#kamuro

Courtesan Watching Two Kamuro Make a Snow Dog, Edo period, 1767 - 1768

Versión Riddle Rosehearts

(Masterlist) translation by @l3mon-candy

[Episode 6]warnings:nudity, violence, sadism, death of a background character, nothing very explicit.

[Design of: Riddle/Yuu and aclarations]

Your heart was about to burst, and it seemed to be the same for the red-head even if he’s trying to stay calm and have a serious look, his red ears gave it away.

He was embarrassed, submerged in a storm of thoughts that you couldn´t quite decipher.

Being the reason why he’s like this is quite……. satisfactory, you hope this can happen again without any interruptions.

Slowly your breath settled.

You completely forgot that the Kamuro could enter at any moment, but why right now? Couldn’t it be in two hours? They had already taken their time to appear, so why not take a while more?

Cough!

Cough!!

You mean……. finally, the new information sources arrive.

You observe attentively at the two figures in front of you.

Finally, the two kamuro announced their presence, you examine them carefully. They were two little girls around 10 to 12 years old, very cute. Although you weren’t a big fan of them.

You considered that kids about 2 to 12 years were the worst manipulators. You’ve heard and seen many things that proved it. The kamuro were generally young kids, they were the assistants or the redhead, apprentices and probably future courtesans. Their Kimonos matched with their Oiran, plaid bows, flowery kimonos and matching accessories. They assisted Riddle in anything he needed and in exchange they were dressed and fed with what Riddle’s work made until they were old enough and had enough knowledge to work on their own.

They were quite contrasting, one had soft ginger curls and the other was the opposite to the Oiran Rosehearts, for her snowy hair and deep blue eyes, almost black.

They both looked nervous, but…. in very different ways….

One of the Kamuro, the albino, spoke first, turning to the Oiran next to you.

—Rosehearts-sama, Mr. Crowley has asked me to tell you that you have an audience with a few clients in the main room, he wants you to be present…— She expressed directly although nervously, the other kamuro only nods quickly as or maybe even more nervously than the white haired girl, you imagine it’s because they know very well their Oiran’s character and his terrible temperament.

You huffed, but you quiet down the moment you feel Riddle’s stare, it was like having two daggers on your back.

You side-eyed the Oiran who had already stopped looking at you, he didn’t seem really happy with the idea and of course you weren’t either, you didn’t like the idea of Riddle being surrounded by many clients at all.

—I see…. if you excuse me I will be going now, you may use this room for all you need— He said as he stood up while avoiding your gaze, patting down his flowery kimono which was slightly wrinkled.

He walked to the door to leave not before looking at you from the corner of his eye while saying goodbye, he looked tense, still nervous. You reciprocated with a knowing yet affectionate smile, you wiped your fingers across your lips “cleaning” any invisible trace that may had been left, an action that only made the heat return to his face, quickly turning around frowning with embarrassment.

The girls only watched the scene, seeing Riddle walk between them to get out of the room and then looked at you with confusion while you let out a closed mouth smile.

When he finally goes you sigh with annoyance, they ruined the moment. When in life will the opportunity to Kiss such temperamental beauty present itself again?

You didn’t know who was the courtesan that interrupted you but now you hold a grudge against them, you hope they step on a screw or get lice. A few halls away not too far from your room, that courtesan had a sudden sneezing fit.

All these slightly spiteful feelings about mild vengeful scenarios puffed away when you noticed that the girls where looking you weirdly, given that you hadn’t said a word in 5 minutes.

—Eh… ahem, good night young ladies— you said looking noticeably uncomfortable, bowing slightly as greeting to which the girls answered with the same gesture.

—Don’t worry, I’m fine heh I was only thinking about some stuff…. Please. How about we start?—you expressed with a nervous smile so you could start your job.

You asked one of them to wait outside, so that you could interview each girl privately, as to let them answer naturally and not guide each other. The albino girl was the first to wait outside, while you were inside the room with the other kamuro, she sat on a cushion in front of you, obviously nervous as she was playing with her kimono.

—Nervous?—you asked the girl, who blushed slightly.

—Don’t worry, you don’t have to be scared of me, I only going to ask you a few questions about something that happened to your Rosehearts-sama, they’ll be easy questions—you said to the girl, to which she nods, still nervous.

You looked at her for a second while thinking of anything that could calm a child down, you get an idea and you search in your haori for some candy, they were for Riddle but after what happened you forgot to give them to him, that could help calm her down, right?

Her eyes brightened when she saw them, those eyes reminded you of Riddle and you couldn’t help but smile slightly, she took them and started eating, calming down a bit. You started interrogating her or for a more pretty way of saying it, had a friendly chat.

—Tell me, do you know why you’re here?— she nodded with slight sadness, she appeared to look guilty over what happened.

—They told me that one of you gave the candy to the Tayu, was it you?— you asked calmly, to which the kamuro shook her head in negation.

