaganzas. When the training is finished a grand dress-rehearsal is given in one of the tea-houses, and on this occasion the proper costumes are worn. This dress-rehearsal is known as nari-mono-iri (鳴物入り). Then what is known as kwai-sho-iri (會所入り) takes place in the kensa-jÅ� (檢查塲 = inspecting office), each person entering the room in the order determined by drawing lots. The singers and musicians who participate in the meeting are all professionals. The shishi-ren (ç�…å�連 = “lionâ€� party) goes into the office first, as it is considered the most important part of the company. At this stage the police make an examination of the persons in the building, as nobody is allowed to enter it unless possessed of a special ticket.
On the first day of the “niwaka� dancing the kwaisho (office) sends out people with a drum (shitaku-daiko), which is beaten as they perambulate the Naka-no-ch�, to announce the performance. If the weather be rainy, or the roads muddy and slushy, no performance takes place; when this is decided no drum is beaten and no lantern is hung before the Ō-mon (great gateway). The “lion� party (shishi-ren) and the niwaka no ya-tai (a kind of car, fixed up as a stage, on which the “niwaka� dance is performed) are started out from a certain fixed point at 7 o’clock in the evening, and go up and down the Naka-no-ch� every night: if the car and the party go up the left side of the street this evening they will come down the opposite side to-morrow evening, and the show ends at 11 o’clock each night, when its members are recalled to the office. A “niwaka� stage-car consists of a wheeled stage about 18 feet square and proportionately high, and it is so made as to be separated into two sections, each of which is fitted with its own wheels. The stage is fitted up like a regular theatre, provided with scenery painted on silk and paper, and lighted by means of lanterns.
This stage-car is brought to a standstill just between two tea-houses in order that the performance may be equally well seen by both from their upper floors: the idea of placing the stage in such a position was originated by dancing-master Hanayanagi, whose great experience taught him that this scheme was the best for everybody concerned. Next come the geisha who play the samisen, riding in a car fitted with benches made to accommodate them.
To the left and right of the benches uprights are placed and covered with lattice-work sh�ji, curtains of white and red colours are stretched across the top, and the whole car is lighted by means of three lanterns.
Then follows a soko-nuke ya-tai (a bottomless car), which is a kind of square paper-box, without cover or bottom, in front of which is hung a yoko-naga no and� (a horizontal lantern) on which is written the names of players, singers, dancers, and the name of the owner of the car. Inside this car are placed the hayashi-kata (orchestra). The coolies who drag these cars from place to place are usually hired (through a contractor) in the vicinity of Matsuba-ch�, Asakusa district, and are paid daily by the owner of the cars. The costumes of the geisha who play the samisen are of grey crêpe (dyed with their crests) trimmed at the bottom of the skirt with scarlet crêpe, white collars, black satin obi, and white socks. Their coiffure is in the Shimada style, and it is kept in place by a hair-pin decorated with the design of susuki grass.
The older geisha attire themselves even more strikingly than the younger girls, and make use of loud colours—such as blue and scarlet—in their costumes, thus attracting considerable attention by the incongruity displayed. The male players and singers wear blue cotton clothes dyed with their respective crests. The geisha who take part in the “kiyari� dress their hair after the manner of the top-knot style of men, intentionally spreading out their forelocks, and the whole get-up is like that of a teko-mai dancer. They wear three or even five jiban (loose shirts) a hara-gake (a cloth shield for the abdomen) and an upper garment called a Yoshiwara-gaku. The right arm and shoulder is thrust out of the jiban, on which latter an elaborate design is usually dyed.
The girls all compete among each other in the matter of dress, and the result is that some exquisite patterns are adopted. They wear fine leggings, blue cotton tabi (socks) and straw sandals, while across their breasts, depending from the right shoulder, dangle silver chains to which are attached little kake-mamori (hanging charms): in their hands they hold fans (with black lacquered frames) on which are painted peony flowers, and besides these they carry tepp�-ch�chin (cylindrical lanterns) on which some of the girls boldly and unblushingly inscribe the names of their paramours. This custom was started in 1894 and led to a good deal of amusement, as their friends solemnly imposed upon both the girls and their sweethearts a mock fine of ten sen as a punishment for publicly advertising such love affairs! Thus equipped, they sing the kiyari to the sound of the drum as they move on. A drummer, a wooden-block striker, a drum-carrier, and another person who carries the “lion’s head� mask, accompany the party. When one kiyari song is finished the leader lifts his fan as a signal for the hy�shigi to be struck, and the company moves on to the next house after shouting a farewell “o yaka-mashū� (“we’ve troubled you greatly�). The beginning and finish of the female, as well as the male niwaka, is announced by the striking of hy�shigi. In former times what was called the “amefuri niwaka� (niwaka after rain) was in vogue. After the rain had cleared, men went about the tea-houses performing impromptu farces which often elicited applause by the ready wit displayed, but this practice has now ceased. About 10 o’clock an announcement is made by the kwaisho people that a recess will be taken, and forthwith all the members of the company stop to drink tea which is provided by the house in front of which they may happen to be: on this occasion they also eat such food as may have been sent as presents by intimate friends among the yūjo or their guests. During the period of these performances the company is open to engagement only in the day-time, and after 11 o’clock at night, as at the latter hour the public entertainment is finished. When the company receives a notice of engagement from a tea-house, the paper on which such notice is written is fastened on to the hair-pin of the leading geisha after being numbered, and after 11 o’clock the whole troupe go around to the tea-houses by whom they were invited in the order of the arrival of such notices. Needless to say, the company is elated in proportion to the number of these notice-papers. In ancient days the entertainments were often kept up through the night owing to the large number of engagements made.
Niwaka-odori procession passing by a tea-house.
On the first night of the niwaka the company’s engagements are generally arranged in advance, for the reason that it is considered a disgrace to have no such appointments on the opening day. When the company obtains tips and gratuities from guests in tea-houses, etc., all such monies are divided among the persons taking part in the entertainment, not forgetting even the coolies. The engagement fees of the niwaka company are charged at the rate of 12-1�2 sen per geisha per joss-stick (ip-pon) for each guest, and a tip of 20 sen each is also expected. Of course these rates are for first-class geisha only, and the fees of other inferior artistes are proportionately lower.
Strictly speaking, the company should go through its performances for the benefit of each contributing guest separately, but as a matter of fact the more convenient method of performing before several guests collectively is adopted. The niwaka entails considerable expense on the geisha taking part, and the means of defraying it are too often raised by yielding to the immoral desires of guests who are positively repulsive to them in every respect.
During the performance of the niwaka, every tea-house engages firemen to attend to miscellaneous duties, and the kwaisho people wearing hakama (bifurcated petticoat), and carrying lanterns, constantly go round through the streets to see if everything is in order. The “wakai-mono� (“young-men�) of the Naka-no-ch� are also out on duty with lanterns (called daihari), and iron staffs to prevent overcrowding by the spectators. The dai-hari carried by these men are placed in front of the tea-house by which the company has been engaged while the dancing is being performed: these great lanterns are intended as signals.
All the expenses connected with the niwaka are defrayed by the brothels, tea-houses, etc.
Originally niwaka meant an impromptu farce, but about the era of Tenna (1681–1683) the character was changed though the meaning remains practically the same. The “Kiyū Sh�ran (嬉�笑覽) says that the niwaka seems to be an imitation of the Gion festival of Ky�to, and the festival cars (nerimono) of Shimabara and Sumiyoshi. It originated in the festival of the Kurosuke Inari which took place in the 8th month of the 19th year of Ky�h� (August 1734) on the occasion of that deity obtaining the title of sh�-ichi-i (first rank.) Owing to this fact, until recently, whenever a niwaka dance took place, a bamboo tree, bearing leaves, was set up on either side of the Ō-mon (gateway) and a straw rope was hung across in order to sanctify the place within: this practice has now ceased. From the 1st of this month the festival of the Kurosuke Inari at Suid�-jiri took place, festival cars were drawn about the streets, and the Yoshiwara was much crowded by sight-seers. The custom of erecting bamboos at the Ō-mon (above referred to) appears to have been in vogue until the Bunkwa era (1804–1817). Again, from the 1st day of the 8th month the yūjo who were proficient in singing and dancing performed niwaka dances for the entertainment of the public every fine day for thirty days. The origin of this dance is stated to have been the visit of young yūjo to the Mazaki Tenjin in the 4th year of Meiwa (1767) but anyway, judging from the style of the present niwaka, the dancing in the Meiwa era appears to have been the origin of this dance.
