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Tayu are the forgotten courtesans from whom the geisha evolved. In days bygone they were the stars of old Japan, the Queens of the pleasure district. With dozens of pins in their hair, a belt - tied in front - flowing over their feet, brightly colored kimonos and accomplished in all kinds of arts these women bedazzled the men of their time. Nowadays, since geisha have taken over, most are forgotten, but a handful still exists - hidden in the old pleasure quarter of Kyoto.
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THE FORGOTTEN COURTESAN
By MASHA VAN DER HEIJDE
Tayu are the forgotten courtesans from whom the geisha evolved. In days
bygone they were the stars of old Japan, the Queens of the pleasure district.
With dozens of pins in their hair, a belt - tied in front - flowing over their feet,
brightly colored kimono and accomplished in all kinds of arts these women
bedazzled the men of their time. Nowadays, since geisha have taken over, most
are forgotten, but a handful still exists - hidden in the old pleasure quarter of
Kyoto.
Meet Ms. Haba, the 85 year old Deputy Director of the Meito Museum in Nagoya.
Wearing a glitter jacket and a matching sparkling skirt, she walks with big steps
through her museum explaining different Japanese drawings on show. This my
second visit and as before her energy is stunning. While rushing from one
painting to another, she throws her handbag over her shoulder as if it was a
knapsack, as if she is setting out on an Art Pilgrimage.
One of the prints shows a gracious woman in a bright kimono, dozens of pins
stick from her hair, her belt is tied in front and flows over her feet and the tatami
floor, but most strikingly is her mouth. Her lips are slightly parted and give a
glimpse of black teeth. “Hah!” Ms Haba smiles, “black teeth! An ancient
Japanese beauty ideal. In the old times, all married women and courtesans
painted their teeth black.” Getting closer to the print she chuckles. “You see,
these are no geisha. These were tayu, the top-end courtesans before the geisha.
Though no-one remembers them, a few still exist.” While she admires the print a
bit longer, I ask her if it is possible to meet one. A frown clouds over her face.
“Hmmmmm” she says doubtfully, sighs and then moves on to the next print.
“Now this is a unique print! It shows a landscape in autumn…..”
Soon her friend joins us, the Director of the Nagoya Hot Spring. He is a short
man with a round smiling face. “You look nice” he says to her. She makes a
disagreeing sound. “Nice, Nice? This dress is ten years old! Look, it’s much too
big for me, it hangs around me like a tent!” and she pulls on her clothes to
demonstrate this. The Hot-Spring Director beams some more and lets the
comment pass in void air. Both the Hot-Spring Director and the Museum Deputy
Director lead me into a small room with big leather couches: the VIP room. A girl
with a tea-tray approaches through the Zen-style rock garden. While the
Hot-Spring Director and I settle ourselves on the comfortable couches, the
Deputy Director sits down on the thick carpet. After finding a right position she
says “so, you really want to meet a Tayu?” I nod. Admiring the cup that is placed
in front of her, her hands touch its shape and she holds the cup against the light
to reveal its texture. “Wasn’t your father coming to Japan?” she asks. “Yes, I’m
meeting him in Kyoto.” She gets off the carpet, her suit sparkling in the sunlight,
and makes a phone call. Five minutes later she turns to me. “We are off to Kyoto
next Friday. I have arranged a meeting with my friend in a Kimono museum.
After that, you might be able to find yourself a Tayu.”
Arriving at Kyoto station that Friday, Ms. Haba the Deputy Director is waiting for
me in a black and white speckled suit with a kind looking driver by her side. We
get into a big car. The Deputy Director sits on a big pillow next to the driver, I sit
in the back. Driving through the city, through tree-lined streets, along a river and
into the mountains, the car finally comes to a stop in front of a building that looks
like a crumbling factory. On the gate are the words ‘Kawashima Feel Good’ with
a small sign underneath reading ‘Textile Museum’. Whatever the building makes
me feel, it does not make me feel good. Neither do the men in bad suits with odd
haircuts smoking in front of it. But the Deputy Director seems to feel perfectly at
home. She jumps out of the car and rushes over a red carpet towards the door,
laughing “soon I am 86, it is better to enjoy life. Tomorrow I may be dead!”
Inside we are welcomed by the Director of Kawashima, which means River
Island. Though I am eager to meet a tayu, he takes his time to show the museum
- several textile-fragments are over 1000 years old - and explain how
Kawashima produces textiles for automobile-companies as well as fine
tapestries and obi. Finally the tour is over and he takes us to a spacious room
with big soft sofa’s and bright TL lights. While he invites us to sit down, the
Deputy Director walks towards the wall to admire a painting. “Very nice” she
mumbles. Then, pointing at fake yellow flowers standing underneath the painting
“But who chose those flowers? Bad Taste!” The Director laughs loudly. He is a
tall man and everything about him seems grey; his hair, his eyebrows, his skin,
the shirt he is wearing of which one thread got loose and keeps touching his chin.