—No… It wasn’t me, I was changing the bed sheets and cleaning Rosehearts-sama’s room with the help of another courtesan when I found out what had happened….—she explained, still eating the candy with sorrow, she didn’t show any signs of lying.

—Then you weren’t with Riddle—you said to make sure, to which she nods.

If it wasn’t her, then it had to be the other kamuro standing outside.

—Is there anything you could tell me? Anyone suspicious? Maybe someone who works here? —you tried to pry more, find any details which could help you with the culprit and possible accomplice, but she denied it, expressing that many people that work or visit the brothel are very weird, so she didn’t know who she could choose.

Makes sense, the old green man isn’t the only one obsessed with the Tayu and desiring him isn’t an odd thing.

You asked her some more questions to see if you could get any more information, but there was nothing relevant for the case, though it was for your curiosity. You thanked the little girl patting her head, the minimum gesture of affection that you could come up with for a kid and she gets out of the room.

You invited in the other kamuro, who also looked nervous but more collected than the previous one, you closed the shoji door and asked her to sit down, you tried the same thing as with the other girl, you offered her a piece of candy to calm her down but she refused, leaving the candy on your hand. You looked at her for a few moments after pocketing the sweets.

She seems to dislike you, is that a weird thing? No, but it it’s curious since you barely know each other. Maybe, it’s the same as Riddle when you met for the first time.

She doesn’t trust you.

You proceeded to ask her if she had given the sweets to Riddle, to which she took a second to answer, she nodded and so you started the interrogation.

—You probably already know what happened and why I called you yes? Tell me, the man that gave you the candy, he had a hat and was visibly old right? Did he say anything when he gave them to you?—you asked with your face resting on your fist while you looked at the kamuro who answered you with a negation.

—No, the man who gave me the sweets was a young man and he gave them to me at the entrance, he told me they were for Rosehearts-sama and if I could give them to him, I said yes, then he went away and I took the sweets so they could revise them—you raised an eyebrow at that information and raised your gaze in confusion.

The red-head said that he remembered that it was a man who looked old, not young, the he had to be the accomplice, plus the gifts and others if they’re revised before being brought to the Oiran, for safety reasons, how did they not notice the aphrodisiacs.

But you chose to not say anything.

—A young man gave you the candy? Do you remember how he looked?—you asked the girl.

If this information was true then it would prove there was an accomplice. The kamuro gave you a very vague description of what she remembered, a young man, with short hair, and an average face with a scar.

Short hair…..

If he hair of the “accomplice” was short then the hairpin couldn’t be his and if he left the place after offering the sweets, then it wouldn’t make sense that the hairpin was in the room where the aggression happened.

There were no correlations, it only confused you more, because of all the details of the case, conjectures and everything strange you took too long to realize that the girl was still there and of the insistent, fixed look on you, as if she was debating something.

You sighed and thanked her, getting up to open the door for her so she could leave, but a sudden question stopped you.

—Do you like Rosehearts-sama?... —she said with a voice loud enough so you could hear her but low enough so that no one outside could.

It was as if all the noises of the brothel and your chaotic thoughts agreed to disappear right at that moment, her nervous look which you had noticed earlier had vanished almost completely.

You froze out of surprise and also because of the attentive gaze of the Kamuro, did they notice the ambience with Riddle when they entered the room? Probably, as in a place like this, they had the knowledge and not the innocence of the kids outside.

After a few seconds locking your gazes on each other, you smiled with your eyes closed, the smile calm and practiced—Of course, who doesn’t like the Oiran?— you said completely calm. As if it was nothing, as if it was a joke, as if your interest for the red-head was just interest and nothing more.

The albino didn’t look happy with your answer, maybe she noticed that there was something else hidden underneath.

Without another word she said goodbye and left, you waited a few seconds after closing the door. Finally being completely alone, you sighed, the question had caught you off guard, you only hoped there wouldn’t be any rumors for that, it would make everything more complicated.

And the case in itself was already quite complicated.

You couldn’t bring yourself to believe what the latter kamuro said, you had to figure out if you could prove what they said with someone else’s word, so you’ll investigate if what they declared was true.

There were so many details that didn’t make sense—ugh….. this is so tiring—you expressed with frustration, frustration that vanished as soon as you remembered that intimate moment with the red-head, you lowered yourself laughing quietly—hehehehe~—.

You covered your face with your hand, with the hope to contain or calm the heat of your face, you could remember the red-head’s sweet scent and the feeling of his soft lips on yours persisted.

You touched your haori where Riddle’s hands had touched you and you could still feel the pressure as if it was still clinging to you, his blushing face was beautiful, you’re the only who has seen it right?

No client, none of the clients who surrounded Riddle at that moment have seen it and they never will. A moment and a memory which only you will remember.

You felt pride in it, as if you had won a battle which no one else had managed to win, no one managed to go so far with someone so unreachable. This pride, a sense of victory that vanished and transformed into emptiness as you processed better what you were thinking about doing to the one with the grey eyes..........