Mention is made in the “Kwagai Yenkaku-shi� (花街沿�誌) that in a picture of niwaka dancing drawn in the era of Meiwa (1764–1771) was written:—
“Ōtsuye shosagoto hayashi kata, �-deki, �-deki!� (Dramatic representation of the �-tsuye musicians, splendid, splendid!). A drawing of a car-stage and of an elevated sh�ji was depicted, and around this wistaria flowers were hung: inside were the musicians.
The geisha O Ishi, O Kume, O Yuki, and O Nami, who wore clothes with long sleeves, and h�kamuri (handkerchief covering the head and cheeks) played the samisen. Yūjo Taneko (of Shinkana-ya) and Masuno (of Ō-Ebisuya) also in long-sleeved clothes and lacquered hats danced bearing wistaria flowers in their hands. Next there were lantern bearers of Ky�machi It-ch�me which were acted by more than ten kamuro. The five leading yūjo were dressed in five-fold robes and red hakama, wore y�raku (crowns) upon their heads and held hishaku (sceptres) made of hinoki wood: in their hands. As the women walked along they were kept carefully covered by means of a special umbrella held over their heads from behind.
In the programmes of niwaka dances given in the Ky�wa era, (1801–1803) as well as in the pictures of the Bunkwa era (1854–1859) are to be seen men playing a farce before the railings of a brothel. At that period no stage car was used, but the pantomimic dance was performed in the open, the players being made visible by means of candles placed on stands in front of the persons taking part in the performance. The players appear to have been gifted with a considerable fund of ready wit and humour, as nearly every word and gesture excited roars of laughter from the lookers-on. The latter day niwaka seems to have been derived from the dancing of yūjo. The famous “lion-dancing� and kiyari songs which form the chief feature of the niwaka, were originated during the Ansei era (1854–1859) by a geisha named O Ichi, who was very popular in her day by reason of her being an expert in these matters. It is stated that in the year 1898 the niwaka scheme was abandoned owing perhaps to the fact that the result to the Yoshiwara was not commensurate with the large outlay involved in getting up the entertainments, but on making a careful investigation we find that the police authorities declined to sanction the dance even for half the usual time. The proprietor of one of the largest establishments states that he and his confrères are greatly concerned about this attempt to abolish such an old custom, and that a supreme effort will be made to obtain the sanction of the police to produce the niwaka as usual. His argument was that such an exhibition is not inimical to the morals of the public, and that persons who visit the Yoshiwara go there with the express purpose of amusing themselves with such spectacles!
Tori-no-machi.
(The fête of Ōtori no Kami.)
On the days of the fowl, in the month of November every year, the festival of Ōtori-no-kami is celebrated at the various places in T�ky� where the “Eagle� shrines are located. On these occasions great crowds of people visit the Yoshiwara, as the most popular “market� is held in Ryūsenji-machi, Asakusa Tambo, close to the quarter.
Crowds Visiting the “Tori-no-machi.�
These are the red-letter days for brothels and their inmates, and, as a rule, nearly all the yūjo are engaged by previous arrangement with their guests. It is considered rather a disgrace to yūjo to remain long on exhibition in their cages on such holidays. Popular women give ocular demonstration of their popularity by the means of tsumi-yagu and geisha usually obtain promises of engagement from some guests beforehand.
The three gates besides the Ō-mon, which are kept shut except on the Tori-no-machi days and in case of fire or other emergency, are thrown open from early morning for the admission of the general public. The traders erect their stalls at the back of the Examination House (kensa-ba) as far as Suid�-jiri, and yūjo appear in the cages even in the day-time. At night the bustle and confusion of the Yoshiwara becomes intensified.
Tipsy rascals “three sheets in the wind� stagger along the streets or swarm in front of the brothels, thickly bawling out unseemly ditties, while some yūjo may be heard calling to would-be guests in their broad patois. The great crowd surges hither and thither like the eddies of the ocean, and the confusion well-nigh defies description; but, paramount above all, here, there, and everywhere is the ubiquitous blue-coated little policeman with sword, spectacles, lantern, and note-book, uttering his warning cry of “koréya! koréya� (“that’ll do now:—move on�) and overawing the profanum vulgus with the majesty of the law visible and incarnate.
Yoshiwara Nana-fushigi.
(The Seven Mysteries of the Yoshiwara.)
Contrary to the “Seven mysteries� of Echigo, Suwa, Honj�, etc., all of which consist of weird ghost stories or really inexplicable mysteries, the “nana-fushigi� of the Yoshiwara are most innocent and amusing in their nature: they are as follows:—
Such are the “Seven mysteries� of the Yoshiwara, but the greatest mystery appears to be the fact that they should have been accepted as mysteries at all.
Yoshiwara no Kyo-ka.
(Comic Poetry.)
Among the many witty and epigrammatic stanzas which have been composed by well-known literary men, the following have been selected as interesting and characteristic:—
“The sight of snowy evening at the Ō-mon is so beautiful that no man is fool enough to leave the Yoshiwara satiated.� (Yomo Akara).
“On a calm Spring evening, when the women of the quarter enter their cages, it seems as if flowers were being scattered in the Yoshiwara by the bell announcing night fall. (Yomo Akara).
“Though visitors may change, the mikaeri yanagi (looking-back willow tree) is ever green, and flowers perennially scarlet.� (Kyokutei Bakin).
“Even without asking the question it is known that the miyako-dori (“oyster-catcher�) lives in the Sumida river: the person I long for lives in the Yoshiwara.� (Sant� Ky�zan).
“If the wind could be kept out by shutting the Ō-mon (great gateway) the expenditure of a thousand ry� would not be begrudged for the sake of the flowers.� (Magao).
“When one is intoxicated the same thing is repeated—‘the flowers are blooming in the Yoshiwara: in the Yoshiwara the flowers are blooming’.� (Shoku Sanjin).
“In the Yoshiwara a visitor’s life is prolonged by means of the bells of “hiké yotsu,� which is struck later by two hours than the bells of the outside world.� (Shoji Nariyuki).
“All the guests being tethered to the blossom-laden cherry-trees are led into the Yoshiwara as horses are put into harness together.� (Moto no Mokuami).
“It is the season of flowers and Yoshino will find itself outrivalled by the “oiran� blossoms of the Yoshiwara.� (Tegara Okamochi).
Yoshiwara Kwai-rok-ki.
(Chronology of fire disasters in the Yoshiwara.)
In the 12th month of the 7th year of Kwan-ei (January 1631) fire broke out at Hatch�bori and burnt out Negich�, Hasegawa-ch�, and Tomizawa-ch�.
On the 14th day of the 12th month of the second year of Sh�h� (30th January, 1646), after a lapse of 16 years, fire broke out at Owari-ch�, and the Yoshiwara was burnt. The progress of the flames was checked at Hasegawa-ch�, at Ōmon-dori. This fire was known as the “Sakueymon kwaji.�
In the 9th month of the 3rd year of Sho-� (October 1654), after the lapse of 19 years, fire broke out at Kirigashi and the Moto Yoshiwara was burnt.
On the 18th day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of Meireki (2nd March, 1857), after the lapse of 13 years (something seems to be wrong in this calculation?) fire broke out in the Hommy�-ji temple, Maruyama, Hongo, and the greater portion of Yedo, including the Moto Yoshiwara, was burnt.
The following are the disasters which have occurred since the removal of the Yoshiwara to the present site:—
A Fire in the Yoshiwara.
On the 7th day of the 12th month of the 4th year of Emp� (10th January, 1677), after an interval of twenty years, fire broke out in a bath-house, kept by a man named Ichibei, at Ky�-machi-gashi, and the Yoshiwara was burnt.
On the 27th day of the 11th month of the 5th year of Emp� (21st December, 1677) fire broke out in the house of Hanaya Ichibei, Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me, and part of the street where the fire originated was burnt. Rain was falling heavily at the time.
In the 4th month of the 5th year of Meiwa (May 1768) fire broke out in the brothel at Yedo-ch� kept by Yotsumeya Zentar�, and the Yoshiwara was burnt down after an interval of ninety-two years.
