Tayuu Procession

Today was mostly devoted to studying (and procrastinating) for my final exams, which start on Monday, but this morning my host mother took my host sister and I to see a procession of three Tayuu. I’ve doubtless mentioned before that Tayuu were Edo-period courtesans, and that while the ‘real thing’ doesn’t exist anymore there are a few women who dress up in the specifically Tayuu style of kimono, hair and makeup, and basically perform the same function as geisha do, which is to say going to parties and performing traditional music and dance. The Tayuu also, however, have a couple public appearances, which today was one example of. North of the main part of the city is a small temple, the main gate of which was donated by a famous Tayuu. This same Tayuu’s grave is inside the temple precincts, and it is for the purpose of paying respects to that grave that the three Tayuu this morning were out in public. Now, Tayuu of old used to parade down the main street of the pleasure quarter on their way to a party in a slow, stately fashion befitting a noble woman. They had a specific way of walking where they drag the side of their rather tall shoe in a figure 8 before placing it just barely in front of them, the result is that they move extremely slowly, but in an oddly snake-like manner. They were usually attended by several other courtesans, musicians, their house owner, servants, and an umbrella-bearer, which must have been quite a spectacle. Not that today wasn’t. There was a big crowd gathered the sides of the street, and the bus to the temple was ridiculously crowded. Policemen held a sort of roped enclosure around the Tayuu as they walked to keep the masses of people back, and it was very much a necessary measure. Each Tayuu was elaborately dressed and coiffed and attended by two child attendants and a man with an umbrella. The first one was, in my opinion, the most convincing in the way she walked and the way she stared straight ahead as if there was no one in front of her at all. The second woman was also pretty good, but the third one was talking to her umbrella guy, and broke out of the traditional walk when she wanted to catch up. It was very exciting to see actual people wearing these clothes, and to see an actual person do the walk that I’ve read about in several books. Tayuu are rarer by far than geisha or maiko, and as far as I know can only be found in Kyoto.
-My host mother confirmed that non-maiko dance students fill-out the ranks at the Miyako Odori.
-The Tayuu whose grave they were visiting actually married a wealthy Kyoto merchant. I thought that that sort of thing only happened in Kabuki plays.
-Crowded buses are their own sort of exercise.
-I really need to remember my sunglasses when I leave the house.