That was what the aggressor felt when he violated Riddle, wasn’t it?

Pride, as if you had in your hands a coveted object, he wanted to lower the price to force Riddle to go with him, if not, they would use him like another run-of-the-mill courtesan, using him however they wished…

You felt a sting of guilt, remorse and anger, doesn’t that make you the same as that man? Feeling pride for having reached so far with Riddle, the desire to go further, how does that make you any different from the rest of the clients that Riddle hates?

Your lust blinded you, what the hell where you thinking? You run your hand through your hair in frustration.

Thinking about it….. you’re grateful that they interrupted you.

You stood straight sighing still with a nagging feeling on your conscious.

You shook your head, there were thing you still needed to investigate and a case to solve.

♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤

You walked through the halls watching clients flirts and promising the world to the courtesans, promising eternal love, promising to buy them, some courtesans looked at them with innocent excitement while others looked at them with mockery and boredom as if they had already heard these same lies thousands of times before.

Between laughs and various conversations at the same time. One regarding the case caught your attention, in the hall among other people there were two people talking.

—I heard what happened to the Oiran, how terrifying, having to experience something like that… putting aphrodisiacs in his favorite food—said a client.

You sighed at the fact that they knew about the aphrodisiacs, rumors run fast. It’s always a mistake to talk to a reporter.

—Yes, having so many people desiring you must be terrifying—replied the courtesan.

Riddle has good looks , a wide range of abilities and a lot of knowledge, he’s someone to be desired, but also coveted for other reasons, courtesans with class, appearance and that preserve their purity, not having been touched by any client, is someone who they wildly compete for, many try to impress and win their favor.

Riddle possesses all of that, he sells his art not his body, this competition is what makes Riddle’s price rise and him refusing all possible buyers only makes him even more unreachable.

That’s why the aggressor tried to force Riddle, to lower his price and make him leave with him, after all, Riddle is only a trophy for the people of power, if you manage to buy an Oiran it’s a demonstration to others of your status and economy. Putting aside their lust towards that person.

That’s why you thought of doing the same, lower his price, taking away what made Riddle most coveted, which would keep him “safe” from the clutches of others.

You frowned and moves away from those people, their voices and conversations fading away as you went into the hallways, walking through them and turning corners to find more hallways, it was like a labyrinth, full of men and beautiful women and with moans, yells and very explicit sounds of what happened in the rooms, there were some doors that weren’t completely closed letting you see courtesans on the floor, leaving nothing to the imagination while their respective clients brazenly satisfied themselves.

To think that Riddle had to go through the same thing made you sick. You moved aside to a corner, you felt disgust for what you were seeing, the harsh way with which they were treated like objects of desire. It made you think that you got to see Riddle in the same way.

—Shit….—you expressed with embarrassment, you didn’t want to be like them, you wanted Riddle to be happy and live in tranquility, if the person who bought him was like those animals you saw.

Ughh....

You tried to ignore those strong scenes, looking for the courtesan who helped the Kamuro clean the Oiran’s chamber that was stuck on your mind.

But you stop your search and thoughts when you heard some banging and loud sounds that stood out from the rest, getting closer to the room from which the shouts originated.

Was this another rape attempt?

A shiver went down your spine and you opened the door abruptly finding a very perturbing scene, a courtesan thrown to the floor with her chest exposed, letting visible scratches, bites and bruises, she was being grabbed by the hair by the client who was on top of her with her yukata open, leaving the rest of her body also exposed.

The guy stopped hitting her to turn and look at you and the courtesan also turns her head, her face was very bruised and wet from tears which made your chest hurt.

—Eh? What’s wrong with you idiot, I’m busy here, get out!—the man shouted, visibly drunk. You approached him to grab the hand that was gripping her hair.

You couldn’t let him keep mistreating her, he could kill her if he kept going,

—Please, let go of her—you ordered firmly, tightening your grip and observing him with a serious expression.

—I said get out—said the man menacingly.

—And I said let go of her, you’re going to kill her.—you replied with defiance, frowning even more while you kept tightening your grip on the man’s wrist, which made him even angrier.

He let go of the woman to lunge at you, he sent a punch which you almost couldn’t dodge, you took a couple steps back expecting the men to get closer, which he did while stumbling due to the alcohol, you dodge once again placing yourself behind him and you pushed him with your foot, kicking him out of the room.

—Aghh!?—the man groaned in pain.

—What the fuck is your problem!?—he yelled angry with his nose bleeding due to slamming to the wall, he tried to get up but you kicked him making him fall once again. The way of his own big body and the effects of the alcohol only rendered him useless.

—I told you to get out, or do you want to rot in jail?—you expressed looking down at him with an intimidating face.

—Jail?—He gulped, trying to get up—Why would I go to jail? For playing rough? I paid for it… plus, she’s just a prostitute—he finally got up and looked at you, he’s certainly taller than you.

