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Advent of Taikomochi and its Historical Background

(D) Decline in Taikomochi after Meiji Period (1867-1912)

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In the transitional period from the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867), which had adopted the policy of national seclusion from the rest of the world, to Meiji Restoration with introduction of Western civilization for the political transition from military to civilian, Taikomochi were allegedly enjoying flourishing popularity with their number having reached 500 to 600 at its peak. Thereafter, the number of Taikomochi continued to decline, especially after the end of the World War II with Japan’s surrender under the Occupation authorities, which ordered the abolition of licensed brothels in 1946, followed by the enactment of the Prostitution Prevention Law in 1958, causing licensed prostitution to be completely abolished for prohibition of Yujo and brothels. This, in turn, adversely affected the traditional Geisha entertainment culture, causing it to be driven into a corner, although the fact of the matter was that the situation in those days did not permit any one to enjoy such culture economically.

After the war, Japan underwent various other reforms including a tax reform with resultant disappearance of wealthy lords, paving the way for the nation’s economic expansion in the 1960s in which the average people’s living conditions began to improve, all of them having middle-class consciousness, to create society where every one was entitled to equal access to opportunity for entertainment. Around 1977, there was a boom in karaoke (prerecorded music tape to which one can sing as his or her leisure activity), which found its way into the Japanese traditional entertainment business with resultant sharp reduction in demand for geisha at banquets as a result of their replacement with their contemporary counterparts called “companions” (young women dressed in western style clothes, not kimono, entertaining guests as their conversational partners while serving them sake). The same was true for Taikomochi with their number thereafter reduced at such a high rate that they now number only five (5) (four in Tokyo and myself) as valuable performing artists capable of handing down the traditional geisha entertainment culture to the following generations. As one of the few, I, with my principal place of business in the vicinity of Kyoto, the birthplace of Japan’s culture, have determined to take over the tradition of Otogishu or Hanashishu to transmit the Japan’s history and culture to my clients through my traditional erotic, but sophisticated storytelling and performing art.

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