On the 23rd day of the 4th month of the 8th year of Meiwa, (5th June, 1771) fire broke out in the house of Umeya Ihei and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of four years.
On the 29th day of the 2nd month of the 9th year of Meiwa (1st April, 1772) fire broke out in the Daitan-ji temple, Gyonin-zaka, Meguro, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of two years.
On the 30th day of the 9th month of the 1st year of Temmei (15th November, 1781) fire broke out in the houses of Aburaya Yasubei, Fushimi-ch�, and Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me of the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of ten years. One account says that this fire originated in the Kadaya, Fushimi-ch�, and that eleven houses in Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me, ten houses Naka-no-ch�, and ten houses at Fushimi-ch� were burnt.
On the 16th day of the 4th month of the 4th year of Temmei (3rd June, 1784) fire broke out in the house of Maruebi-ya, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of four years.
On the 9th day of the 11th month of the 7th year of Temmei (18th December, 1787) fire broke out in the tea-house kept by Gorobei, Sumich�, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of four years.
On the 2nd day of the 4th month of the 6th year of Kwansei (1st May, 1794) fire broke out either in the brothel known as “Choji-ya� or in the house of Juzo (they stood close together) and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of eight years. Tamachi (in Asakusa) was also burnt by this fire, sparks carried by the wind having ignited the residences there.
On the 23rd day of the 2nd month of the 12th year of Kwansei (18th March, 1800) fire broke out in the house of a farmer named Tsunasa Jinyemon, of Ryūsenji-mura, Shitaya district, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of seven years.
On the 21st day of the 11th month of the 9th year of Bunkwa (24th December, 1812) fire broke out in the compound of sheds belonging to Zenshichi (chief of beggars), and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of thirteen years. This fire spread as far as Yama-no-shiku, and Tamachi (ni-ch�-me), Asakusa.
On the 3rd day of the 5th month of the 13th year of Bunkwa (29th May, 1816) fire broke out in an unoccupied house owned by Shin-ebi-ya Kichisuké, (a brothel-keeper) at Ky�-machi it-ch�-me, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of five years. The office of Sahei (a nanushi) at Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me escaped the general holocaust. This conflagration spread as far as Ryūsenji-machi, Asakusa.
On the 26th day of the 1st month of the 6th year of Temp� (23rd February, 1835) fire broke out in the brothel kept by Matsugoro, Sumich�, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of twelve years.
On the 19th day of the 10th month of the 8th year of Temp� (16th November 1837) fire broke out in the house of Gentaro (who was the father and guardian of the proprietress of a small brothel at Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me) and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of three years. The office of nanushi Nizayemon, at Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, and the small houses in the back alleys, were not destroyed.
On the 5th day of the 12th month of the 2nd year of K�kwa (2nd January, 1846) fire broke out in a brothel kept by Kawatsuya Tetsugoro, at Ky�-machi ni-ch�-me, and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of nine years. The office of Nanushi Sahei at Yedo-ch�, ni-ch�-me, that of nanushi Niyemon at Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, and that of nanushi Rokuroyemon at Ky�-machi it-ch�-me, however, were not destroyed.
On the 2nd day of the 10th month of the 2nd year of Ansei (11th November, 1855) a destructive earthquake occurred, and all the houses in the Yoshiwara were demolished by shaking or burning after an interval of eleven years. Numerous lives were lost.
On the 29th day of the 9th month of the 1st year of Manen (12th November, 1860) fire broke out in the house of Kinoji-ya Tetsujir� (at the kashi in Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me) and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of six years. The house of nanushi Jinshiro, at Ky�-machi, it-ch�-me, was saved.
On the 14th day of the 11th month of the 2nd year of Bunkyū (3rd January, 1863) fire broke out in the house of Shimidzu-ya Seisuké (Ky�-machi, it-ch�-me) and the Yoshiwara was burnt after an interval of three years. The fire spread to Gojikken-machi. The houses of nanushi Jinshiro and of Kaneko Hambei (at Ky�-machi it-ch�-me) were saved.
On the 26th day of the 1st month of the 1st year of Genji (5th March, 1864), after an interval of three years, fire broke out in the store-house of a brothel (Ōguchi-ya Bunzayemon) of Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, and all the houses in that street were burnt. The brothels on the creek-side of Ageya-ch� were saved, and also some houses in Ky�machi it-ch�-me. On the 23rd day of the 9th month of the same year (23rd October, 1864) fire broke out in a tobacconist’s shop in Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, and six houses were destroyed.
On the 11th day of the 11th month of the 2nd year of Kei-� (17th December, 1866) after a lapse of three years, fire broke out in a small brothel named Ō-Masu-ya (in Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me) and a portion of the Yoshiwara was burnt.
On the 28th day of the 5th month of the 4th year of Meiji (28th May, 1871) fire broke out in a paper-dealer’s store, named Sanya Matsugoro, (in Kita Fushimi-ch�) and the greater part of the Yoshiwara was burnt. The houses along the creek at Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, Ageya-ch�, and Ky�machi it-ch�-me were saved, as was also the “Kado-ebi.�
On the 11th day of the 11th month of the 6th year of Meiji (11th November, 1873) fire broke out in the house occupied by Kobayashi-ya Rui, No. 25 Ky�-machi ni-ch�-me, and this street, and Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me, were completely demolished. In the vicinity of the Ō-mon two tea-houses (the “Ōmori-ya� and “Yagata-ya�) only were saved. Some houses in Tamachi ni-ch�-me, Yama-no-shiku, and Sh�den Yokoch�, were burnt in consequence of being set on fire by flying sparks.
On the 12th day of the 12th month of the 8th year of Meiji, at noon (12th December, 1875) fire broke out in the kitchen of the house of Nakamura Ch�bei (Sano Tsuchi-ya) No. 25, Yedo-ch�, it-ch�-me, and in consequence Yedo-ch�, it-ch�-me and ni-ch�-me, Sumich�, Ageya-machi, and Ky�-machi it-ch�-me and ni-ch�-me were burnt. Besides these the fire destroyed some houses in other parts of the Yoshiwara.
On the 2nd day of the 1st month of the 11th year of Meiji (2nd January, 1878) after an interval of four years, fire broke out in the house of Nakamura Ch�bei (Iseroku) Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, but it was extinguished after consuming the building in which it originated. The cause of fire was kerosene oil.
On the 23rd day of the 1st month of the 24th year of Meiji (23rd January, 1891), after an interval of seventeen years, fire broke out in the house of Kobayashi Kyūtar� (“Kobayashi-r��) No. 19, Ky�machi ni-ch�-me, and at Sumi-ch�; forty-six houses were completely, and five partially, burnt. At Ky�machi ni-ch�-me thirteen houses were completely, and two partially, burnt. At Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me two houses were completely, and nine partially, destroyed.
On the 4th day of the 4th month of the 26th year of Meiji (13th April, 1893) at 7.30 p.m. fire broke out in the third story of Irita Yoshitar� (“Baiman-r��) No. 31, Ageya-ch�, and some forty-five houses were completely, and nine partially, burnt at Ageya-ch�, Yedo-ch� it-ch�-me, and Ky�machi it-ch�-me.
The latest destructive conflagration in the Yoshiwara occurred at 4.30 a.m. on March 15th, 1896. It was started at the rear of the tea-houses Shin Kirihan and Kanetama-ya (which were situated on the border of Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me and Sumi-ch�) and quickly spread to Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me, Naka-no-ch�, Sumi-ch�, and even to the outside of the Ō-mon. Altogether 139 houses were destroyed. In this fire a yūjo named Koiginu, 24 years of age, belonging to the “Kawachi-r�� (Sumi-ch�) was burnt to death, her way of escape having been cut off by smoke.
A man-servant of the “Tanaka-r�� was also asphyxiated to death on this occasion.
Furi-sodé Kwaji.
(The Great Fire of Meireki.)
The following interesting legend is an almost literal translation of a popular Japanese tradition.