—You hit someone so gravely that she can barely get up by herself, that’s a crime and you can go to jail for it—you tilted your head with clear threat, sadly he can’t go to jail for it but he can be punished, though luckily he got visibly nervous, he stood up as well as he could and went away stumbling and staggering due to his drunkenness.

Everyone present watch as he stumbled out as he could and some courtesans only looked in silence whispering to each other things that honestly you didn’t want to know.

You calmed some of your frustration and rage with that man? Yes, honestly yes you did.

—Bastard…..—you expressed quietly before they throw a rag to your head, you turned to see the courtesan who had been hit earlier looking visibly angry.

—You scared away my client!—complained the woman who could barely stand up, her kimono was open letting you see her body, her chest, the cuts and bruises between her legs and other part of her body, it was painful to look at, but she didn’t seem fazed to be seen like that.

—He was hitting you, look at what he did to you, this counts as an aggression—you said with a grimace, you couldn’t stand still and not do anything.

—What are you talking about? He paid to lay with me, he’s always rough!—she exclaimed moving her hair which was sticking to her face with her blood and tears, you frowned to take out a napkin and give it to her so she could wipe her face. She looked at you then at the napkin angrily, but she accepted it anyways.

—But thank you, it could’ve been worse if you didn’t interfere like a lunatic—she expressed, cleaning her face carefully with the napkin.

It hurt her, it was clear she didn’t like the rough game but it was a way to get money and some extra plus, even if she got angry you don’t regret kicking him out.

—Sorry for not regretting interfering—you said while she shoot you a bewildered and irritated look.

—Fine…. and then? Where you looking for someone to spend time with? Did you enter every room just like that looking for someone to do it with?—she said as she gave you back your napkin, you shook your head, refusing the napkin so she’d keep it. She needed it more.

You commented that you were looking for the courtesan that had helped one of the kamuro of the Oiran to clean his room.

—Kamuro?.... aaaah yes that was me, she was too small to do it on her own—she said while she fixed her hair and closed her kimono to keep her body out of sight.

Then it was her.

What the ginger girl had said was true, now you have to figure out if the albino girl was saying the truth, since you had your suspicions on what she told you.

Some of your questions got answered but others stayed, one of these was about the hairpin, you still had no clear idea on why it was in that room, maybe there was more than one accomplice? The hairpin didn’t seem to belong to a man, but who else could be involved?

Taking it out of your haori to inspect it, whose could it be?

—Mm? That hairpin…… why do you have it?—Asked the courtesan recognizing the accessory.

This took you by surprise, you quickly turned to her, with a bit of desperation—You know whose it is?—you asked, this woman had the answer to your questions, thank god!

—more like whose it was…… I can tell you if you want to know but you have to give me something in exchange, you did chase away my client and I can’t keep working in this state—the woman expressed, making a sign we her hands.

She wanted money.

You sighed making a grimace, this place makes you pay for breathing but it was the least you could do, you didn’t regret but she was right plus you needed the information, so there went your savings, you gave her a few coins

She took them and started talking—That silver hairpin belonged to an Oiran that worked here—she said counting the coins.

This confused you even more, why would the hairpin of an ex-Oiran be in the crime scene?

—Okay, and were is the Oiran?—you asked with irritation, tilting your head.

—Dead—.

You immediately straightened up, you have the hairpin of a deceased person? The woman, seeing your expression, sighed and kept talking

—Yes, the Oiran whom it belonged to died long ago, because of an illness—

—She was here before the actual Oiran, she was the opposite to Rosehearts-sama, she was kinder and didn’t have that terrible temperament, plus her hair was like the personification of the snow—you squirmed, that description reminded you of someone.

—I remember that Rosehearts-sama was very close to her, they got along very well.—expressed the courtesan, that’s why Riddle seemed to recognize the hairpin.

—She used to wear many silver accessories with unique designs, since it made her look more ethereal, that’s why I was shocked to see that you had the hairpin, when she died many of her accessories were robbed by the people of the brothel, to sell them or use them.— explained the girl while you listened attentively.

—Seeing her was like seeing a goddess, a moon goddess—she said with her gaze fixed on the accessory, like seeing it transported her to those times.

—And what happened to her? You said she died due to an illness, how did that happen?—you asked with curiosity.

—Well, the fool fell in love with a client and ended up pregnant, some time passed until they noticed, this caused a big damage on her reputation and the brothel’s, her price went down, and with so many clients she caught many illnesses….. after that, the thing of the illness affected her appearance, her mobility and she couldn’t keep working, being replaced by the present Oiran Rosehearts-sama—expressed the courtesan rubbing her face with an expression of sadness for the es Tayu.

That about the Oirans coming out pregnant wasn’t impossible, the kamuro could be their own children but you suppose their value also resides in their purity and losing that made her lose her value, ending in that way.

—She was really loved here it was horrible that she ended up like that, she spend her last moments with her baby who’s still here in the brothel—told you the woman crossing her arms.

Her baby is still here…….

