Good evening, everyone.

A festival is being held here in Susukino, Sapporo’s downtown district.

The Sapporo Susukino Festival is a summer festival held in Susukino, Sapporo’s downtown district. The first festival was held in August 1965, and the current 58th festival will be held in 2022. Including the 56th and 57th festivals, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this large-scale event has a history of over 60 years. The festival features traditional events such as the Oiran Dochu (Court Procession), Rengo Taiko (Drumming), and Susukino Hayashi (Susukino Music), as well as food and drink stalls and the Yosakoi Soran Dance.

The Oiran Dochu is a ceremonial outing in the Edo period pleasure quarters, where courtesans, the highest-ranking courtesans, dressed in special attire and accompanied by attendants such as kabuto (courtesans) and shinzo (young ladies’ maids), parade to the teahouse where their customers await. More than just a means of transportation, courtesans were a form of “show culture” that displayed the courtesan’s status and the prestige of the brothel, and also served as a kind of show.

The purpose of the courtesan procession can be summarized as follows:

1. Displaying status:
   The courtesan’s luxurious costumes and decorations, as well as her unique walking style (gaihachimonji), demonstrated her status and the prestige of the brothel to those around her.
2. Providing a sense of superiority for customers:
   By displaying the courtesan procession, customers were able to feel a sense of superiority, knowing they were receiving special treatment.
3. Promotional effect:
   By being seen by many people, the courtesan procession increased her own popularity and also served to attract more customers to the brothel.

Even today, courtesan processions are sometimes reenacted as part of events and tourist attractions. The sight of courtesans in gorgeous attire parading through the streets is reminiscent of the glamorous culture of the Edo period and captivates many.

If you’re visiting Sapporo during this time, you’re lucky to see a courtesan. The world’s oldest commercial escort service has also survived in Japan for a long time. What do foreigners think when they see courtesans? It’s fascinating.
Are Japanese women truly mysterious?
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