It seems that on the 18th day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of Meireki (2nd March, 1657), a fire broke out in the Honiny�-ji (temple) at Maru-yama in Hongo, which raged through the City of Edo during three days and three nights, burning everything before it. The number of persons who were burnt to death was over 108,000 souls, and tradition says that from ancient times to the present day no fire has broken out which can be even compared to this conflagration, and indeed that it is impossible to express in words the extent of this terrible and sad calamity. On enquiring about the origin of the fire, it appears that at the end of the Spring in the 2nd year of Meireki, when the cherry blossoms were blooming, the daughter of a certain Hatamoto who resided in the neighbourhood of Banch�, was taken in company with some neighbours to see the flowers at Ueno. At that time the young page of a certain temple was passing by the Sam-mai-bashi (bridge) at Hirok�ji in Ueno, and was seen by the young lady who was going in an opposite direction. The youthful page was a fine handsome young follow, and the girl, on glancing carelessly at him, noticed he was a youth of about sixteen or seventeen years of age, and was wearing a black haori (a kind a loose overcoat) with long sleeves (furi-sodé) on which was dyed a pattern composed of water-wheels (a favorite Japanese design). His hakama (loose trousers) were made of striped brown material, and as he walked along with his swords (the scabbards of which were decorated with a flower design) thrust straight down in his belt, he looked like the ancient pictures of Narihira, or of Minamoto-no-Mitsu-uji, when they were children, at the time of their first admittance to the rank of knighthood. Then she wondered how anyone could surpass this youth, for his lips were red as the reddest of blossoms, his eyebrows arched and beautiful, his hair black and glossy, and his head in front showed the signs of the rite of gembuku, while his front hair was parted in the fashion of those times: and altogether he looked very prepossessing with his fair complexion which laughed at the driven snow, and his fresh appearance which seemed to be striving to emulate the beauty and fragrance of the fullblown flowers. As he passed the young lady, the long sleeves of his garment brushed against her dress, her heart was spontaneously affected, and she fell in love with him after a single glance. Although they were going in opposite directions, she could not help glancing round and wondering whether it was a man or a god that she had seen, and, as she gazed after him, her first love developed like the blossoming of the buds of the cherry flowers. However, as she had persons with her, she went on with them, although she was loath to be parted from her lover. Then she went on to Ueno with her friends, but, although she looked at the cherry-blossoms and sat there amongst them on the matting laid out for the accommodation of guests, the form of the youth she had seen kept dancing before her eyes, and the laughter and gaiety of the crowds assembled became very annoying to her as she sat wrapped in gloomy thought.
That day she returned home and thought—“I wonder who he can be? I know not where he lives and I have no means of tracing him. However much I may pine for my loved one my power of will is not powerful enough to reach to him and thus fulfil my desires. I think myself that I am foolish, but although I strive to banish my thoughts as vain and silly, yet I cannot for a moment relieve my heart of its trouble.� Thus time passed wearily for her, and the days and months flew by until it had become the season of the summer rains, with its intermittent showers. Her thoughts were melancholy and she did not even have her hair dressed, but allowed it to fall dishevelled over her shoulders. She had been taken sick sometime previously, and therefore her parents were very anxious about her. One day her father, addressing her mother, said—“On thinking over the matter of our daughter’s illness very carefully, she drinks no medicine and she dislikes the doctor, and there is something about it which I cannot understand. From what I heard accidentally the other day from a neighbour, it seems that at the time of viewing the cherry-blossoms our daughter met some young gentleman at Mihashi and she cannot forget about him. I don’t know who he was, but it seems that he was a very handsome youth. I have heard that at that time she spoke about the young man to her friends, but I did not think anything about it, and yet it appears that our daughter returned home and from that time she has been moping and miserable. Lately her sickness has increased, and become very serious, and she is wasting away and looks wretched. If you will quietly sound her on the subject she will probably tell you the facts of the case.� Being thus addressed the wife spoke quietly with her daughter that evening about the matter, but she only buried her face in her pillow and made no reply. In a short time however, she thought that after all now things had come to such a pass there was no use in concealing anything further, so she told everything saying—“At the time of flower-seeing this Spring—&c., &c.,—.� Then she went on to confess the whole matter to her mother, while her eyes were streaming with tears, and as she cried and fretted in a half apologetic manner she looked very miserable and pitiful, and she finished by imploring her mother, with averted face, not to laugh at her. Then the mother drew nearer to her daughter and asked her in a low gentle voice—“Do you know the name of the young man and his residence? Have you heard something about it?� But her daughter raised her head and replied—“I had no means of knowing his name or residence. The only thing I remember is that he had on a garment on the sleeves of which there was a pattern, and I am thinking lovingly about him.� The mother nodded and said—“Well then, if I have a dress dyed with the pattern which you then saw, and place it at the side of your pillow, it may give you some comfort and relief.� On hearing this the daughter seemed very happy, and the parents enquired minutely about the pattern and the colouring of the water-wheel design, then they consulted together and calling in their regular dyer made no agreement about the price but simply hurried him up saying “Please be quick and dye this at once.� So, without any waste of time the material was very prettily dyed, and they hurried up the tailor likewise, making him work night and day until the garment was finished. They were indulgent parents and had reared their child very tenderly, so that this trouble caused their hearts to become as black as the black ko-sodé they had ordered. The pattern was composed of water-wheels in the midst of waves, and they revolved and revolved until at last they caused disaster and calamity to the world. The parents brought this garment quickly and showed it to their daughter, who, when she had seen it said “Indeed that’s it, that’s it!� and feeling as if she had ascended into Paradise, she clasped the dress in her arms and appeared like a demented creature. Then after four or five days had elapsed her illness became more and more severe, and she soon expired, still clasping the ko-sodé to her bosom: and as she thus lay in death, holding this garment in her arms, the sight was indeed a most pitiable and touching one. Well, after her death the parents had to part with their child, and the funeral took place with the usual rites in the burial ground of the “Hommy�-ji� (temple) in the district of Hongo. As to the dyed ko-sodé, as the poor girl had loved it so dearly, they put it on her coffin as a kakemuku (pall) and sent it forth to the temple. Sometime afterwards, the priests of the Hommy�-ji sold the garment to their regular second-hand clothing store, and during the ninth month of the same year this figured dress was again brought to the temple covering a coffin as a kakemuku, but the priests paid no particular attention to it, and again sold it off to the second-hand clothing store as usual. Again the identical figured garb was sent in as a kakemuku (pall) from a certain parishioner at daybreak on the 18th day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of Meireki (2nd March, 1657), and as this was the third time the same garment had been sent into this temple, it attracted the eyes of the nassh� (the priest who transacts the business of the monastery) and bans� (assistant priest) who thought—“How miraculous! There must be something mysterious in this event, and it is certainly no mere chance-work that this ko-sodé (long-sleeved garment) should have come round three times in succession to our temple�—and they told the Father Superior of their impressions. The Father Superior, after pondering the matter for a short time, said—“It is indeed a very important case. It is exceedingly mysterious that the garment should have passed through the hands of our parishioners not once but twice and thrice, and it is more mysterious that the deceased persons have all been young girls. I will myself interrogate the seshu (person who orders everything relating to the funeral) about the matter.� Thus, prior to the funeral service, he interviewed the seshu, and enquired about the history of the ko-sodé (long sleeved garment). The seshu answered—“I am deeply ashamed by reason of your enquiries in that way, but our daughter went out one day to the neighborhood of Asakusa on certain business, when she saw this garment hung up in the shop of a certain cast-off-clothing dealer, and she was importunately anxious to get it. We bought it according to her earnest desire, and from that very night she was taken ill with a raging fever and not only that, but she talked deliriously like a lunatic, tightly embracing the garment the while. All my family together endeavoured very hard to take the garment away, but she would not allow it to be removed. Since then she became thinner and thinner and finally expired.� The priest nodded to the speaker and then related in detail all about the mysterious garment, and how it had come into the temple twice before as a kakemuku (pall) from two of their parishioners. The seshu (person ordering the funeral) on hearing this story was struck with terror and said—“Then, if you should sell this ko-sodé again this time, the same calamity will fall upon another unfortunate individual. This is not my wish, and I think it will be proper to put it on the fire and burn it up after the funeral ceremony is finished.� The Father Superior nodded several times and replied—“Indeed that is the wisest course,—yes—yes.� Then after the funeral ceremony was over, and the people all gone, the priests brought out a brazier of three feet square in order to burn the garment, and crumpling up the ko-sodé they cast it on the fire, all chanting the prayer in chorus “Oh let the souls of the three women quickly enter into Paradise. We adore thee Oh blossom of doctrine!—thou salvation bringing book of the wonderful Law!� Immediately after they had flung the garment into the flames a sudden whirlwind arose which came sweeping from the North, blowing up sand and dust to such an extent that in an instant the sky was entirely blotted out by a cloud of grit and dust, which threatened to envelope the whole universe with a darkness as black as a raven’s wing. The people in the temple looked at each other in horror, saying in their agitation that this was no chance event, when suddenly at that very moment, the burning garment spread out and was carried by the wind high up into the inner side of the lofty ceiling of the main chapel. The bystanders had no time to exclaim more than “Oh!� before the main chapel and the priests’ dwelling were one mass of flame, and the fire was burning up furiously until it became at length the origin of a great disaster. Such was the origin of what is known as the furi-sodé-kwaji (Long-sleeved garment fire) of Hongo, Maruyama, Hommy�ji (temple), which consumed nearly the whole city and which still remains upon the lips of the people to the present day.