—I see, thank you for the information, I hope you recover soon and please try to avoid idiots like that, yes?—you said with a frown, to which she only raised her eyebrows smiling and she went away with a courtesan who looked worried.

Now you knew where it came from, but it didn’t make sense that the hairpin of a dead woman was in a recent crime scene.

Maybe someone who managed to take one of the accessories of the old Tayu entered the scene without anyone noticing?

The description of the old Oiran reminded you a lot of one of the kamuro, the albino girl to be exact, but even if she was her daughter it wouldn’t have anything to do with the case.

You reached a section outside the brothel, this is where they revise the gifts for the courtesans, clothing, fabrics, accessories and mainly food or sweets like in this case. Also the things that Crowley buys to increase the number of clients and increase the debt of the courtesans.

You entered, there were many workers who were revising, organizing or wrapping the things that were being sent. You got closer to the section where there were more sweets and edibles and you asked one of the workers for an albino kamuro who brought in some sweets for the Oiran a few days ago, they all looked at you and exchanged confused looks, asking among themselves for the albino girl that you mentioned.

You already had a bad feeling, in the end an elder approached you and finally said something that made your face darken

The kamuro never took the sweets for inspection. . . . . . . .

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Hellooooo

Sorry for being so dead all this time, I won't tell lies, I was procrastinating, I didn't feel like doing anything and I wanted to be able to advance a comic I'm doing but I still have to finish it TT.

I bring this chapter, sorry if there are inconsistencies, since I added many things to it as I read, recently I received a comment of constructive criticism that left me thinking and I said to myself "...what he says is right" maybe I take it to heart or maybe I think about it but realistically he is right, it's something I realized when I finished chapter 5.

I said "wasn't it very fast?" Or "It doesn't make sense" with the most intimate scene of Riddle and Yuu, but I didn't give it importance (like every protagonist in a novel or story and as you know, I crashed like them)

Although there are things that I didn't make sense of, he is certainly right about others. I would like to make several clarifications at the end of the story, data, beta scenes as well as some thoughts.

It was already planned that Yuu would reflect on what he did, but because of the comment I feel a little more convinced that's it.

graphic description of how Yuu feels after coming to his senses:

(If you have any questions, you can ask them, because I plan to kill myself XD)

I will try (I don't promise anything) to update more often because I'm starting university soon and I don't want to leave a story half done, plus, I'm frustrated that I haven't finished a story in a year and a half TT.

Here I leave the chapter, enjoy, sorry for any spelling errors or misspelled words, sorry if it doesn't match the previous chapter, I'm in the process of growing as a writer🫂.

Yujo (Courtesan) - Ito Shinsui, 1912

The Art Of Refusing Patrons

Conversation, music, spiritualism, aesthetics, the Tayuu had a wealth of talents and gifts. They were considered supernatural beauties, bewitching castle-topplers, superstars across the land. But all these things are relative, are they not? Some Tayuu would cater to very niche interests, some others would be more universally prolific, and then we know of some who went down in history for their magic sex appeal or dainty feet. There is no barometer, there is no standard. All that ever mattered was her appeal to the men around her.

First and foremost to the owners of her contract, who would predict a shiny future from her babyface. Then from the aging patrons of her older sisters in the ageya, who would invest in the child's education, forming her path in a passive way. And when she started budding into adolescence, she would be deemed desirable after years of grooming. Legends and accounts have it, that the Tayuu would have acquired a catalog of talents and attributes unique to her or representative of her house, her name-line or current trends. She wore them like her expensive garments and over the top accessories. It set her apart from the noble wife, dutifully working towards her husbands financial success. From the obedient daughter, a pawn in bigger game. From the saintly mother, sacrificing her years to her sons, for the sake of the tribe. The Tayuu was not expected to sacrifice, work or go without, quite on the contrary, she was simply expected to be.

This made her the ideal woman. She was equal to the privileged man as he too was only expected to be and then to die in honor. And honor and pride are the main catalysts in the particular artform, which we will explore here.

A Long Tradition

In my posts about Tayuu, I tend to describe their existence as something like a cultural lighting in a bottle. A cumulation of societal circumstances that made this very small ripple in culture, big and yet tiny in historical context. But the phenomenon of Tayuu culture has been a long time in the making and gone through some incarnations over the centuries: From Asobi over the Shirabyoshi to the Tayuu, all were performers of the nobles in Kyoto. We will be only touching briefly on how there is a direct line to be drawn from the Shirabyoshi specifically to Tayuu traditions.

Shirabyoshi usually came of prestigious backgrounds, sometimes of noble or samurai lineages, persuaded into (or sometimes very willingly pursuing the trend of) training in dance, poetry and social games. They didn't operate from an okiya but led a transient life, called upon to entertain at events, which were usually spiritual or religious in nature. Their stay was dependent on how much entertainment value they provided for the lord and his large court. Even though Shirabyoshi were all the rage for a while, eagerly anticipated by ladies and lords alike, as their popularity grew, so did their numbers. Too many of these girls were trying to get into the palaces, some more talented than others. At one point the biggest houses had something akin to what we would call a "casting couch" today, where rigorous vetting excluded undereducated Shirabyoshi and sent them away.