Only his eyes are dark black, contrasting with the rest of him. He nods at me.
“You have come to meet a Tayu, right?” he asks and he pushes some Japanese
flyers across the glass coffee-table towards me. “Sumiya,” he says and points to
one of the flyers. “This used to be a cultural saloon in the old Kyoto pleasure
district of Shimabara. Nowadays it is a museum. I challenge you to start looking
there and find one yourself.” With that our visit is over and Ms. Haba ready to be
brought back to the station. Realizing I am not going to get a tayu presented by
them, I take the flyers from the table and - looking him in his dark eyes - I accept
the challenge. Ms. Haba the Deputy Director waves kindly from her window as
we both leave the museum in a different cab.
Back in the car, driving past old wooden houses framed by green mountains
towards the randomly booked hotel found on the internet where I’ll meet my
father, I let my mind go over the strange day. Suddenly I hold my breath as the
car drives through an old wooden gate with a willow in front that looks strangely
familiar. Could this be the famous gate of Shimabara that I have seen on so
many old wood-block prints? Shimabara, the old tayu district of Kyoto? Not far
from the gate the car stops in front of a wooden Japanese Inn. I have reached
my destination. And in more ways then I have imagined.
Walking around the area with my dad that evening I realize it is true. Turning a
corner we stand in front of the old living quarters of the courtesan, Wachigaya,
and all shops and restaurants outside the wooden gate have pictures of tayu in
their windows. That night I lie in a traditional tatami-room underneath a picture of
four tayu and can only hope I’ll find one.
Waking up in the middle of the old Pleasure
District, I know my destination. The cultural
saloon and entertainment house Sumiya. But
arriving at the big wooden structure a flyer
taped to the entrance pole catches my eye. I
cannot read all the Japanese characters, but I
understand it mentions getting information
about tayu for 500 yen. Asking at the entrance
of Sumiya they direct us back towards a street
before Wachigaiya. There nothing shows
anything that has to do with courtesans so I
ask an old man who passes on a bicycle. He
gets off and takes us to an ordinary house -
nothing like the old historical structure I had expected - where a tiny cat with
scared round eyes watches us. Calling someone inside, the man then smiles
and rumbles off on his old bicycle.
Not long afterwards a small woman
appears, looking at us with curiosity. She
has a kind face, a few front teeth are
missing. Asking us to wait for a minute,
she disappears upstairs and sounds of a
room being put into order sip through the
thin ceiling. Finally we are invited to
come upstairs, into a tatami-mat room
lined with bright kimono’s and photos of
tayu. When the woman leaves again, my
father whispers “She will probably get
the tayu now!” but she returns alone with
some more pictures and sits down to
talk.
As the woman starts explaining
about the different clothes,
hairstyles and arts of a tayu, it
slowly downs on me. SHE is the
tayu. I am sitting opposite one of the
four remaining top-end courtesans
at that moment! Her soft voice takes
us to how it all began. Born into a
Kyoto hairdresser’s family who
specialized in hairstyles for geisha
and courtesans, she became an accompanying girl of a top-end courtesan when
she was still young. Learning from her all the arts and skills of a courtesan, she
eventually was trained into a tayu herself and became known as tayu Takasago.
Talking softly, she turns more and more towards my father as she demonstrates
her different kimono. Flattering him, taking his compliments with a twinkle in her
eye, coquettish moving her eyes, an elegance in all the movements of her body,
she shows a glimpse of her sublimity as a tayu. Finishing our talk with a cup of
Japanese tea and two sweets in the shape of a flower and an autumn leaf, we
finally have to leave.
Late that afternoon at the Inn, the owner-woman calls us to tell there is a visitor.
Downstairs the fragile figure of Tayu Takasago is visible in the doorway, her tiny
cat cradled in her arms like a newly-born baby. Soon we are all crammed in my
father’s room; Tayu Takasago, her shy cat who tries to hide behind the television,
my father and I. Though all we can do is offer the cheap tea we have in the room
while Tayu Takasago produces a gift and explains the chopstick holders the
package contains, we have a magical time with our tayu.
Getting there:
Take bus no. 205 at the B-3 bus stop in front of Kyoto station. Get off at the
fourth stop; Shichijyo Mibu. Walk 300 meters north, turn left at the second traffic
light. Proceeding for 50 meters you will find the Shimabara Gate. Tayu Takasago
lives here. You might meet her if you ask around.
To visit Sumiya (now called Sumiya Motenashi Art Museum 角屋もてなしの文
化美術館) an appointment is required. Special tours (requiring advance
reservations) allow access to the Sumiya's 2nd storey and are conducted daily.
An English pamphlet is provided, but you might also consider arranging a
volunteer guide. The best way to do this for non Japanese speakers is at
the Kyōto Tourist Information office located in JR Kyōto Station Building
along with a volunteer Japanese interpreter.
For places to stay, Ryokan Sanki offers a traditional stay right in the middle of
Shimabara. A single room without bath is 4,000 yen. Call 075-351-6339 for
reservations.