Mei-gi ryaku-den.
(Brief sketches of the lives of famous courtesans.)
Taka-o.
The first Taka-o flourished in the period of the former (moto) Yoshiwara, and was called My�shin Taka-o. She was also known as Ko-mochi Taka-o (child-bearing Taka-o) as she used to promenade attended by a wet-nurse who carried the child of which she had been delivered.
The second Taka-o was known as Daté Taka-o.
The third Taka-o was “Saij� Taka-o� who was redeemed by one Saij� Kichiyemon (a retainer of Kii Chūnagon) and taken by him to his native province (Kii). Another account says that she was redeemed by Saij� Kichibei, a gold-lacquer painter at the Sh�gun’s Court.
The fourth Taka-o was called “Asano Taka-o.� It is said that she was redeemed either by Asano Iki-no-Kami or Asano Inaba-no-Kami, both of whom were daimy�. According to the list of daimy� published in the 4th year of Meireki (1658), Asano Iki-no-Kami seems to have been the grandson of the well-known Asano Nagamasa.
The fifth Taka-o was called “Midzutani Taka-o.� She was redeemed by Midzutani Rokubei, a banker to the Prince of Mito. Later she eloped with a servant of Mizutani—an old man 68 years of age. Then she married Handayū Ry�-un, and next became the concubine of Makino Suruga no Kami (a daimy�), but she again eloped with one of the latter’s attendants named K�no Heima. Next we see her as the wife of a hair-dresser at Fukagawa, then the wife of an actor named Sodeoka Masanosuke, and then that of an oil dealer at Mikawa-ch�. The career of this much-married woman was brought to a close by her sudden death in the street in front of the Dai-on-ji temple.
The sixth Taka-o was called “Da-zome Taka-o,� and was redeemed by a dyer named Jirobei. She is said to have been a very beautiful woman who surpassed all her predecessors except the fifth, (whose immoral behaviour we have just noticed) to have been a skilful writer (one of the necessary accomplishments of a lady) and to have been of a quiet and gentle disposition. With her lady-like accomplishments and graceful manner she was fitted by nature to become the wife of a gentleman of position, and yet she married Jirobei although the latter was not only in humble circumstances but noted for being a rare specimen of ugliness. The strange union, however, proved a great success as the pair lived on most happy and affectionate terms. The history of their marriage was briefly as follows. Jirobei, who was a dyer working in his master’s shop, one day went out to the Yoshiwara with his comrades to see the promenading of yūjo. On this occasion he first saw his future wife, and, being greatly struck by her beauty and graceful demeanour, he thought if he could only approach her the one wish of his whole life would be gratified. At that time, however, the engagement of so superior a yūjo by a common artizan who made a hand-to-mouth living was, of course, out of the question and Jirobei felt desperate. The matter preyed on his mind to such an extent that when he returned to his master’s house he looked so melancholy and depressed that his appearance attracted the attention of his employer. Unable to conceal his secret, he unbosomed himself to his master, and the latter encouraged him to work diligently and save money enough to engage the yūjo, as it was, after all, only a matter of money. For more than a year Jirobei worked very hard both by day and night, and by dint of great economy managed to save enough cash to pay the age-dai of a yūjo of Taka-o’s class. The very moment that he had sufficient money he hurried off to the Yoshiwara, as he feared that should he wait too long the object of his love might be redeemed by somebody and thus be lost to him for ever. Entering the quarter dressed in his workman’s attire, and looking dirty and uncouth with his unkempt hair and stubbly beard, he experienced considerable trouble in approaching Taka-o, but finally he succeeded in meeting her and disclosed everything without reserve. Her woman’s heart was greatly moved by this proof of loving sincerity, and she finally promised to marry him when her term of engagement expired. This promise she afterwards faithfully redeemed, and Jirobei then opened a dyer’s shop on his own account in the city, and became very prosperous in after years. It seems that Jirobei was not a success as a dyer as he was unskilful in the technique of his trade, but his business prospered on account of the many people who patronized his establishment in order to catch a glimpse of the famous and romantic beauty.
It is not on record as to who redeemed the seventh Taka-o. Some persons mistake the seventh for “Sakakibara Takao.� In the Mi-ura record the sixth is erroneously mentioned as the “Sakakibara Takao.� The eight and ninth appear to have had successful careers in the Yoshiwara, but they were apparently not redeemed by people of note as no record exists on this point.
The tenth Taka-o seems to have appeared in the Yoshiwara either in the 13th or 14th year of Ky�h� (1728 or 1729).
The eleventh Taka-o was redeemed by Sakakibara-Shikibu-Tayū, daimy� of Takata, Echigo province, who enjoyed an income of 150,000 koku of rice per annum. With the retirement of this lord she accompanied him to his clan headquarters (Takata): after his death she became a nun and died at the age of thirty and odd years.
Hana-�gi.
The Yedo-Kwagai-Enkahushi says that the brothel-keeper named Ōgi-ya Uyemon was a pupil of Kat� Chiin, well versed in the composition of Japanese poems, and favourably known by his literary name of Bokuka (墨河 = “Inky River�). Among the inmates of this gentle poetaster’s house was a yūjo named Hana-�gi who was very popular at that time. About the 6th year of Kwansei (1794) she escaped from the Yoshiwara and lived with a man with whom she had contracted intimate relations, but she was soon detected and brought back to her master’s house. She then refused, on the plea of illness, to act as a yūjo any more and no persuasion had any effect upon her.
Finally the master of the house composed a poem to the effect that:—
“Notwithstanding the careful attention given to the plum-tree by its care-taker in order that its flowers may not be injured the wind increases in violence.�
and showed it to her. Hana-�gi, bursting into tears, and touched by the kindness of her master, instantly composed another poem which read:—
“The plum-blossoms that tightly closed themselves in order not to be shaken by a merciless wind may be found in bloom next Spring.�
From this time she changed her mind and her popularity returned. The Kinsei Shogwadan says that Hana-�gi, a yūjo of the Ōgi-ya, Yoshiwara, not only had poetical tastes and was well versed in the art of penmanship but was a most filial and dutiful daughter towards her aged mother. Though her literary accomplishments were well-known and recognized, her filial piety was not so widely known, and the author of the Kinsei Shogwadan says “filial piety ought to be prized above all other things. It is a rare quality among women who sell their bodies for prostitution.� In the case of Hana-�gi, her filial piety having been noised abroad until her fame reached even to far away lands, a Chinese scholar, named Hikosei, who visited Nagasaki on board a trading-ship, happening to hear about her sent her a letter of eulogy written in the style of a Chinese poem. The composition, which was characterized by beautiful and imaginative thought, may be freely translated as follows:—
“You, who are the leading courtesan of a superior house of pleasure, are richly gifted by Heaven with a hundred various graceful accomplishment most excellent in woman. I, being a stranger and sojourner from a far-off land, must sail away without beholding your charms, but I shall long for you while tossed upon the bosom of the boundless sea. There is in Yedo a famous courtesan, named Hana-�gi, who not only is of unsurpassed beauty, but is well versed in literature. This lady has an aged mother at home whom she adores, and to whom she blindly devotes herself as a filial child is bound to do. I have sojourned in Nagasaki for a decade and have known many women at once beautiful and possessed of poetic tastes, but never have I heard of a courtesan accomplished in literature and likewise distinguished for her filial piety.