But once inside the palaces, their ambition was to stay as long as possible, as they usually had no place to call home outside of the walls. So naturally two strategies emerged for the savvy Shirabyoshi: Cultivate her art and capture the attention of her audience that way, or become a Courtesan to a noble. Better yet, have his child and nestle in somehow, hoping that the prestige of the child's father would rub off on her. The most successful girls ticked all boxes. As history does, some rare Shirabyoshi managed to become highly demanded artists and they actually refused patrons. But let's face it, this was not the norm and as time passed, became even more rare.

One can see some parallels to Tayuu in that these artistic entertainers blurred the lines between business and pleasure as a way to bind themselves to men of influence. Also in that both Shirabyoshi and Tayuu travelled to the imperial palaces as specialists of their craft. But where they differ greatly is that the Tayuu's ability to refuse her patrons added to her prestige, while the Shirabyoshi would never have turned down a liaison when advantageous. She was her own boss and somewhat liberated, but also needed to fend for herself. During the romantic Heian era, this lifestyle had blossomed but in the following Muromachi era, the status of women particularly within the elite warrior class changed, due to emerging primogeniture and patriarchal, Confucian, and Buddhist influences that deemed women "impure". This would ingrain itself in Japanese culture for good.

Some centuries passed and with the advent of the pleasure quarters, the Tayuu got webbed into a finely tuned machine that upheld a whole industry. So the question is: How much say did a Tayuu really have to refuse?

Examples in Media And Real Life

Sano Jirozaemon Murdering A Courtesan - Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1886

Yatsuhashi

Yatsuhashi Oiran was a real person who was brutally murdered by a jealous patron in 1683 in the Yoshiwara. The Kabuki play “Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame” (The Bewitched Sword) is based on her life. But it is framed from the murderers perspective of course. Jirozaemon, a country merchant that had come to some wealth, falls in love at first sight with Yatsuhashi, during her parade in the Yoshiwara. His open mouthed, smallpox scarred face elicits a mocking smile from the majestic Oiran but later in the play, we see that Jirozaemon has managed to buy himself into her regular company at the Tachibanaya and was in talks of redeeming her contract for her to become his mistress. She rejects his offer, as her lover Einojo pressures her to do so, fearing her feelings for Jirozaemon were growing. Some months later, Jirozaemon returns to Edo, having left after the rejection, and he visits the Tachibanaya once more. An apologetic Yatsuhashi begs him for forgiveness once they are alone. He softly hands her a cup of sake to make amends. As she hesitates to accept, he states it will be her last drink and thrusts his sword into her, killing her in one blow.

The public ist meant to sympathize with Jirozaemon, as he was of their shared merchant class while the Oiran was known to not give them the time of day. And even though the murderer is framed as a wronged, well meaning country merchant, manipulated by gangsters of the seedy pleasure quarters, I find Yatsuhashi's story to be exceptionally tragic. One can see that the fate of an Oiran was to cultivate relationships with people she might have rejected at face value but then talked into entertaining by her boss. Then the man she loved, Einojo, who was certainly not going to buy her out of her contract, clearly put his needs before hers, as losing her to Jirozaemon would have granted her a secure life outside of debt to a brothel. And finally, as Yatsuhashi played her only card, openly rejecting someone without even giving any explanation or derogating him, she is punished with burning rage. She was let down by every man in this story and she had no escape.

Nishigiki

In 1810, one Nishigiki dared to refuse a customer so vehemently that it sealed her fate according to the book "Edo Culture: Daily Life and Diversions in Urban Japan, 1600-1868" where we get some insight into methods of torture of Yuujo. It's widely known, that some inhabitants of the Yoshiwara served their terms as convicted prostitutes so we do get a wide variety of women, from refined to rough and ready. Torture and murder were very much a part of village life and no one would bat an eye at the news of another girl getting her comeuppance in one way or another. Refusing a patron was certainly up there in the top reasons for punishment, along with stealing and fleeing through the gates.

I can't seem to find more on the martered Nishigiki, safe to say from the timeline, she was not a Tayuu but rather an Oiran. We can deduct that her case wasn't a big deal and simply got lost in the records. Just another girl that didn't make it.

I did manage to find a lineage of the myouseki in the Yoshiwara though. One very famous Nishigiki Oiran was immortalized by Isoda Koryuusai in 1776, which might or might not be the one we're looking for. It's not very likely though, as by the 1810s this Kishigiki would be in her 50ies and long past her prime to be able to refuse any Danna. Harunobu had not one but two Nishigiki as muses during the 1770ies. Then there is the 1830ies Nishigiki in full Oiran mode. So it's safe to say that the name was rather popular even after one of them faced a gruesome end. There is even a Nishigiki in kabuki and bunraku, whose contract is being negotiated over in the play. The protagonist is forced to come up with 200 ryo (something along 20–80 million modern Japanese yen), an unheard of amount, keeping in mind that a low-ranking samurai might earn only 3 ryo annually. It's so jarring to see one Nishigiki getting murdered for refusing a patron, while another Nishigiki is worth a lifetime's earnings.

