1. What are yujyo & yukaku?
Yujyos were prostitutes who worked at yuyaku that is a red-light district licensed by the Japanese government.It started in the 16th century and ended in April 1957 because of the anti prostitution law, It lasted for 340 years. There were two main reasons why people became a yujyo, one being a financial reasons or as a punishment. if a family was in debt one person would sold to the yukaku to pay off the debt, or if a family committed a crime a person would be forced to work as a yujyo as punishment.If one gave birth a boy would be sold as a slave or a girl would be raised as a yujyo.
2.What is an oiran?
A oiran was the top rank of a yujyo, there were classes of prostitutes.And they were all treated differently. The system was made to make yujyo compete with each other, and to make the customers pay more for a higher ranked yujyo plus increase sales. Unlike spending a night with a low class yujyo there were many conventions before a man can have an oiran, until their third encounter a oiran does not speak, eat or drink and the customer is determined if he is worthy enough for her.The oiran had the right to reject men she disliked,so the men must have courtesy. If the customer is allowed to meet the oiran for the third time they can become “familiar”.But to meet an oiran once is about 600,000 yen, about 6,000 dollars US. So only very few civilized men with plenty of money had the right to have a relationship with an oiran. This meant that an oiran’s social rank was higher than most men of Japan. You needed education as well good looks to become a oiran,In particular learning calligraphy was necessary for writing letters to men.Not only did she have to write nifty content, but her hand writing also had to be beautiful.They also trained in performing arts such as koto,shamisen,singing and tea ceremony from a young age. They were also required to be intelligent by reading old japanese literature and learning board game such as “go”, with as much training and studies she would finally be able to have a decent conversation with any rich customer. They wore their obi tied in the front to make it easier for the customer to undo.
3.life as a oiran
Back in edo period Japan the military dictatorship made enclosed pleasure quarters,known as “Yukaku” they offered a place for whom can afford it to indulge their sexual appetites away from prying eyes of wider society.For the elite, Yoshiwara’s Oiran were the ultimate status symbol, these skilled courtesans were treated as low ranking nobility plus the competition for their attentions were fierce and expensive. In addition to sexual favors the oiran could sing, dance, play music, compose poetry, and produce ‘Shodo’. A customer could spend three to five million yen, the equivalent of 30 to 50 thousand in US dollars, for the privilege of enjoying a single night with one of the most iconic women. Even though the oiran were the primary attraction,especially during the most beautiful evening parades to meet clients known as ‘the oiran douchuu’ or ‘the oiran walk’. The most popular Yukaku was the Yoshiwara Yukaku which boasted elegant shops, tea houses and restaurants.The aim was to tempt even the most casual visitor to this very adult theme park to overspend lavishly.As a vibrant center of cultural activity, The Youishiwara oiran exerted considerable influence over popular trends in fashion and art. But what a day like for one of these women under a spotlight?At dawn the gates were unbarred and its captive clientele could come and go freely. Prostitutes of every rank would wake up at around 6 A.M, to help overnight guests prepare for their journey home and to see them off with all the fuss and flattery needed for repeat business.Oiran would then makeup for lost sleep in their private rooms until 10 A.M, everyone else would bed down in a single large room. The yukaku owners maintained a brutal regime to encourage competition, what they ate and where they slept determined what rank they were and severe punishment was common for even a minor infringement of impossibly strict rules.When they woke up they would all take a bath, of course the oiran bathed first and the other followed in order of rank.Everyone was permitted to bathe in the morning, but only wash their hair once a month since safe clean water was perious at that time and reconstructing the hairstyle of the oiran was time consuming therefore a cost to be managed. After a bath, brunch was served, Oiran would eat in their private rooms and would often taking deliveries from restaurants nearby, the typical menu was a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup,pickles and one some portion of something more tasty, all the other girls including apprentices would eat their meal at a long narrow table at the ground floor. Despite long days of gruelling labor, these girls between five and fifteen were lucky if they received a bowl of rice, pickles and miso soup.It wasn't unknown for them to hoard leftovers from lavish clients dinners and eat them for breakfast. The business would start at 12 noon. Apart from the established orian, girls would sit in a wooden cage facing the street to attract passing customers. A practice known as ‘harimise’ or display behind the grill, meanwhile oiran would work on self improvement tasks practicing their artist skills or reading books to enhance their conversion skills.