“Having heard your story—Hana-�gi—I wish to personally visit you, but this being impossible I compose a poem and send it to you.�
(Signed) Shokei Hi-ko-sei.
It appears that Hana-ogi was a pupil of T�k� Genrin (a poet), and often composed both Chinese and Japanese poems. Three of her compositions run as follows:—
| 1.— | The name of Hana-�gi (“Floral Fan�) does not suit the person who bears it, and is comparable to the case of a rough woodman who has an uncommon and ludicrously fine name. |
| 2.— | Though the autumnal moon is shining, the countenance of him upon whom I gazed for the last time in the days of Spring vanishes not from my mental vision. |
| 3.— | The moon shines so brightly and magnificently upon the trembling surface of the river that the shadow of a man who is handling ropes in a boat may be clearly discerned. |
It is said that this noted courtesan wrote the Chinese character 鳴� (meikin “tinkling harp�) and after framing the paper presented it to the Ishi-yama-dera (temple) where it was hung in the Genji-no-na (room).[56]
Tamakoto.
In one of the poems of the famous Bash� it is said:—
“The pine-tree of Karasaki is more obscure than the flowers.�
This poem is considered to be written in praise of the virtue of the evergreen solitary pine-tree which is inferior to the flowers on a cloudy night. Tamakoto may be favourably compared to this pine-tree of Karasaki (which is a universally recognized symbol of virtue), as she is described to us as “a model of sincere, charitable, and charming womanhood, whose graceful manner and delightful conversational power lifted her high above the other women of her class.� Owing to these unique and sterling qualities she became the most popular of all the courtesans of the Yoshiwara. The custom of depositing a leaf of a “naki� tree in the back of the handle of the mirrors used by ladies in making their toilettes, was inaugurated by Tamakoto. It was afterwards followed by many ladies of high rank. In feudal days the sword was called “the living soul of the samurai,� and a lady’s mirror was also considered as equally precious and important to her. The depositing of a leaf of the “naki� tree in the mirror handle appears to have had a religious significance, as the naki tree is said to have been the sacred tree of the shrine of Idzu Dai-Gongen, in Hakone, Idzu province. It was believed that the Hakone Gongen was the deity who supervised the carrying out of promises made between the sexes, and therefore the naki leaf placed within the mirror handle was equivalent to a pledge to the gods that the owner of the mirror would be faithful to men and never utter a falsehood. While she was yet in the prime of life Tamakoto fell sick and returned to her parents’ home, where, in spite of everything done to restore her to health, she departed this life and “set out on her journey to the unknown world� in the 25th year of her age. During her life this accomplished woman composed a lyric song entitled “The Sorrowful Butterfly� which was afterwards set to music by Ranshu and sung in loving memory of the gentle authoress.
Katsuyama.
In the employ of Yamamoto Sukeyemon, of Ky�-machi ni-ch�-me, was a yūjo named Katsuyama who, though a sancha-jor�, was a gentle and kindhearted woman, accomplished in the art of composing Japanese poems and very æsthetic in her nature. Once, on the occasion of the celebration of Hina-matsuri in the third month of a certain year, a well-known poet of that age—Ransetsu—happened to be in Katsuyama’s room and witnessed her preparations for the festival, and he wrote the following stanza:—
“It is pitiable to see a barren woman celebrating the Hina festival.�
This is in allusion to the fact that the doll-festival (Hina-matsuri) was originally inaugurated for the purpose of celebrating the birth of children and of manifesting a desire to have a succession of lineal descendants to perpetuate the family name. Hina means young birds newly hatched from the eggs, and in feudal times child-bearing was considered of such great importance that barrenness was a sad disgrace and formed a legitimate ground for divorcing a wife. A courtesan, in consequence of her unnatural life, and the physical strain to which she was subjected, was supposed to be incapable of conceiving, and hence Ransetsu’s lament that a woman of Katsuyama’s goodness and beauty should be condemned to celebrate a festival which amounted to a mere mockery of her unfortunate position.
Though a courtesan, Katsuyama was a sincere and worthy woman, an earnest and devout Buddhist, possessed of refined tastes which made her a lover of the beautiful, an adept in floral arrangement, and an accomplished writer. She also seems to have been gifted with an inventive genius, for she devised an unique style of hair-dressing which was so simple and unaffected that it speedily found favour with every class of women, not excepting the ladies of the daimy�s’ courts, the latter adopting this coiffure almost universally. It is still known as the “Katsuyama magé.� A very pretty story is told which illustrates the kindness of heart that characterized Katsuyama. There was a certain bugyo, named Kaisho, who was on intimate terms with the fair damsel and who was so infatuated with her goodness and beauty that he spent considerable sums of money in the purchase of rare and costly articles for the purpose of affording her pleasure. On one occasion he sent her a silver cage, fitted with a golden perch, containing a beautiful Corean bird, known as a hiyo-dori (brown-eared bul-bul). When he sent her this present he remarked that it was impossible to buy such a bird with money, and that he had only obtained possession of the pretty warbler owing to his position and influence as bugyo. Katsuyama was delighted to receive the kind gift of her friend, but after she had exhibited it to the inmates of her house she took the cage into her own room and addressed the feathery inmate in the following words:—
“Sweet little birdie, there may be those who envy your position living in a cage decorated with gold and silver and being petted by people, but I, my birdie know that the thoughts which fill your mind are quite opposite to those others attribute to you. I have lived for many years in the Yoshiwara like a bird in a cage and can sympathize with your situation. I too have lived in a golden cage and am arrayed in gorgeous robes, but I know that a person deprived of freedom is like Ōshokun[57] for whom jewels and flowers had no attraction and who felt as if living in Kikaigoshima (Devils’ Island). Judging by my own feelings I can imagine the sorrow of you, birdie, for be you ever so well treated and carefully tended you will flutter against the bars of your cage and long to fly away and be at liberty under the blue sky of Heaven just as I long to return to my dear native place.�
So saying, Katsuyama took the beautiful bird from its cage and allowed it to fly away. If this had happened in the time of Kenk� H�shi (the priestly author of the celebrated Tsurezure-Gusa) he would assuredly have praised her kindly deed in the same manner as he did a similar act of Ky�yū in his well-known book of jottings.
Segawa.
The second Segawa of the Matsuba-ya of Yedo-ch� ni-ch�-me (Yoshiwara) was redeemed by the master of E-ichi-ya (an establishment in the vicinity of Ry�goku-bashi), and the third Segawa by a blind musician named Toriyama. The second Segawa lived on affectionate terms with her redeemer, but by and by she fell sick and lay helpless for a long time in spite of everything which her doctor could do. Some person having suggested that if she were named after an animal she would recover, Segawa changed her name to Kisa, (archaic term for “elephant�) and tradition says that after this she was gradually restored to health under the treatment of a certain Doctor Kitayama Gian. While Segawa was still in the Yoshiwara she sent a letter, written in a beautiful hand, to her intimate friend Hinadzuru (of the “Ch�jiya�) on the occasion of the latter leaving the Yoshiwara in consequence of having been redeemed by a guest. The letter was a model of Japanese feminine writing, and ran as follows:—
“It is with feelings of the utmost satisfaction and delight that I hear you are to-day going to quit the “house of fire� (Kwataku �宅) of this Yoshiwara for ever, and that you are going away to live in a cool and more congenial city. I cannot find words adequate to the task of expressing my envy of the promising future which awaits you at your new residence. Moreover, according to the principles of divination, your nature has affinity with wood while that of your husband has affinity with earth. This is an excellent combination of the active and passive principles of nature, for the earth nourishes and protects the wood (tree) as long as it lives. This is indeed a good omen and augurs well for your future prosperity and happiness, and I therefore again congratulate you on the felicitous and promising union you have made.�
Usugumo. (Faint Clouds.)