From what we know of the rapid decline of Tayuu culture in the early 1800s, the battered Nishigiki was probably one of the very last women who dared to refuse a patron. The retribution was swift and brutal. Tayuu and certainly Oiran were not irreplaceable superstars any longer.

Takao II

When discussing superstars, we cannot go without mentioning the famous Takao II of the Yoshiwara. Date Tsunamune, the young daimyo of Mutsu, decided to buy her contract, which was immensely costly due to her unprecedented popularity as a Tayuu in the pleasure quarters. Her boss ludicrously asked for her weight in gold. As the patron obliged, Takao's sleeves were secretly weighted down with lead, causing her weight to increase to some 70kg. Nevertheless, the contract was bought and a devastated Takao was sent on her way to become the daimyo's mistress in his estates. Poor Takao tried to drown herself in her despair, leaping from the boat she was being shipped in, this being one story. Another version cites that when she refused her new master, her fingers were broken one by one, a day at a time. After the 10th day of rejection, Tsunamune murdered her with his blade.

So, exactly where was her right to refuse a patron? If not THE great Takao, who else might have had the pull to reject an undesirable suitor? Where does this idea come from that these girls, teenagers essentially groomed into sexual servitude, would have had the wherewithal to say: "no, i don't wanna".

Reading Between The Lines Of Tayuu Propaganda

These examples are obviously very extreme, hence all the legends and media around tragic heroines. Oftentimes kabuki and bunraku playwriters used the Courtesan to demonstrate that there is virtue to be found in the most rotten milieu, be it in the form of a stoic and devoted whore, or a lowly John saving up a year's wages to get a hug from a famous Oiran. Among all these tales of love suicides and murders, there were many, many rituals and steps that went beforehand. Lest we forget that the pleasure quarters was built upon rules and laws designed to control the money flow. The art of refusing patrons was very much a tool to get interests up and make or break a popular Courtesan. But we also try and view these rules and regulations in a different light.

In the early years of the pleasure quarters, visitors were of the samurai class, visiting with retainers and associates. Even feudal lords would grace the district and bring with them their retinue. As we know, the merchant class found unprecedented social mobility around this time, replacing the samurai as the purchasing powerhouse. The growing masses found that even though they had the funds, there were degrees of accessibility to more successful ranks of women. They got blocked from mixing with higher class women. Noble Patrons profited from a more luxurious experience that made them feel superior to the lower classes, the brothels gained reputation and prestige through association with the ruling classes. But we are still talking about a tiny pool of people affected in this, as even during its golden age, Tayuu were counted in double digits among the two thousand working girls in the Yoshiwara. So here and there, some admissions for very rich merchants were made to see Tayuu and Oiran. But the culture clash was inevitable.

Just as often as Oiran and Tayuu tradition gets blurred into one another, there is one main factor that separates them: Location.

About Mawashi And That Pesky Contract

There used to be Tayuu in the Yoshiwara, and those were the top rank of Oiran, or the top rank of any given ranking system. At some point, the last Tayuu of the Yoshiwara extinguished and there were only Oiran left. Tayuu in the Shimabara and the Yoshiwara were groomed and educated from childhood to fit the mold. BUT in the Yoshiwara, there were cases of Courtesans rising up to Tayuu rank out of the blue. In Kyoto though, they stuck to the tradition of growing a Tayuu. There is no chance in hell, that a merchant of any kind would have had access to a Tayuu in Kyoto in all earnestness. Just because she was already "promised" to some patron that had invested in her education via her Onesan. So the concept of "refusing a patron" would have been inevitable, as she was ideally already locked into a patronage from the very start of her career, the patron only chomping at the bit for the girl to come of age. Raising a Tayuu was a big deal, a big investment and a big part of high culture in Kyoto.

Now if a new Tayuu had one or two (or even more) interested Danna waiting for her to "open shop", she was essentially already refusing patrons by default. The okiya would see to it, that the girl got to officially meet her patron through the three-meeting rituals we keep reading about everywhere, the one the Oiran hijacked as a means to bleed the patron dry. This is where the myth of "refusing first timers" comes from. And it made sense in Kyoto, where even the most money minded okiya would protect their assets by introducing them to trusted clients before sending them off to far away estates.

Just like the Shirabyoshi before her, the Tayuu would make her way to her Danna's place but she had a whole circus of attendants in tow: Kamuro, Shinzo, her secretary, her lantern bearer, sitting in a palanquin or carriage etc. This was pricey and the costs needed to be negotiated in advance, naturally this was not an impulse buy for a first timer. Same with the Oiran Dochu later on. This was too high a risk to simply offer on credit and the bosses of ageya and okiya knew this very well. They wanted the big fish.

