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.