In the Genroku period (1688–1703) Usugumo was one of the most popular of the Yoshiwara courtesans and ranked next to Taka-o in this respect. She was an exceedingly beautiful woman, graceful and slender as a willow-tree, and moreover she was versed in all those polite accomplishments the acquirement of which is necessary to a Japanese lady. On the 15th day of the 8th month of a certain year she was holding a “moon-viewing� party with her guest in the second story of an “age-ya� and was busily composing or reading Japanese and Chinese poems while enjoying the ravishing splendour of the full harvest moon which hung like a glittering silver mirror in the cloudless autumnal sky. Presently thin clouds appeared on the horizon, and gradually spreading themselves over the heavens screened the moon from view. In the adjoining room a K�shi-joro named Matsuyama (“Pine Mountain�) was also holding a moon-viewing party with her guest, and this woman, not being on good terms with Usugumo [“Thin (or ‘Faint’) Clouds�] maliciously remarked:—
“The thin clouds are insolently hiding the beauteous moon from public gaze.�
Hearing this but ill-veiled sneer directed at herself by means of a clever play upon the words “usu-gumo� [faint (or thin) clouds] Usugumo, unable to control her temper, replied with cruel directness:—
“Those thin clouds which now obscure the moon may appear to be blots on the sky above us, but after all they are but transient and will soon drift away. The pine-crowned mountain (Matsuyama) yonder on the contrary looms up dark and forbidding in the landscape and permanently obstructs the best view of the orb of night.�
Discomforted by this spontaneous and fitting answer, Matsuyama coloured up and immediately retired from the party. Usugumo was well-known for her ready wit and cleverness in repartee, and the above incident proves that her reputation was well deserved.
Usugumo possessed a beautifully furred cat which she was accustomed to take with her whenever she went out promenading, the animal being carried by one of her attendant kamuro. Strange to say, whenever Usugumo went to the lavatory her pet followed her without fail, and this fact having become well known among the inmates of the house it gave rise to an idle whisper to the effect that the cat was in love with its owner! The proprietor of the “Miura-ya� (to which establishment Usugumo belonged), hearing of this story, one day caused the cat to be fastened to a pillar and awaited the result. On seeing Usugumo going into the lavatory, however, the cat became desperate, and biting through the rope with which it had been fastened attempted to rush after its mistress, leaping clean over a pile of kitchen utensils which stood in the way. As it flew along, one of the cooks gave the animal a blow on the neck with a sharp kitchen knife, completely severing poor pussy’s head from her body. Usugumo, who had been in the lavatory, being frightened by the noise and commotion came hurriedly out and was much distressed to find her eat dead, but she noticed that although the body remained the head of the unfortunate animal had disappeared. On an examination of the lavatory being instituted, the missing head of the cat was discovered with its teeth tightly closed in a death grip on the throat of a great snake which was writhing in the throat of impending dissolution! Then the mystery of the cat’s constant attendance on its mistress was fully explained, as the people saw that the unhappy animal, knowing of the snake’s existence, had followed Usugumo for the purpose of protecting her from injury, and had died in her defence. When the story of the cat’s faithfulness became known everyone bewailed pussy’s sad fate, and in order to atone for the cruel treatment to which it had been subjected the animal was buried in the family cemetery of the house. Kikaku’s poem to the effect that:—
“The cat of Ky�machi was wont to play between it and Ageya-machi�
seems to refer to Usugumo’s pet.
In former days the grave of this loyal creature was pointed out at Ageya-ch�, but nowadays the site of the monument has been forgotten owing to the frequent occurrence of fires in the Yoshiwara.
ÅŒsumi.
Though Ōsumi was comparatively lower in rank than Shiragiku of the “Yamagata-ya� and Karyū of the “Hy�go-ya�, she was a very popular courtesan and more sought after than they. One day she was suddenly taken ill, and her malady increasing in severity she could get no rest even at night. When, worn out with fatigue she finally succeeded in dropping into a fitful slumber, she shrieked and groaned in an agony of terror, while the cold sweat poured in a profuse stream from her quivering frame. Her symptoms were so dreadful that the other inmates of the brothel felt their blood run cold as they gazed on her drawn and terror-stricken countenance and heard her awful cries of fear, but they did their best to alleviate her sufferings and attended her assiduously. Curious to relate, the women who nursed the unhappy sufferer found an immense toad at the side of her couch, and although they flung the loathsome creature away several times it would immediately return and squatting down by the bed would sit gloating over the patient—a portentous and revolting watcher!
At length, notwithstanding the efforts of her attendant physician ÅŒsumi wasted to a skeleton and finally died of the dread disease which had seized upon her, but to the last she uttered the most ghastly and blood-curdling cries and in her delirium expressed a sense of the most awful terror pursuing her to the grave.
It is stated that a certain priest had been in the habit of frequently visiting Ōsumi, and having fallen in love with her tried his best to win the fair courtesan for himself, but failed owing to her having a paramour. The latter had squandered his parent’s money in riotous living and had been driven out of his home on that account. Ōsumi, in order to assist her sweetheart in distress, pretended to be deeply in love with the priest referred to, and by this means inveigled the recreant “Servant of Buddha� into supplying her with considerable sums of money, all of which she promptly gave to her secret lover. One dark night, the deluded priest was foully murdered on the banks of the Nihon-Zutsumi, and it is said that his troubled spirit sometimes passed into the body of a frog which sat haunting the bedside of Ōsumi, and at other times took possession of the body of kamuro and in a hollow sepulchral voice expressed his resentment to the heartless woman who had allured him to death and perdition.
Ko-murasaki (Little Purple.)
(The second of the name.)
The name of this courtesan is known throughout the length and breadth of Japan, and the fame of the fair girl has been spread even to Western lands by means of a story entitled “The Loves of the Gompachi and Komurasaki� given in Mitford’s “Tales of Old Japan�.
She is regarded as a specimen of feminine faithfulness as exhibited by women of her class. She was proficient in the art of literary composition, wrote a beautiful hand, and was well versed in all those other graceful accomplishments which were considered necessary to ladies in this country. It is said that she was the authoress of a popular song called the “Yae-ume� (The double-blossomed Plum) which ran as follows:—
“I am like the azalea which blossoms in the meadows, pluck my flowers ere they fall and are scattered.
“I am like the firefly in the field which lights up the bank like a pine-torch. However impatiently I may long for you and pine to meet you I am like a bird imprisoned in its cage and cannot fly away, and my inexpressible sorrow makes me brood in melancholy.�
The touching story of the loves of Ko-Murasaki and Shirai Gompachi is as follows:—
“About two hundred and sixty years ago there lived a young man named Shirai Gompachi who was the son of a respectable samurai in the service of a daimy� in the central provinces. He had already won a name for his skill in the use of arms, but having had the misfortune to kill a young fellow-clansman in a quarrel over a dog, he was compelled to fly from his native place and seek refuge in Yedo. On arriving at Yedo he sought out Bandzui-in Ch�bei, the chief of the Otokodaté (Friendly Society of the Wardsmen of Yedo) and was hospitably entertained and protected by that famous wardsman. One day Gompachi went to the Yoshiwara for the first time in company with T�ken Gombei, Mamushi Jihei and other protegés of Ch�bei, and this visit was the cause of his undoing. While watching the gaily dressed courtesans promenading in the Naka-no-ch�, escorted by their male and female servants, Gompachi’s attention was drawn to a famous beauty who had recently made her début in the Yoshiwara.
“It was a case of mutual love at first sight, and from that time the handsome young man went daily to the Yoshiwara to visit Ko-Murasaki. As was usual with a frequenter of the quarter, Gompachi, being a r�nin and without any fixed employment, had no means of continuing his dissipation and at last when his stock of money ran out he commenced to resort to robbery and murder for the purpose of replenishing his purse.
“Blinded and infatuated by his love for Ko-Murasaki, he continued his wicked course of life and kept on slaying and robbing, but at length he killed a silk-dealer on the banks of Kumagaya and robbed the unfortunate man of three hundred ry� and this act subsequently led to his arrest and execution as a common felon at Suzugamori (“Bell Grove�) near Ōmori which was the execution ground in the days of the Tokugawa Government. When Gompachi was dead, Bandzui-in Ch�bei obtained the remains from the authorities and interred them in the burial ground of the Boron-ji Temple at Meguro. Ko-Murasaki, on the other hand, was redeemed by a certain wealthy man after her lover’s death, but on the very night of her redemption she escaped from her benefactor’s house and after spending the night somewhere she repaired the next morning to the temple where Gompachi lay buried.