When a deal was negotiated for a Tayuu's exclusive or semi-exclusive patronage with a client, it was not to buy her out quite yet. The girl was kept in the okiya and worked by hosting her patrons, educating herself and educating the new generation of Kamuro, paying off her investment and debt. Her life was paid at least once or many times over if she had a few insanely rich patrons but it was never enough. So even a kept Tayuu might have had days where she might have refused her Danna right?

Again we need to look into the dynamics of noble culture in Kyoto and how different it was from Yoshiwara.

If an Oiran was booked many days or even weeks in advance, may it be by loyal patrons or persistent and rich first-timers, would that be considered a refusal if she simply had no time? When a popular girl was double or triple booked, she would simply not attend her meeting with one patron in favor of another and send a sick note. Or she would meet that one rich guy and slip out to write letters for the other dude waiting. One very common trick was to send the ugliest Shinzo in to keep him entertained. While the rules stated that the Shinzo was off limits, it usually was her initiation into entertaining a patron one on one. And it would have been considered bad manners to complain about the Oiran being AWOL just as much as not paying for that Shinzo's unrequested services. By the way, this trick with sending in the Shinzo was called Mawashi and the Shinzo was then the Mawashikata. The custom had been established among lower ranked whores, who needed to work many Johns simultaneously, jumping from futon to futon. Sure, this angered the clients, but it was just the game of booking a popular girl. Even if she just showed up for a short while, you had the bragging rights. This custom made its way up the ranks to the Oiran over time as efficiency grew more important for them too.

Let's imagine how Kyoto's fine elite would have dealt with rejection. The type of Tayuu you mingled with was representative of your own refinement. If you were important and wealthy enough, she would not let you jump through unnecessary hoops. But just as well, she would meet her patrons at eye level to some degree, as was expected. A good Tayuu would never be as rude as to leave her patron waiting and if she did, an elegant daimyo would never make a scene. He would never let any hint of unsophistication slip, as this grave faux-pas would lead to refusal of services. He would handle her with more care than most women would have dared to dream of experiencing at that time because she was not his belonging, like a wife or a daughter, but rather a service provided by an okiya.

Since we're discussing real people and real emotions though, it's not as black and white of course. Nonetheless, the Tayuu's experience was unlike anything any other woman in Japanese society would have known and made for a rather comfortable and desirable lifestyle.

Honor and Dignity Of The Samurai

So if everything was so cozy and comfy, how did we get all these stories of patrons harming the Courtesans after experiencing rejection? For this we touch on the subject of the importance of honor as a cornerstone of samurai life. Among the vital values imbedded into their identity were dignity and self-restraint just as much as saving face through honor. Just as much as a Courtesan hurling herself from a boat into the river seems a bit excessive, it was representative of her samurai ideal. Just as much would the samurai rather kill her by his own blade for insulting him. As she was a woman, there was no duel to preface this settling of scores. She was already considered beneath him by Confucian teachings, what difference would it had made if she was dead or alive. Certainly there was no coming back or reconciliation. It was simply not how things worked. A Courtesan mingling in these circles already knew what was in store for her, it was part of daily life.

Whose Right Is It Anyway?

Essentially, the art of refusing a patron was privy to the brothel owners only. It was never the right or the privilege of the Tayuu nor the Oiran. She was only an instrument, a toy, she was merchandise. The irony of attributing the "right to refuse customers" to a Tayuu that never got to choose her patrons in the first place is cruel. A girl working in a brothel or okiya would be either disciplined or tortured into meeting the man that brought the most profit for her house. If she was bought out, she was now her new husband's doll to destroy at will. Her death would not have caused a scandal big enough to warrant more than a slap on the wrist for her samurai murderer. And the story of Jirozaemon, who got so welcomed into the teahouse just to kill the girl he had fallen in lust with, is a great example of how money did the vetting.

For the girl's owners, refusing a client was about the coin, for the girls it was a matter of life and death. I often think about how we trust our guts when meeting new people, but the Courtesans didn't have that privilege. They had already grown up desensitized to the leering gaze, to the screams of pain in the walls, to the blood on the tatami. In this sense Tayuu would be considered the epitome of the perfect woman because she was majestic yet submissive. And the submission started with the owner of her contract, who did all the thinking for her. She might have had the forum to interject as opposed to the working girls next door that couldn't catch a break, running from one mattress to another while wiping on the way with their tucked in paper rolls. But what difference would her word have made?

One can see how it might have been a point of contention for the affected men in the story. Of course from their point of view, this was an alien concept, something to make a huge fuss about because it was a rejection of men. Through the lens of Confucian ideals, this was a hard pill to swallow. But it's also very interesting that the art of rejecting patrons was attributed to the girls and not their bosses ultimately. This game was for men to suppress other men while suppressing women

Snow Scene in Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)

Hi and thank you for your kind words <3

You're lucky, I've been through that specific rabbit hole before ;) You can find those past posts wondering about kamuro apprentices fashion here and here ;)