“First she thanked the priest in charge for his kind consideration and care for the soul of the departed, made an offering of a bundle of costly incense-sticks and ten ry� to the temple, and placed five ry� in the hands of the priest asking him to expend the money in erecting a stone monument over Gompachi’s grave. After this she went out into the burial ground and offered prayers over the tomb of her loved one, and committed suicide by means of a dagger she had brought with her for the purpose. When the chief priest of the temple—Zuisen Osh�—heard what had happened he reported the sad event to Bandzui-in Ch�bei, and the latter soon came to the spot bringing with him the parents of the unfortunate girl.
“Unhappy in their lives, in death at least they were not divided, for the body of Ko-Murasaki was buried in the same grave as that of Gompachi.
“Beside the tomb was planted an orange-tree with two branches as a symbol that the two sleepers had entered into their eternal rest in perfect and mutual accord, and over the grave they erected a stone monument on which were engraved the respective crests of the couple—a sasarind�[58] in the case of Gompachi and a circle containing two (井) characters in the case of Ko-Murasaki. The names of the dead pair were also inscribed on the tombstone, and the words “Tomb of the Hiyoku� added. The monument remains to this day, and by it stands another bearing the following legend:—
“In the old days of Genroku, she pined for the beauty of her lover, who was as fair to look upon as the flowers; and now beneath the moss of this old tombstone all has perished of her save her name. Amid the changes of a fitful world, this tomb is decaying under the dew and rain; gradually crumbling beneath its own dust, its outline alone remains. Stranger! bestow an alms to preserve this stone, and we, sparing neither pain nor labour, will second you with all our hearts. Erecting it again, let us preserve it from decay for future generations, and let us write the following verse upon it:—“These two birds, beautiful as the cherry-blossoms, perished before their time, like flowers broken down by the wind before they have borne seed.�
While Gompachi was in prison the following letter was sent to him by Ko-Murasaki:—
“I am looking upon the rare flower which you sent to me only the other day, as if I were gazing upon your countenance. I am extremely distressed to learn that you find yourself placed in such an unpleasant position, and am inconsolable at the thought that your unhappy plight has been caused by myself. I hear it stated that there is a god even in the leaf of a flower and so I solemnly appeal to this deity to witness my unaltered faithfulness and constancy towards you, come what may.�
The above document is still in existence and is known as the “Hana-kish�� (“the Floral Vow�). It is often quoted to show how Ko-Murasaki loved her sweetheart and how faithful and true she was towards him in the day of adversity.
Even to-day people think kindly of the sorrows and constancy of the beautiful courtesan and keep her memory green in song and story, and still pious folks burn incense and lay flowers before her grave and say a prayer for the souls of the ill-fated couple. A popular song expresses the feelings of the Japanese people towards Ko-Murasaki when it says:—
“Who shall say that courtesans are insincere? Let him visit Meguro. Let him see the Hiyoku-zuka which bears silent but eloquent testimony to a courtesan’s fidelity!�
Kaoru (Fragrance.)
Kaoru was an exceptionally beautiful woman and was the leading courtesan of the “Tomoye-ya.� A certain enthusiast has left a record of the impression made upon him by this belle in the words—“Everyone who gazed upon her lovely countenance and noted her charming and graceful mien was intoxicated with the joy of her presence and remembered the story of the historical Chinese beauties Rifujin (�夫人) and Seishi (西施).� Once, one of her familiar guests brought her a water-vessel containing four or five much prized gold fish of a species known as Ranch�.
Kaoru and the other inmates of the house were greatly delighted with the beautiful gold-fish, and surrounding the vessel looked eagerly into it, quite forgetting in their excitement that they were neglecting their visitor. By and by the guest became weary of waiting, and to beguile his tedium he edged his way into the group of on-lookers to see what was going on. He perceived a maid-servant, under the directions of Kaoru, taking the gold fish out of the vessel one by one and placing them on the cover of the latter. This proceeding aroused his curiosity and he enquired the reason, saying:—
“Why do you take the fishes out of their element? None of them are dead!� Kaoru blandly replied—“The fish seem quite tired, so I am giving them a rest by making them lie down on this cover.�
The guest was dumbfounded at this marvellous exhibition of unadulterated ignorance and burst into laughter. This story may seem to reveal most crass ignorance and a wonderful depth of idiotic stupidity; but in those days such an exhibition of want of information on common topics was greatly appreciated in Japan, for it was supposed to betray maiden-like innocence of the world. At any rate, it is said that Kaoru’s guest was so struck with her simplicity that he became more attached to her than ever after this event. There is another highly disgusting and somewhat Rabelaisian story narrated about Kaoru which is supposed to show the affection (sic) in which this charming courtesan was held in the Yoshiwara. A party of reckless young bloods were holding a saké party one night, and the liquor was flowing freely, when suddenly some stupid individual dared any person in the assembly to swallow the contents of a large cup filled with pepper. Flushed with wine, and ready for any devilment, another human ass immediately accepted the challenge and volunteered to undertake this feat of horrible gormandizing. First the enterprising idiot drank a cupful of saké and then proceeded to gulp down the pungent preparation, but no sooner had he swallowed the first mouthful of pepper than he fell down writhing in terrible anguish, his eyes starting from his head, and his countenance revealing the tortures of the damned in the burning hell. Naturally a scene of great confusion followed this occurrence, the party was sobered up by the untoward event, and a doctor was immediately summoned to treat the patient. This disciple of Æsculapius was apparently as well posted about medical affairs as an ordinary coolie, for he was at his wit’s end to know how to treat the case. However, something had to be done to keep up the reputation of the “faculty,� and the worthy leech gravely prescribed human fæces as a medicine possessed of remarkably curative properties! This abominable prescription frightened the attendants, and they decided to ask the patient for his opinion on the matter. The latter, being unable to speak, seized a brush and wrote down on a piece of paper—“If I must perforce take the horrid dose, I prefer ************�!!!
Kokonoye (Nine-folded.)
Kokonoye was the name of a well-known courtesan who was possessed of considerable literary ability. Her story is a sad and withal interesting one as it reveals the vein of illogical reasoning traversing the unnecessarily severe and inhumane judgments of the Japanese judicial authorities in ancient times. It appears that Kokonoye had been in the employment of a certain respectable citizen of T�ky� as wet-nurse for his infant son. By and by the child grew older, and one day while playing, he got drawn into a quarrel with one of his comrades. Words soon led to blows, and the boy inflicted an injury on his little playmate which caused the death of the latter. The dead boy’s parents, indignant at the deed, complained to the authorities and the case came on for hearing before Ōka Echizen no Kami who was renowned as a great jurist in the olden days. The Solomon-like Judge decided that both the little prisoner and Kokonoye were alike guilty. He said that the boy had actually committed homicide, and that the nurse had been an accessory to the crime inasmuch that she had failed to exercise proper control over her charge. The boy was therefore sentenced (due consideration being had for his tender years) to be sent to a monastery and trained as a priest, while the unfortunate nurse was condemned to a life of shame in the “Sea of bitter misery� (the “Yoshiwara�) for a term of five years. Kokonoye was accordingly sent to the Yoshiwara and was there engaged as a courtesan in the “Nishida-ya� at Yedo-ch�, It-ch�-me. Another account says that this woman originally belonged to the family of a Ky�to citizen, but that owing to her lewd conduct she was sent to the Yedo Court for trial and there sentenced to perpetual service as a courtesan in the Yoshiwara. That she was a woman of literary and poetical tastes some of her compositions testify; especially one poem in which she feelingly refers to her native place, her banishment, the three great duties of women, and the five obstacles against women attaining the joy of Nirvana. Years rolled by, and, on account of her age, Kokonoye was no longer able to retain the popularity which she had originally enjoyed. Accordingly in the Ky�h� era (1716–1735) the nanushi and elders of Yedo-ch� proceeded to the Court and prayed for the commutation of Kokonoye’s sentence on the ground of her age, but the petition was rejected. On hearing this the poor woman was overcome with the most bitter grief, and composed a poem which may be translated thus:—“Alas! I am doomed to live in a place far from my parents’ home, and to ladle up for ever the water of the never-ceasing stream of the Sumida river.� On reading this sad poem the nanushi’s pity was intensified a thousand-fold, and with moist eyes he brought the lines to officials of the Bugy�-sho and again begged the writer’s liberty. Greatly moved by this expression of hopeless misery, the authorities were graciously pleased to show their clemency to the unfortunate courtesan, and readily granted the nanushi’s second petition.